Highs & Lows: Penn State shines in home finale

By Nate Bauer

Penn State rolled past Nebraska, as Kaytron Allen set the program’s all-time rushing record. Highs and lows from the Nittany Lions’ win:

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Kaytron Allen needed 139 yards to move into first place on Penn State’s all-time rushing chart. The senior running back was likely to get there at some point in the Nittany Lions’ final two regular-season games, and on Saturday night he made sure his pursuit of Evan Royster wouldn’t extend into the team’s finale at Rutgers. In his Beaver Stadium send-off, Allen delivered 160 yards and 2 touchdowns on 25 carries, including a 50-yard burst. He now has 3,952 yards in his four seasons at Penn State, surpassing the 3,932 yards that Royster amassed from 2007-10.

PLAY OF THE GAME
Nebraska may have gone out with a whimper, but it started strong. The Cornhuskers opened with a 52-yard carry on their first drive, setting up an opportunity for early points — at least until Penn State’s fourth-and-1 stop of Emmett Johnson at the 2-yard line. With senior defensive tackle Zane Durant stepping up in the moment, the four-down sequence marked the start of an outstanding evening.

BEST PASS
Redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer produced the best performance of his young career, completing 11 of 12 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown, largely letting his playmakers finish the job to spark the Nittany Lion offense.

BEST RUN
After Nebraska’s Johnson opened the game with a 52-yard carry, Allen quickly answered. On Penn State’s first possession, he cut through a well-blocked hole and found space along the sideline for a 50-yard sprint to the Cornhuskers’ 3-yard line. Two plays later, redshirt sophomore tight end Andrew Rappleyea cashed it in with a 4-yard touchdown reception.

BEST CATCH
The throw wasn’t ideal from Grunkemeyer, but true freshman receiver Koby Howard didn’t need it to be. Hauling in a crosser at the left hash, Howard turned the pass into a career-long 31-yard gain.

BEST SACK
True freshman defensive end Yvan Kemajou was the first Nittany Lion to track down TJ Lateef. With the final minutes of the first half ticking away, Kemajou shed his blocker and dropped Lateef for an 8-yard loss, setting up a quick three-and-out for Nebraska.

BEST HIT
Johnson had patiently waited for the hole to develop on fourth-and-1 near the Penn State goal line, but then Durant met him head-on. Their collision stopped the Nebraska running back cold – just four plays after he had galloped 52 yards deep into Penn State territory.

BEST EFFORT
Senior running back Nicholas Singleton didn’t quite take it the distance, but his first-and-10 reception to end the first quarter was one of his best plays of the season. Following his blocks, he dashed 50 yards to flip field position for the Nittany Lions.

BEST KICK
Stalled just short of the end zone, Penn State called on redshirt sophomore Ryan Barker to convert. The kicker drilled a 26-yard field goal through the north end zone uprights, giving Penn State a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.

BEST DECISION
Showing up. For the thousands who made it to Beaver Stadium on Saturday night — announced at 105,038 but clearly fewer — the game delivered the kind of feel-good moments missing for much of the season. A dominating win. Allen’s rushing record. Terry Smith’s name chanted from the stands. It was a rare uplifting scene for a team that has muddled through a series of challenges to become a late-season feel-good story.

WORST DECISION
Redshirt freshman defensive back Kenny Woseley ensured that Nebraska’s Mekhi Nelson would earn this spot. Pulling in Gabe Nwosu’s kickoff late in the first half from his goal line, Nelson was immediately crushed by Woseley at the 10-yard line. The poor field position set up Kemajou’s sack on second-and-9, a sequence that helped Penn State seize momentum.

MOST TELLING MOMENT
With 11:10 left in the fourth quarter, Beaver Stadium learned what it had just witnessed. Allen, already celebrated in his final home game, capped a 75-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown to give Penn State a 37-10 lead. Earlier in the possession, a 4-yard carry had made him the program’s all-time career rushing leader — the defining moment of the night.

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