Penn State (6-6, 3-6) closed out its tumultuous regular season with a wild 40-36 win at Rutgers (5-7, 2-7) on Saturday for its third consecutive victory to become bowl eligible.
In a game that saw 1,042 yards of combined offense, it was a defensive touchdown that sealed the win for the Nittany Lions. Midway through the fourth quarter, Scarlet Knight quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis dropped the ball and linebacker Amare Campbell ran it back 61 yards for what would be the game’s final score.
But it was the Nittany Lion offense, which notched 509 yards, that kept Penn State in a game light on defense. Kaytron Allen rushed 22 times for 226 yards and a touchdown, adding to his all-time Penn State rushing record by eclipsing 4,000 career yards and posting the program’s first 200-yard rushing performance since Journey Brown in the 2019 Cotton Bowl.
Nick Singleton, meanwhile, ran nine times for 86 yards and two scores, the 54th and 55th of his career to surpass Saquon Barkley’s previous record of 53.
Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer once again was sharp in his sixth start, completing 17 of 21 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown on a 53-yard throw to tight end Andrew Rappleyea.
Penn State needed all of it, since its defense struggled most of the day to slow down the Rutgers offense. Kaliakmanis was 16-22 for 338 yards and three touchdowns, rushing for one other, while Antwan Raymond ran 29 times for 189 yards and a score.
What’s next for the Nittany Lions and interim head coach Terry Smith is uncertain. Penn State will await its bowl selection, and a decision on the next permanent head coach to replace James Franklin.
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Quarter
Rutgers went through Penn State’s defense like a buzzsaw on the game’s opening drive. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis completed all three of his passes for 52 yards to quickly lead the Scarlet Knights into the red zone, and running back Antwan Raymond took a handoff 19 yards for the score as Rutgers took a 7-0 lead less than three minutes in.
Penn State responded immediately. On fourth and 2 from the Nittany Lion 47, Ethan Grunkemeyer lofted a play-action pass to wide-open tight end Andrew Rappleyea, who hauled it in at the 39 and rumbled the rest of the way for a 53-yard touchdown reception. Penn State evened the score at 7-7 with 9:49 remaining in the first after the four-play, 62 yard drive.
Kaliakmanis completed passes of 25 and 20 yards as Rutgers marched deep into Penn State territory again before the Nittany Lion defense finally stopped a run short and forced two incompletions from the 22. Kicker Jai Patel tried to run on a fake field goal, but cornerback Zion Tracy snuffed it out for a 3-yard loss and a turnover on downs.
Kaytron Allen burst through a big hole and raced 55 yards to the Rutgers 20 on the first play of the ensuing drive, adding to his Penn State record as he eclipsed 4,000 career rushing yards on the carry. Fellow senior back Nick Singleton took it from there, finding a crease three plays later and running 11 yards for the score. Singleton’s 54th career touchdown, surpassing Saquon Barkely for the program record, and Ryan Barker’s PAT gave Penn State a 14-7 lead with 5:11 left in the first.
After converting a fourth and short from his own 34, Kaliakmanis went deep down the sideline to JR Fletcher, who beat safety King Mack for a 39-yard gain. A Kaliakmanis scramble for 11 yards and a Samuel Brown carry for 8 put the Scarlet Knights at the 2, where their senior QB kept punched it in for the score. The seven-play, 75-yard drive tied the game at 14-14 with 1:30 to go in the opening quarter.
A holding penalty on the ensuing kickoff put the Nittany Lions at their own 11 to start the ensuing drive. Singleton, though, got them out of the hole in a hurry, patiently following blocks then breaking free for a 53-yard run to the Rutgers 36. Two players later, Allen ended the quarter with a 16-yard run to the Scarlet Knight 15.
The two teams combined for 401 yards of offense in the opening frame.
End 1Q: Penn State 14, Rutgers 14
2nd Quarter
Allen found a hole then broke a tackle downfield en route to a 15-yard touchdown run on the opening play of the second as Penn State reclaimed the lead at 21-14.
The offensive fireworks dimmed as both sides punted on each of their next two possessions. Taking over with just over five minutes remaining, though, Rutgers got its ground game going and Raymond broke off a 22-yard run into Penn State territory at the two-minute warning.
More strong running by Raymond and a 13-yard pass by Kaliakmanis to Ian Strong got Rutgers into the red zone. After a Dom DeLuca sack on a delayed blitz, Kaliakmanis hit DT Sheffield, who was wide open after Tracy fell down, for a 21-yard touchdown to tie it up at 21-21 with 27 seconds left in the half.
Penn State worked fast as halftime neared. After a Singleton run and Grunkemeyer pass to Trebor Peña picked up a first down, Grunkemeyer connected with Devonte Ross for 19 and Peña for 23 to get to the Rutgers 14. With five seconds remaining, Barker came on to make a 31-yard field goal that gave Penn State a 24-21 lead as the half came to an end.
The Nittany Lions gained 311 yards in the half, 134 passing and 177 rushing, led by Allen’s 10 carries for 107. Rutgers gained 296, 176 passing and 120 rushing.
End 2Q: Penn State 24, Rutgers 21
3rd Quarter
Starting at its own 39 following, Penn State drove to the Rutgers 11 to open the half, but on third and 3 Grunkemeyer’s short completion to Peña went nowhere. Barker came out for his second field goal of the day, this time from 29 yards, and Penn State extended its lead to 27-21 following the six-minute, 50-yard drive.
Penn State’s poor tackling and struggles containing the Rutgers offense continued on the Scarlet Knights first drive of the half. Keyed by a 33-yard pass from Kaliakmanis to KJ Duff on third and 12 and a 15-yard third-down run by Raymond, Rutgers moved into the red zone. Kaliakmanis capped off the drive with a 13-yard touchdown throw to Duff, and the Scarlet Knights were back in front 28-27 with 3:51 remaining in the third.
The Nittany Lion offense responded with a six-play, 83-yard drive. Grunkemeyer hooked up with a Kyron Hudson for a 23-yard gain, and three plays later Allen took off on another big run, going 43 yards to the Rutgers 2. Singleton punched it in and after a failed two-point conversion, Penn State led 33-28 with 54 seconds left in the quarter.
Raymond continued to be tough to bring down on the quarter’s final play, rushing for 12 yards and a Rutgers first down as the game went to the fourth.
End 3Q: Penn State 33, Rutgers 28
Kaliakmanis’ 13-yard pass to Kenny Fletcher moved Rutgers into Penn State territory early in the fourth, before the Scarlet Knight QB found Raymond wide open down the sideline for a 46-yard touchdown. Kaliakmanis hit Duff in the back of the end zone for a two-point conversion and a 36-33 Rutgers lead with 13:33 remaining.
A delay of game penalty as Penn State attempted to go for it on fourth and 1 from its own 28 forced the Nittany Lions to punt on their next possession.
Rutgers appeared to be on their way to another score, with the Nittany Lions unable to stop Raymond as he ripped off five runs for 42 yards. But Kaliakmanis dropped the ball after taking a shotgun snap at the Penn State 32, and linebacker Amare Campbell picked up it and ran it back 61 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. Penn State led 40-36 with 7:27 to play.
Facing third and 13 on Rutgers next drive, Kaliakmanis went deep to Duff who made a miraculous one-handed catch for a 42-yard gain to the Penn State 36. After an 8-yard pickup, the Scarlet Knights stalled, and on fourth and 1 Tracy took Kaliakmanis down for a loss and a turnover on downs.
A blindside block penalty and a Singleton loss put Penn State in a hole at its own 12, but a defensive holding penalty on a Grunkemeyer incompletion bailed out the Nittany Lions with a first down. On the next play, Allen found a small hole and took off for a 50-yard gain to the Rutgers 28, and Grunkemeyer connected with Devonte Ross for a 10-yard gain to the 18 at the two-minute warning.
On fourth and 2 at the 10 with just over a minute remaining, Grunkemeyer completed a three-yard pass to Rappleyea for the first down, and the Nittany Lions took a knee from there to ice the 40-36 win.
