Penn State returns home Saturday for Senior Day as it continues to fight for bowl eligibility. The Nittany Lions will play the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Week 13 of the college football season in the program’s eighth Big Ten game of the year. Here are some final thoughts and predictions ahead of the matchup.
Does the defense keep rolling?
Penn State’s defense against Michigan State looked like it was supposed to all year. The pass rush was consistently getting in the backfield and being disruptive, and the coverage was confusing for the Spartans, while also being sticky and preventing receivers from getting open. The Nittany Lions gave up a touchdown on their first defensive play of the game, but didn’t give one up after that, playing elite football for a long stretch of the game. Now it’s a matter of figuring out what worked well and how to replicate that moving forward.
Some of that will be obvious — like using the prowler package more. The prowler is a third-down package Penn State used frequently under former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, with several pass rushers lined up across the line of scrimmage with multiple of them standing up rather than down in a stance in order to obfuscate who will actually rush the passer. Former defensive end Abdul Carter was a big part of its success in previous years, and Dani Dennis-Sutton could do the same in the team’s final two games. Those are the kinds of adjustments defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will need to stick with in order for this defense to keep rolling.
Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton sacks Alessio Milivojevic of the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at Spartan Stadium on November 15, 2025 in East Lansing, Michigan. Duane Burleson Getty Images
What does the offense look like?
I can take a pretty good guess, but it’s still worth pondering if the Nittany Lions will stick with what was so successful against the Spartans — the running game. It’s hard to see Penn State doing anything other than feeding running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton the ball over and over again. And really, feeding Allen the ball as much as possible. He’s been the team’s best offensive player this season and is in line to break the program’s all-time rushing record. He needs 139 yards to do it, and there’s a chance he can get that mark against the Cornhuskers.
That being said, Penn State should still let redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer sling it a little bit to show what he can do. All signs point to the Nittany Lions seeing a lot of roster turnover heading into next season, but it’s worth seeing what Grunkemeyer is capable of in order to help his development. Because that’s what this season is about at this point — allowing the players to show what they can do and try to get something out of a lost year.
Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer makes a pass during the game against Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Can any seniors have their big moment?
Saturday is Senior Day, but it’s easy to forget about that with how this season has gone for Penn State. Very few players are having the year they wanted, and the team fell short of its goals and saw its head coach get fired just two weeks into October. But that doesn’t mean this game can’t be meaningful for the players who are leaving. The Nittany Lions have several players, like Allen, Singleton, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zakee Wheatley and many others who will be playing their final games in Beaver Stadium after having very successful college careers.
This will be the seniors’ last chance to make a mark on the program, even if it isn’t the one they all envisioned heading into the season. The Nittany Lions have a chance at bowl eligibility if they can win their last two games and that starts on Saturday. Sure, breaking off a big run or getting multiple sacks would feel a lot better if a playoff berth was on the line, but there’s something to be said for having a big performance in the final home game of your career.
Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley and linebacker Dominic DeLuca stop Northwesterns’ Caleb Komolafe during the game on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Final predictions
Penn State 23, Nebraska 21: The Nittany Lions are creeping closer and closer to bowl eligibility, and I think they put themselves on the precipice by beating the Cornhuskers. Penn State is still the better team here, despite how this season has gone, and both offenses playing without their starting quarterback at the beginning of the year should even things out a bit. Ethan Grunkemeyer should be able to do enough in the passing game to supplement an elite running game and get the team its fifth win of the season.
MVP: Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley. Few players have been as consistently good this season for Penn State as Wheatley — and good is probably an undersell. He’s established himself as one of the best safeties in the country and a massive piece of the defense who is usually at the center of the action when things are going well. This will be his last time playing in Beaver Stadium, and I think he goes out with a bang — winning the game with a pick-six that he takes 73 yards for a touchdown for the final score of the game.
The last word
Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith on why Penn State means so much to him:
“My dad graduated in ‘68. That’s all we know. I’m from a small town called Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and it’s not a very nice place. My dad through his education at Penn State moved us to the other side of Pittsburgh to Monroeville, Pennsylvania, and he gave us a better life because of his education here. It taught our entire family about possibilities in life, and you can be whatever you want to be. This place has done so much for me and my family. I think we have nine or ten family members that have Penn State degrees. I have, I think, three that are students now, family members. This place is special. It’s amazing. I just want to give back to it. I just want to make sure I’m holding my end up of the bargain and putting out a team that everyone can be proud of.”
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Jon Sauber
Centre Daily Times
Jon Sauber covers Penn State football and men’s basketball for the Centre Daily Times. He earned his B.A. in digital and print journalism from Penn State and his M.A. in sports journalism from IUPUI. His previous stops include jobs at The Indianapolis Star, the NCAA, and Rivals.
