Despite their coach’s dismissal and a six-game losing streak, Penn State players have continued to play hard.
The Nittany Lions (1-6 Big Ten, 4-6) dropped a one-point decision at Iowa, were within three points of No. 1 Ohio State at halftime before falling and pushed No. 2 Indiana to the brink before the Hoosiers pulled out a win.
After snapping their skid with a convincing 28-10 win last week at Michigan State, they will face Nebraska (4-3, 7-3) Saturday night at 7 (TV-NBC) at Beaver Stadium.
“Yeah, the buy-in has been awesome,” interim head coach Terry Smith said.
He offered an example of “one of our older guys” who asked Smith if Penn State had plans to practice the first weekend of December because he has a family conflict. The Lions need to beat the Cornhuskers and then Rutgers in the regular season finale to become bowl eligible.
“He’s asking me, ‘Coach, when we win these games, will we have practice that weekend?’ ” Smith said. “So he’s already speaking like he’s going to play when we’re in a time of opt-outs and when guys could easily walk away.
“This is one of our veteran guys that, if I said his name, you’d be like, ‘Whoa!’ That speaks volumes to this locker room.”
Much could change after the Big Ten finale at Rutgers. Penn State director of athletics Pat Kraft could name a permanent head coach before National Signing Day on Dec. 3. And some players might decide to stop playing before they place names in the transfer portal, which opens Jan. 2.
“These guys are dialed in,” Smith said. “They’re playing their hearts out. There is no dissension. There are no guys looking the other way. They got their first taste of victory and they enjoyed it. They want to experience it again.”
Staying on the ground: Penn State rushed for a season-high 240 yards last week against Michigan State and increased its season average by nearly 10 yards to 159.9 per game.
Kaytron Allen carried 25 times for a career-high 181 yards and two touchdowns and Nick Singleton ran 15 times for 56 yards to help move the Lions from 78th nationally into a tie for 64th in rushing.
“Obviously we didn’t run the ball as well as we wanted the first half of the season,” Smith said. “Now we’re making it a point of emphasis every week. It starts up front. Football hasn’t changed. You’ve got to win in the trenches. You’ve got to run the football and you’ve got to stop the run.”
Penn State rushed for 139 yards in the fourth quarter, scoring on a 13-play, 76-yard drive that consumed more than nine minutes and then a three-play, 70-yard possession that was highlighted by Allen’s two runs for 68 yards.
Afterwards, the five starting offensive linemen conducted a group interview in a media room.
“Our guys did an outstanding job this past weekend,” Smith said. “Those guys are embracing the challenge because I’ve challenged them. I’m the guy that’s putting the bad stuff on film in front of their peers, and they don’t want that.
“That’s the reality of the business we chose. They’ve embraced everything. They’ve embraced our identity. It makes us a better team.”
Lions recognized: Allen and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton received Big Ten weekly honors Monday.
Allen shared the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week award with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. He rushed 25 times for a career-high 181 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions’ 28-10 win over Michigan State.
He now has 3,794 career rushing yards and trails only Evan Royster (3,932) and Saquon Barkley (3,843) on Penn State’s all-time list.
“He’s a leader,” Smith said. “He’s stepping into a role that’s been a little different for him this year. Really since I took over, he’s been the focal point. Up until this point, he shared that role.
“He’s embraced it. He answered it. I’m just looking for him to continue to keep getting better.”
Dennis-Sutton was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after he had two sacks, a blocked punt and a quarterback hurry against the Spartans.
He tied a school record with his third blocked punt this season, sharing it with Jack Ham and Andre Collins.
“He’s been working super hard,” Smith said immediately after the Michigan State game. “He’s one of our leaders. In today’s times, on some teams, guys like that will opt out. His effort today was incredible with his relentless pressure.”
Rutgers time set: Penn State’s regular season finale Nov. 29 at Rutgers will start at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised by the Big Ten Network, it was announced Monday.
Source: Berkshire mont