With the final game of Penn State's season almost here, the Nittany Lions have no time to reflect on what could have been. Coming into the year, they were touted as potential national title contenders. And yet, everything seemed to fall apart midway through the season. Still, they have righted the ship somewhat under interim head coach Terry Smith and now have a chance to reach a bowl game. Going against Rutgers, who themselves are looking for bowl eligibility, Penn State must ensure they remain focused on the task at hand no matter what. Here are five reasons they should feel optimistic about their chances against Rutgers.
Rutgers' porous run defense
Nov 22, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) celebrates with quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn ImagesThe Nittany Lions should be looking forward to what their run game could do to the Scarlet Knights defense. After a record breaking Senior Night, both Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton are primes for another big performance. Rutgers has given up an average of 6.57 yards per carry and 221.9 yards per game. This is exactly the kind of game both Allen and Singleton love. If this ends up being their final game together, they'll be sure to go out with a bang.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEthan Grunkemeyer's improvements
Nov 22, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) looks on from the field during the first quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn ImagesWhile Grunkemeyer may not have thrown the ball all that much over the past few weeks, he has looked much more mature and composed when he has been called upon. Against Nebraska, while only throwing 12 passes, he completed 11 for a 91.7 completion percentage. This feels like it could be the game that anoints Grunkemeyer the starting quarterback for 2026. His poise and command have not gone unnoticed and he deserves every opportunity that comes his way.
Series history
Penn State fans cheer on the Nittany Lions from the student section during an NCAA football game against Rutgers Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in State College, Pa.While this is a home game for the Scarlet Knights, ever since they have joined the Big Ten, they have been terrorized by the Nittany Lions. In fact, Penn State have won 17 straight meetings and have a commanding series lead all time with 2 wins to just 2 losses. Add in the fact the Nittany Lions have never lost in Piscataway, and the Scarlet Knights are facing an uphill battle.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDani Dennis-Sutton's rejuvenation
DDS may have been quiet to start the year, but over the past couple weeks, he has really come to life for the Nittany Lions defensively. He has had 3 sacks and 2 blocked punts over the past two games alone., He now has 6 sacks and 3 forced fumbles this season and is seemingly going out on a high note. Rutgers have a surprisingly high-powered offense with a lot of threats, so the Penn State defense will have to be locked in. DDS will make sure of it.
All-time scoring margin
Another all-time stat that should worry the Scarlet Knights is the fact that Penn State have outscored them by a vast margin. In their last ten meetings alone, Penn State has held Rutgers to an average of 5.5 points per game. Rutgers may think that with Athan Kaliakmanis helming one of the Big Ten's most potent passing attacks, that they can find a way to win in an offensive shootout. However, history is not on their side.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: 5 reasons for optimism for Penn State against Rutgers
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