No. 2 Penn State Football Thrashes Nevada 46-11 In Season Opener
No. 2 Penn State football (1-0) demolished Nevada (0-1) 46-11 in the Nittany Lions’ season opener on Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium.
The Jim Knowles-led Penn State defense had a day against the Wolf Pack, immediately taking the reins with back-to-back turnovers on Nevada’s opening two drives. Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant terrorized the Nevada offense all game long as they combined for all three of Penn State’s turnovers. The Nittany Lions also worked through the first game with their transformed wide receiver group as Kyron Hudson and Trebor Peña showcased their talents in front of the Beaver Stadium crowd for the first time.
How It Happened
Nevada fielded a fair catch on the opening kickoff as Penn State’s 2025 season started on defense. Nevada registered a two-yard run on its opening play before picking up a first down through running back Herschel Turner.
Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant wrapped up Turner for a loss of one, but the Wolf Pack gained back five yards on the next play with a screen pass. Nevada quarterback Chubba Purdy ran for a first down on 3rd-and-6 to keep the chains moving for the Wolf Pack on the opening series.
Dennis-Sutton punched the ball out of Nevada running back Ky Woods’ hands, which A.J. Harris scooped up to halt the Wolf Pack’s progress and gift Penn State its first offensive possession of the 2025 season at its own 31-yard line.
Nick Singleton carried Penn State’s first play from scrimmage with a four-yard dash up the middle. Drew Allar picked out Kyron Hudson near the sideline for a 13-yard pickup and a fresh set of downs. Trebor Peña also got his first touch as a Nittany Lion with a 13-yard gain off of a jet sweep as Allar connected with Hudson again for six more yards.
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen gained five yards in Nevada’s red zone after spinning away from contact. On the next play, Allar picked out Hudson in the end zone before Nevada cornerback Edward Rhambo broke up the pass.
Allar rushed five yards to the Nevada 1-yard line for 1st-and-goal. Singleton took the ball up the middle for Penn State’s first score of the game after a short video review.
Purdy threw the ball directly to Durant on the opening play of Nevada’s next drive, giving Penn State possession at Nevada’s 6-yard line. Allar mishandled the snap on 3rd-and-goal, forcing Ryan Barker to boot a 28-yard field goal to put Penn State up 10 near the end of the first frame.
Nevada gave the ball right back to Allar and Co. after a quick three-and-out. Allar and Peña connected on a pass for the first time for a 14-yard pickup. After a 2-yard rush by Allen, Nevada’s Wilson Cooper thwarted a Penn State play-action attempt for the Wolf Pack’s first sack of the game.
Allar fired two back-to-back first-down pickups to Hudson and Peña as the Nittany Lions entered the red zone. Nevada called its first timeout of the half with 10 minutes remaining.
On the first play out of the timeout, Allen pounded his way down the left side for a 12-yard rushing touchdown and his first of the season.
Purdy unleashed an 18-yard rush down the sideline to open Nevada’s next drive, setting the Wolf Pack up around midfield. The Wolf Pack ate out another chunk of Penn State’s field with a 28-yard catch by Jordan Brown.
Dennis-Sutton obliterated Purdy in the backfield on 2nd-and-3 to force an incomplete pass, but the Nevada signal caller responded by picking up another first down with his legs. Penn State held Nevada to a field goal despite more Purdy rushes as the Wolf Pack tabbed three on the board with just under five minutes left in the first half.
King Mack almost ripped Nevada’s ensuing kickoff to the house, but he was tripped up at Nevada’s 18-yard line after a 73-yard return.
King Mack is speedy
— Onward State (@OnwardState) August 30, 2025pic.twitter.com/VyqVm2U8FS
Allar dashed up the middle on 3rd-and-14 for an 11-yard rush as the Nittany Lions settled for a field goal despite prime field position to open the drive.
Penn State defensive tackle Ty Blanding wrapped up Turner in the backfield as Nevada lost five yards coming out of the two-minute warning. The Wolf Pack punted away as Penn State regained possession at its own 36-yard line.
Allar tossed a shovel pass up the middle to Singleton for a first down before going no-huddle and entering Nevada’s half with some quick passes. Allar connected with Luke Reynolds to make it a manageable 4th-and-2. He tossed a quick one to Devonte Ross to pick up the first down.
The Penn State offense ran no-huddle once more for the subsequent play as Allar fired a 31-yard dot to Hudson for another Nittany Lions score. Penn State went up 27-3 at the half as Hudson climbed to 75 receiving yards in his first half as a Nittany Lion.
Peña opened the second half for Penn State with two receptions for 31 yards on the opening drive. Allar escaped pressure from a collapsed pocket and picked out Hudson near the sideline for a 14-yard gain as the Nittany Lions set up shop on Nevada’s 20-yard line. Nevada stalled the offense in the red zone once more, forcing another field goal from the Nittany Lions.
Dennis-Sutton forced another fumble out of a Nevada running back, this time Turner, quickly returning the ball to Allar’s hands. Allar and Peña connected on a wheel route to set Penn State up at the 1-yard line. Singleton carried the ball in for the score, pumping the Nittany Lions to a 36-3 lead after a failed two-point conversion.
Dennis-Sutton continued to wreak havoc against Purdy, sacking him for the first time on the day for another forced three-and-out.
Allar opened Penn State’s next drive with a touch pass to Singleton out of the backfield for 22 yards. The drive sputtered once more as Barker booted in his fourth field goal of the day.
Nevada popped its longest offensive play of the game as Purdy found Marcus Bellon up the seam for a 32-yard gain. The Wolf Pack continued to work in the red zone but failed to score as Penn State forced a turnover on downs.
Penn State sent in the backups with around 14 minutes remaining in the contest. Running back Cam Wallace kept the crowd engaged with a hurdle over a Nevada defender for a first down. Tight end Andrew Rappleyea entered the game for the first time since Week One of last year, but his explosive catch and run was ruled back due to a penalty.
Ethan Grunkemeyer scrambled for a six-yard touchdown to put Penn State up 46-3. Nevada returned the favor with a touchdown from AJ Bianco to Marcus Bellon in the final minute. Penn State won 46-11.
Takeaways
- Penn State’s defensive line absolutely feasted on the Wolf Pack from kickoff to the final whistle. The Nittany Lions ended the day with three sacks, nine tackles-for-loss, three quarterback hurries, and two forced fumbles. Senior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton dominated with a final line of four solo tackles, one sack, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, one pass breakup, and two forced fumbles.
- The Nittany Lions defense as a whole set the tone immediately with back-to-back turnovers on Nevada’s opening two drives. Dennis-Sutton punched the ball out of Nevada running back Ky Woods’ hands for the first, while Zane Durant picked off Chubba Purdy for the second. Penn State’s instantaneous lockdown on defense allowed for the offense to command the game at its own speed, paving the way for a comfortable win to open the season.
- Penn State might have cracked the wide receiver code, folks. USC transfer Kyron Hudson made his presence known in his first game as a Nittany Lion with six receptions for 89 yards and a 39-yard score. His chemistry with Drew Allar looked fluid, and the senior signal caller targeted him eight times, tied for the team lead with Trebor Peña. Hudson also had the highest yards-per-reception average out of the Nittany Lions with 3+ receptions at 14.8.
What’s Next?
Penn State hosts FIU in its annual THON game at noon on Saturday, September 6, at Beaver Stadium.
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