Back before Penn State’s football team all but imploded, Nebraska’s matchup against the Nittany Lions had the potential to be a season-defining game. It would be the game where the Huskers could make an enormous statement against the highly ranked Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium.
Oops. Penn State lost three consecutive games, fired coach James Franklin, then lost three more consecutive games.
Quarterback Drew Allar suffered a broken ankle against Northwestern (the third straight loss and the game after which Franklin was fired) and was lost for the season.
Season over? Not quite.
The Nittany Lions regrouped and defeated Michigan State last week and now they have a chance to go to a bowl game with wins over Nebraska and Rutgers.
Nebraska made adjustments of its own after the loss of injured starting quarterback Dylan Raiola. True freshman TJ Lateef played an outstanding game at UCLA, a 28-21 victory before the Huskers’ bye week.
Nebraska (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) vs. Penn State (4-6, 1-6) kicks off at 6 p.m. CT. The Huskers are a touchdown underdog at most sportsbooks.
“Despite being 4-6 they’ve outscored their opponents by 93 points this year,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said at a news conference this week.
For every game, we will give you three reasons the Huskers will win and three reasons they won’t. This game, even with backup quarterbacks, is shaping up to be something special under the lights at Penn State.
Nebraska’s Heisman Trophy hopeful has been outstanding this season, rushing for 1,131 yards on 203 carries (5.6-yard average) and 11 touchdowns. Johnson is the Huskers’ third-leading pass receiver with 36 catches for 300 yards and three touchdowns.
If the Huskers win, Johnson and his offensive line will be the main reason why. They want to control the ball, control the clock and take some pressure off Lateef.
Lateef’s starting debut was special but college football isn’t a one-game season. The Huskers need another top-notch performance from Lateef, who showed plenty of talent and poise against UCLA.
He will face the challenge of a 100,000-plus Penn State crowd and the Nittany Lions’ defense, which is ranked 22nd in the nation. Penn State recorded five sacks last week against Michigan State. The Nittany Lions will be coming after Lateef.
But if Lateef continues his strong play, this can be a legacy game for him, a chance to win on the road in a hostile atmosphere.
Nebraska has to deal with Penn State running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. The Huskers’ run defense, spongy all season, is ranked 90th in the nation, allowing 161.1 yards per game.
The Huskers must control the line of scrimmage and control the PSU running backs. If they do, victory likely will follow.
Allen and Singleton are among the all-time rushing leaders among duos in NCAA history.
They have combined for 7,125 yards on 1,328 carries and 77 rushing touchdowns since they started their careers together in 2022.
They rank sixth among running back pairs. The top duo is SMU’s Eric Dickerson and Craig James, who rushed for 8,192 yards on 1,565 carries from 1979-82.
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen runs for a touchdown Saturday against Michigan State. / Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images
Allen and Singleton also have combined for 165 receptions for 1,391 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“When you look at their offense the strength of what they do is they have a great offensive line, they have two great backs, big physical tight ends, and a mentality of that region and that program to run the football, so it’s going to be a great challenge for us and an opportunity,” Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler said this week at a news conference.
Penn State can save something from an otherwise disastrous season by winning its last two games and going to a bowl.
“Last week, I gave the team four key points of emphasis,” Penn State interim coach Terry Smith, who was hired for his first college job at Temple by Rhule in 2013, said at a news conference this week.
“We delivered on all four of those. They were dominating the line of scrimmage, playing with passion and pride, getting Nick [Singleton] and Kaytron [Allen] a combined 30-plus touches, and then pressuring the quarterback.”
Backup quarterback Ethan Grunkenmeyer has played admirably against rugged competition in Iowa, Ohio State, Indiana and Michigan State. He has completed 72-of-111 passes for 689 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions.
For a proud fan base, and a proud, historic program, Penn State beating Nebraska would mean the world. You just get the feeling that Penn State is going to play one of their best games of the season. Just a hunch.
“I was telling the guys that it was going to be an intense atmosphere,” said Nebraska senior defensive lineman Elijah Jeudy, who is from Philadelphia, at a news conference this week.
“But we can’t let the crowd get in our head. We’ve just got to stay focused on what the main goal is, rely on each other, fall back on each other. Get what we’ve got to do done. Take everything one play at a time.”
Penn State can be a rough place to play. Expect it to be Saturday night. The Nittany Lions will rely on the crowd, running game and a traditionally tough defense to carry them.
The winner: The difference ultimately might be the experience level and performance of the backup quarterbacks. Penn State’s Ethan Grunkenmeyer has started four games and this will be Lateef’s second start. Penn State 27, Nebraska 24.
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