Welcome to what could be the final edition of Opponent Film Room this season. As up and down as a season this has been for Rutgers, it pales in comparison to this week’s opponent in Penn State. The Nittany Lions started as the #2 team in the AP preseason poll with loads of returning production and talent, but an excusable yet heartbreaking double overtime loss to Oregon inexplicably derailed their entire season.
Penn State lost to both UCLA and Northwestern, resulting in the ousting of “Big Game”
James Franklin, who decided to forego the longtime narrative around the program and lose the little games as well. While Franklin took the head coaching job at Virginia Tech, the Lions continued to lose, but showed fight and heart against Iowa, Ohio State, and most notably Indiana, pushing the #2 team in the country to the final minute.
The worst nightmare for Rutgers fans has since happened, with Penn State dispatching Michigan State and blowing past a now 7-4 Nebraska team, leaving the Scarlet Knights in a winner-take-all situation against a rejuvenated Penn State team also looking to get back to .500 and a bowl game.
While we have all offseason to wonder what would have happened if Rutgers took down Iowa or Minnesota in the key three-game stretch earlier this season, the Scarlet Knights have a chance to change the 2025 story from pain and heartbreak to success with what would be a monumental win over Penn State, which would send the Scarlet Knights bowling and snap a 17-game losing streak to the team that RU fans hate the most.
The highlights against Nebraska are a perfect representation of the Nittany Lions team that should show up in Piscataway, so without further ado, here we go with the film review, which has become my favorite weekly series to write! Hope you have enjoyed these as much as I have and gotten some valuable insights from them as well!
Penn State vs. Nebraska Film Review
On the first drive of the game, the Penn State defense made a goal-line stop that set the tone for the contest. The Nittany Lions looked like the ones that had the #2 ranking, swarming to the ball and stuffing Emmitt Johnson behind the line for a turnover on downs. Star defensive tackle Zane Durant was credited with the stop, but multiple Lions crashed through the middle to make the play.
Penn State was sure to make it count on offense, driving down the length of the field and using a play-action screen pass to get the first career touchdown for tight end Andrew Rappleyea. This is a play that tends to pick up chunks of yardage for Rutgers whenever deployed, as it is unexpected given how little Rutgers uses their tight ends. Look for Grunkeyemer to throw passes like these as an extension of the run game, short and simple.
Penn State tacked on a field goal to take a 10-0 lead, but was answered by Nebraska on the other end. With the score at 10-3, the Lions used their run game to score another touchdown, the 42nd of Nick Singleton’s career. “Nick the Quick” bulldozed his way into the end zone up the middle, and Penn State went up 17-3 on the Huskers.
On defense, Penn State got another stop, largely due to nobody on Nebraska’s offensive line accounting for freshman defensive lineman Yvan Kemajou, who flew into the backfield for a sack on Huskers’ backup TJ Lateef. After a ferocious run stop earlier, the Nittany Lions did the same in the pass and got good field position.
Penn State cashed in before the half, with Nick Singleton tying Saquon Barkley’s Penn State rushing touchdown record on this ten-yard carry. Unlike his first touchdown, the offensive line made his job easy on this one, as Singleton burst through a gaping hole and cruised into the end zone to tie the record and give his team a 23-3 halftime lead over a suddenly-inept Cornhuskers team.
Despite losing Raiola for the season, Nebraska had beaten UCLA 28-21 with Lateef and Johnson playing incredible games, but the Huskers looked completely overwhelmed, which likely has more to do with Penn State playing up to their talent level once again.
PSU picked up right where they left off after the break, with Kaytron Allen finding the end zone as he pushed up the middle to pad the Nittany Lions’ lead at 30-3. It was the 13th rushing touchdown for Allen this season, as Allen is more of a contact rusher while Singleton is known for his breakaway speed and elusivity.
On defense, Penn State swarmed Lateef for a fourth-down sack to take the ball on a turnover on downs, but Nebraska returned the favor as the Nittany Lions lost 22 yards on the drive. The Huskers finally found the end zone, with Lateef and Johnson doing most of the grunt work and the backup quarterback scrambling for six.
On special teams, Penn State had its bag of tricks, with a successful fake punt despite being up 27 points in the fourth quarter. The fake punt saw the ball being snapped to Luke Reynolds, who took off for a 26-yard gain, getting the blocks he needed and the room he needed to keep the drive alive and then some.
One can argue that it was a disrespectful look, but perhaps they just wanted to get Kaytron Allen the school rushing record or put something on tape for Rutgers. Given their track record, it seemed in line with a team that tends to run the score up against nonconference, low- and mid-tier Big Ten teams but always falls short when it matters most. At least Penn State got back to its usual standards in what was an unusually down year for them.
Allen did indeed set the all-time school rushing yards record with a 25-carry, 160-yard performance and two touchdowns on the evening. His second touchdown came from 13 yards out and gave him the record while pushing the score to 37-10, the game’s final margin on a seemingly perfect night in Happy Valley.
One positive thing I will say about Penn State is that Terry Smith has done his job in salvaging a lost locker room and seemingly lost season for their team. Used to competing at the top of the conference, Smith did what Franklin could not, helping them navigate through an unfathomable six straight losses to put them in position for a bowl game. With many of the top coaching candidates off the board, there is a strong case to be made that he should be hired full-time.
Schematic Breakdown: How Rutgers and Penn State Match Up
Looking at this matchup from a schematic point of view, the game plan will be more simplistic for the Nittany Lions. With two of the best running backs in the country, Penn State will look to feed its duo and attack the troubled Knights’ rushing defense. They will also look to limit risk by taking the ball out of Ethan Grunkemeyer’s hands whenever possible, although “Grunk” went 11-12 for 187 yards and a touchdown against the Cornhuskers.
Rutgers struggled with the inept Maryland run game, with Malik Washington and Nolan Ray each averaging over 15 yards a carry, and ranks 127th nationally, allowing over 200 yards per game. Against Penn State’s high-powered rushing attack, they will likely continue to struggle in that facet of the game.
If Penn State can control the tempo by using its run game, it makes life easier on defense, where Rutgers will have to contend with defensive stalwarts Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant on the line of scrimmage. The Nittany Lions have talent all over the defense, making it tough for Rutgers to lean towards either Antwan Raymond or their trio of talented receivers.
The Scarlet Knights will need to keep Penn State off balance with a healthy mix of the run and pass, protect Athan Kaliakmanis from what will be a ferocious pass rush, and get their receivers open to make plays downfield. If they can get the game into a shootout, forcing Ethan Grunkemeyer to throw the ball more, it favors Rutgers, as an inexperienced quarterback could make mistakes while facing pressure.
On defense, Rutgers must continue its improved play and get pressure on Grunkemeyer. They must not have any lapses in coverage downfield, but most importantly, they should be ready for a heavy dose of running the football. If the Scarlet Knights can withstand the Nittany Lions in the trenches, they should have what it takes to hang around late, but if Penn State can control the game on its terms, it could be a long afternoon in Piscataway.
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