Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541990
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 3 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M TOP FIVE PLAYERS 1. Kaytron Allen | RB | Sr. Allen finished the regular season by rushing for 181 yards against Michigan State, 160 against Ne- braska and 226 versus Rutgers. In the process, he became the Nittany Lions' all-time leading rusher with 4,180 career yards heading into the Pinstripe Bowl. Even amid the frustration and disappointment of a season gone awry, Allen found a way to shine. 2. Amare Campbell | LB | Jr. Campbell's 61-yard scoop-and-score gave Penn State a late lead at Rutgers, and he followed by help- ing junior nickel back Zion Tracy stop quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis on a fourth-and-short keeper, ending Rutgers' final possession in the Lions' 40-36 win. The North Carolina transfer finished the regular season as PSU's leading tackler with 96 stops. 3. Ethan Grunkemeyer | QB | R-Fr. In Penn State's last two games against Nebraska and Rutgers, Grunkemeyer completed 28 of 33 passing attempts (84.8 percent) for 390 yards, with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. His upward trajectory continues. 4. Nicholas Singleton | RB | Sr. Singleton didn't post the kind of rushing numbers that Allen did this year, but he was still a touchdown maker for the Nittany Lions. He finished the regular season with 13 rushing scores, including 2 apiece against Nebraska and Rutgers. Singleton is now PSU's all-time leader with 45 career rushing touch- downs and 55 all-purpose TDs. 5. Dani Dennis-Sutton | DE | Sr. Dennis-Sutton came up big on defense and special teams in Penn State's 28-10 win over Michigan State. He had a pair of sacks versus the Spartans and also blocked a punt — his third of the year, tying a PSU single-season record that had been shared previously by Jack Ham and Andre Collins. KEY MOMENT Even in a sport that's chock full of lopsided rival- ries, you'd be hard-pressed to name a team more snakebit than Rutgers has been in its series against Penn State. The Scarlet Knights had PSU on the ropes in this year's matchup and were on the verge of delivering a knockout blow when the game liter- ally slipped from their fingers. Facing second-and-7 from the Penn State 33-yard line halfway through the fourth quarter, Kaliakma- nis lost control of the ball while dropping back to pass. The Knights led by three at the time, but that changed in a matter of seconds. Campbell grabbed the loose ball off the turf, picked up a convoy of blockers and dashed 61 yards to the opposite end zone. Despite struggling on defense all night, Penn State held onto its late lead, coming up with a 40-36 vic- tory that made it bowl-eligible at 6-6 while improv- ing its all-time record against Rutgers to 33-2. BEST HIGHLIGHT The postgame scene following Penn State's 37-10 win over Nebraska on Senior Night was as memorable as anything that happened on the field. After struggling through a difficult stretch that included James Franklin's midseason dis- missal, Penn State finally put together the kind of performance that observers had expected to see all along, and the joy was written on the faces of Terry Smith and his players. Fans chanted the interim coach's name as he headed to the locker room, and players held signs that read "Hire Terry Smith." "I'm very motivated by the support," Smith said in the postgame press conference. "My players love me unconditionally. I love them uncondition- ally. The support means everything." BOLD PREDICTION Given the likelihood of extensive opt-outs, Penn State's game plan in the Pinstripe Bowl will be less reliant on the running game than it was in the latter half of the regular season, and more oriented toward Grunkemeyer and the receivers. Penn State eased Grunkemeyer into the start- ing role as best it could following Drew Allar's season-ending injury against Northwestern on Oct. 11, and he looked steadily more confident as the year went on. The redshirt freshman was one of many players who could conceivably end up in the transfer portal depending on how the new coaching staff comes together, but he's confirmed that he intends to play in the bowl. It's likely that his starting receiver corps will play, too. Trebor Peña, Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross are all seniors who have work to do if they hope to get a look from the NFL, while Koby Howard is a true freshman who will be eager to make a strong impression — either on PSU's new staff or on the coaches who will be checking him out in the portal come January. — Matt Herb Ethan Grunkemeyer completed 11 of 12 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown in Penn State's 37-10 victory over Nebraska on Nov. 22. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS PENN STATE FOOTBALL SUPERLATIVES G A M E 1 0 – G A M E 1 2