EAST LANSING, Mich. – As the final seconds ticked off the clock Saturday, offensive linemen Vega Ioane and Anthony Donkoh lifted interim coach Terry Smith onto their shoulders to celebrate Penn State’s first win in 63 days.
The relief on the sideline in the final moments and afterwards was quite clear.
“It’s big for us,” defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton said. “We’ve been on a six-game losing streak. We lost our coach (James Franklin). We’ve been struggling a lot. It feels good to get a win. It feels good.”
Kaytron Allen and Devonte Ross each scored twice as Nittany Lions finally ended their six-game losing streak with a convincing 28-10 victory over Michigan State at Spartan Stadium.
Dennis-Sutton had two of the Lions’ five sacks and blocked a punt as Penn State (1-6 Big Ten, 4-6) held Michigan State (0-7, 3-7) to 229 total yards and sent the Spartans to their seventh straight loss.
Dennis-Sutton was asked if he could remember when he felt such euphoria.
“Probably the last time we won (Sept. 13 in a 52-6 romp past Villanova),” he said. “It’s huge to finally smile again.”
The Lions avoided the ignominy of tying the school record for consecutive defeats, set by the 1931 team. They beat the Spartans for the fifth time in the last six meetings and retained possession of the Land Grant Trophy.
They also gave Smith his first victory after three losses since replacing Franklin, who was fired on Oct. 12, and doused him with a Gatorade bath in the waning moments.
“It’s always a special moment when people celebrate you that way,” Smith said with tears welling in his eyes. “It’s very humbling. I love those guys to death. I would do anything for them. They play so hard for us. It was just a great moment for Penn State football.
“As a coach, you relish in those moments because you pour your heart and soul into the players. You hope they respect and honor you back by playing hard.”
Allen carried 25 times for a career-high 181 yards and moved within range of Evan Royster’s school record for career rushing yards. He needs 139 yards to pass Royster.
With Nick Singleton adding 56 yards, the Lions rushed for a season-high 240 yards.
“It was just me trusting the boys up front,” Allen said. “I couldn’t do it without them. I appreciate those boys a lot helping me do this. Nick played a big part, too. It was a 1-2 punch out there.”
Penn State carried a 14-10 lead into the fourth quarter before mounting a 13-play, 76-yard drive that consumed more than nine minutes and ended on Ethan Grunkemeyer’s 4-yard pass to Devonte Ross with 4:32 left.
It was Grunkemeyer’s only completion in the second half on two attempts.
“That was a critical drive in the game,” Smith said, “a statement drive, a big-time drive. We hadn’t finished at all this season.”
The Lions then thwarted the Spartans’ biggest threat of the second half when Zion Tracy stripped the football from quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and Daryus Dixson recovered.
Allen followed with a 42-yard burst before he scooted around the left side with no defenders in sight for a 26-yard touchdown.
“I had a down week last week (against Indiana),” Allen said. “I didn’t play my best last week. I was just trying to show what I got this week and be better than last week.”
Grunkemeyer completed 8-of-13 passes for 127 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown strike to Ross in the second quarter. It was Penn State’s longest completion since Tyler Warren’s catch-and-run for 75 yards in the 2023 Peach Bowl.
“Earlier in the game, I ran a similar route and they gave us a certain look,” Ross said. “We knew we wanted to come back to that call. The rest was history. Shoutout to the O-line and Grunk. He made an amazing throw.”
The Lions’ defense dominated after Elijah Tau-Tolliver burst through a large hole on the right side and outran King Mack and Dixson to the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown on Michigan State’s first play.
Dennis-Sutton and the rest of the Penn State defense pressured Milivojevic throughout the game and held the Spartans to 1-of-10 conversions on third down.
“This is huge for Coach Terry and Coach Franklin as well,” Dennis-Sutton said. “We all love him (Smith). We’ve been playing hard for him to keep this season alive and not give up on him or the team.
“Coach Terry has done a great job of keeping us sharp, keeping us focused and keeping us believing.”
Source: Berkshire mont