Terry Smith makes his case to be the next Penn State head coach and more of what they're saying after the Lions beat Nebraska

Penn State and interim head coach Terry Smith are being widely praised following a 37-10 win over Nebraska. After needing to make a goal line stand on the game’s opening drive, the Lions marched 98 yards on their initial possession to take the only lead they’d ever need en route to their fifth win of the season.

“They are playing inspired football,” Smith said. “They’re hungry. They want to play in a season that they could easily give up and quit. They’re on the brink of playing some of our best ball. Grunkemeyer is playing unbelievable football. We’re throwing the ball. We’re answering all your questions about throwing the ball down the field.

“We are throwing the ball down the field because explosive plays count as the pass interferences, too, because the ball is going down the field, which is opening up our run game, which is why we ran for over 200 yards with those guys. We look like a real football team. I’m super proud of these guys.”

Here’s what is being said locally and nationally after the game.

Smith makes his case to be the next Penn State head coach

Plenty of writers took this angle in their postgame stories. USA Today college sports editor Matthew Glenesk is one of them.

“Under Smith, the Nittany Lions (5-6) have won two straight after putting a major scare in second-ranked Indiana that required a last-minute masterpiece from Fernando Mendoza, capped by Omar Cooper Jr. defying gravity,” Glenesk writes.

“In his on-field postgame interview following Saturday’s win, Smith seemed to stake a claim for the job while players behind him held signs that read “Hire Terry Smith” and fans chanted his name.”

Read the full story here.

Lexie Linderman of The Daily Collegian took a similar approach.

“Smith took over the program at a tough time,” she writes. “A season that started with hope began to spiral into despair. He had to try and fix what had been broken without the Nittany Lions’ three-year starting quarterback while the rest of the team was distraught over James Franklin’s firing — and he had to try and win games.

“He’s won two Big Ten contests now, while almost beating No. 2 Indiana and Iowa. He’s fixed the passing attack, and he’s played to the rushing game’s strengths. Above all, Smith’s care and love for the program and his players has been evident throughout.”

Read the full story here.

Lots of love for Kaytron Allen

If Smith’s quest to keep his job is the top storyline coming out of this game, Kaytron Allen becoming the new all-time Penn State rushing leader is 1B. He passed Evan Royster with a four-yard carry in the fourth quarter.

“Allen ran for 160 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries against the Cornhuskers. In what he has called a “long year,” Allen broke one of Penn State’s most iconic records,” writes Mark Wogenrich for Sports Illustrated. “And to the trivia question, who handed the ball to Allen on the record-breaking run? That would be receiver Liam Clifford, playing one of his substitute downs at quarterback.”

Adds Bob Flounders for PennLive:

“The Lions, ranked No. 2 early in the season, lost six consecutive games after a 3-0 start. James Franklin was fired on Oct. 12 after the team’s home loss to Northwestern a day earlier. Smith took over.

“And Allen became an extremely busy guy.”

Final word

This week, it goes to BWI’s Sean Fitz. He gives his defensive game ball to Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant.

“In his final game at Beaver Stadium, senior defensive tackle Zane Durant was all over the place, even if the stat sheet doesn’t show it,” Fitz writes. “Durant finished with just two tackles, but they both ended Huskers’ drives. Nebraska got deep into Penn State territory on the first drive of the game thanks to a big run by Emmett Johnson, but Durant planted Johnson on a fourth-down carry for no gain at the Penn State 2-yard-line to swing momentum back in the other direction.

“With Nebraska trying to get something going in the third quarter, Durant then swallowed up quarterback TJ Lateef for a loss on 4th-and-9. Nebraska had nine drives on the evening, and five ended with a turnover on downs.”

Read the full story here.