Ethan Grunkemeyer is being thrown into the deep end.

Last week, Penn State football lost its third straight game and its second straight as a 20+ point favorite. In the loss, starting quarterback Drew Allar was carted off the field into the locker room in the fourth quarter and later diagnosed with a season-ending injury.

“Me and Drew talk every day over text. That’s my guy, so I was just checking in on him. Obviously, that’s a super tough situation for him,” Grunkemeyer said after practice on Wednesday. “He’s just been super helpful. Kind of telling me what to expect. He’s played in a lot of big games on the road, so he’s a great mentor on that aspect.”

There are very few venues in college football that can rival that of a night game in Kinnick Stadium. The fanbase is loud and passionate, similar to the feeling of Penn State’s patented White Out.

Throughout the week, it has been a point of emphasis on getting Grunkemeyer ready for the atmosphere in Iowa City on Saturday night.

“Just going into that environment, we’ve been working on crowd noise. Kinnick Stadium is definitely one of the premier places to play. We’ve been working on it. We’re ready for it. I’m excited,” Grunkemeyer said.

The redshirt freshman commented on how it’s imperative to say things “from the chest” in a hostile environment. Grunkemeyer will be making calls quickly by “saying what you got to say” in order to get everyone on the same page.

Quarterback coaches Danny O’Brien and Trace McSorely have Grunkemeyer feeling prepared for his first start through their understanding of the position as a first-time signal caller getting ready to take on a tough Iowa defense.

Penn State’s long-time head coach, James Franklin, was fired on Sunday, leaving many in the Lasch Building stinging with guilt and utter disbelief. The change thrust Terry Smith into the interim head coaching role before the toughest stretch of games on the schedule.

“Probably the reason I chose Penn State was because of coach Franklin. Something I was looking for was a family atmosphere and somebody that really cared for you as a person and a player,” Grunkemeyer said. “I think that’s part of the reason he was so successful here, is because he was able to do that and really cared for people in the program and just across State College.”

Smith has commented over and over again about him and Grunkemeyer being put in situations they weren’t expecting at the same time. The two have been in constant communication about what the best course of action is for Grunkemeyer to be successful.

In practice this week, Grunkemeyer said that he appreciates the coaching staff’s ability to let him decide what he likes or doesn’t like in terms of routes and play calling, allowing the quarterback to drill what he feels comfortable with.

“Me and coach Smith really have to lean on each other,” Grunkemeyer said. “He pulled me into his office and kind of just told me, like he was being honest with me, and he wanted the same feedback from me, just to be honest with about what I’m seeing. So I think having that middle ground has been super important for both of us, just being on the same page and be connected.”