COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ethan Grunkemeyer first played at Ohio Stadium as a 5-year-old in a flag football game.
He played his second game Saturday less than a half-hour from home before many relatives and friends in Penn State’s road white uniform.
“It was a good experience,” Grunkemeyer said. “That was pretty cool. I saw a lot of football games in this stadium. …I don’t think I let it get to me at all.”
He completed 19-of-28 passes for 145 yards Saturday with an end-zone interception in the fourth quarter in the Nittany Lions’ 38-14 loss to No. 1 Ohio State.
After making his first start at Iowa, he again operated the offense on the road with poise and pocket presence in defeat.
“He made some big third-down throws,” Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith said. “He managed the offense in a hostile environment. I don’t think we had any snap count violations. He did what was expected of him.”
A redshirt freshman, Grunkemeyer was a standout at Olentangy High School in Lewis Center, about 17 miles north of the Ohio State campus. Once a four-star prospect, he made his second career start against the Buckeyes three weeks after Drew Allar’s season-ending leg injury.
Wearing a boot on his left leg, Allar was at the game on a scooter and offered Grunkemeyer advice.
“He was definitely giving input,” Grunkemeyer said. “He’s like another coach with all his experience. He talked to me before the game, at halftime and in between series. He told me what he was seeing.”
Heather Grunkemeyer and Megan McCabe, his mothers, sat behind the Penn State bench cheering him on.
“My parents are my biggest supporters, so having them here was just awesome,” he said. “I’m grateful for their support. That was really cool for them to be here.”
Clifford at QB: Senior wide receiver Liam Clifford served as Penn State’s No. 2 quarterback because Jaxon Smolik did not make the trip.
Clifford threw an incompletion in the second quarter and handed off a few other times. He attempted one pass as a high school senior at St. Xavier in Cincinnati and did not complete it.
“Liam played a little bit of quarterback in his past,” Smith said. “Who can actually get the snap off in a hostile environment? It’s hard to run the (Wildcat) with the running backs. We felt it was the right thing to do.”
Smolik, a redshirt sophomore, sustained an upper-body injury in the fourth quarter against Iowa. He was seen practicing Wednesday, two days after Smith was vague about his status.
True freshman Bekkem Kritza, who recently returned to practice after an undisclosed injury, and walk-on Jack Lambert were the only other quarterbacks who made the trip.
Singleton update: Senior running back Nick Singleton sparked Penn State’s 15-play, 75-yard scoring drive in the second quarter, accounting for 42 yards on two catches and three rushes.
He scored his second Big Ten touchdown this season with a 3-yard run around left end to finish the possession, the Lions’ best of the afternoon. But he touched the ball just three more times the rest of the game.
“That was a point of emphasis, to try to get Nick going,” Smith said. “He’s one of our top two guys to touch the ball. He got going in the first half with the perimeter runs. He did a great job.
“We have to keep him involved in the offense. He’s a major part of it. That will be a point of emphasis going forward.”
Singleton finished with six carries for 18 yards and caught three passes for 28 yards. Kaytron Allen ran 21 times for 76 yards and one score and made two catches for 11 yards.
“It’s been a little hard,” Singleton said when asked how the season has affected him. “But at the same time I want to be here for my teammates and the coaches. Just taking it one week at a time. Whenever I get in the game, I want to try to make it happen.”
Freshmen produce: Wide receiver Koby Howard and linebacker Alex Tatsch did see increased action Saturday, as Smith had promised, and the freshmen had positive results.
Howard caught a pass for 26 yards, Penn State’s longest completion of the day. Tatsch made two assisted tackles.
“He did good,” fellow linebacker Amare Campbell said about Tatsch. “It was his first game really playing the No. 1 team in the country. He looked good out there. He looked physical. There are obviously things he has to clean up, but he’s a freshman. I’m proud of him.”
Source: Berkshire mont