Penn State football (4-6, 1-6 Big Ten) beat Michigan State (3-7, 0-7 Big Ten) 28-10 at Spartan Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Despite a Michigan State first-play 57-yard rushing touchdown, Penn State held complete control against the Spartans. Ethan Grunkemeyer and Devonte Ross splashed for a 75-yard touchdown in the second quarter en route to victory. Kaytron Allen totaled 181 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as he nears Penn State’s all-time career rushing yards record. The Nittany Lions won their first Big Ten contest of the season as the Spartans remain winless in conference play. The Land-Grant Trophy remains in Penn State hands.

How It Happened

Penn State started with possession. Kaytron Allen rushed twice for six yards before Ethan Grunkemeyer fumbled the snap on third down. He recovered the ball, but was sacked on the play. Gabe Nwosu punted it away 36 yards as Michigan State took possession.

Spartans running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver ran 57 yards to the house on Michigan State’s first play from scrimmage.

Penn State picked up its first first down of the game behind a 7-yard Trebor Peña catch. Allen picked up nine yards on the ground on the next play.

Grunkemeyer geared up for a play-action pass on second down. He missed Luke Reynolds wide-open down the field and kept it for no gain before Allen narrowly clinched the fresh set of downs.

Nick Singleton checked in for four yards on two carries. He set up 4th-and-2, where Grunkemeyer threw a screen to Peña for seven yards.

Grunkemeyer let loose a 25-yard dart to Peña as Penn State entered the red zone. Allen took a direct snap on 2nd-and-5 and patiently waited for a hole to open up. He rushed through the gaps for an 8-yard score to put the Nittany Lions on the board.

Kaytron from the wildcat pic.twitter.com/SHuVf1uw7G

— Onward State (@OnwardState) November 15, 2025

Penn State forced a three-and-out on the Spartans on their next possession.

Penn State started its next drive with another wildcat formation, this time to Singleton for a 3-yard rush. Grunkemeyer sailed a pass over Singleton’s head on second down before being thrusted out of the pocket and throwing it away on third down.

Michigan State’s Makhi Frazier pounded the rock three times, but failed to pick up the first down. Dom DeLuca wrapped him up twice. The Spartans elected to go for it on 4th-and-3, and Dani Dennis-Sutton knocked the ball out of Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic’s hands. Elliot Washington II returned the ball to the end zone before officials called it an incomplete pass. Penn State took over on downs at its own 38-yard line.

Allen added 11 yards on two rushes to close out the first quarter tied 7-7.

Grunkemeyer tried an intermediate pass to Kyron Hudson on 2nd-and-2, but Michigan State’s Armorion Smith broke it up. Singleton failed to convert on back-to-back plays as Penn State turned it over on downs.

Milivojevic barely got a screen pass off with pressure all over him, falling as he threw. Tau-Tolliver picked up four yards on the play. Milivojevic scrambled to his right away from pressure on 3rd-and-3 for a 32-yard pass to Tau-Tolliver down to Penn State’s 19-yard line. Tau-Tolliver rushed for 11 more yards to set up 1st-and-goal.

Milivojevic hung on once more on 2nd-and-goal, taking a big hit in the backfield as he completed a pass to tight end Michael Masunas. The Spartans took their first timeout before their 3rd-and-goal from the 4-yard line.

Keon Wylie brought down Milivojevic as Michigan State settled for three points with 8:40 remaining in the half.

Grunkemeyer unleashed a 75-yard shot to Devonte Ross as Penn State returned the favor with a one-play drive of its own. The Nittany Lions took a 14-10 lead after Ryan Barker’s extra point.

That throw pic.twitter.com/DdTg9M4wol

— Onward State (@OnwardState) November 15, 2025

The Penn State defense registered its second three-and-out of the day before Dennis-Sutton blocked Ryan Eckley’s punt. The Nittany Lions took at Michigan State’s 41-yard line.

Singleton ran into a brick wall of Wayne Matthews III to lose two yards on 1st-and-10. He picked up nine yards on second down to set up 3rd-and-3, where he only mustered two more. Penn State lined up for its third fourth down conversion attempt of the game. Michigan State called its second timeout before the Nittany Lions snapped the ball. Allen made quick work of the Spartans to move the sticks.

Grunkemeyer overthrew Singleton in the flat on second down. He pitched it to Singleton on 3rd-and-5, but he only picked up two yards as Penn State faced another fourth down going into the two-minute warning.

Grunkemeyer scrambled out of the pocket right and looked downfield for an open option, but Andrew Brinson IV caught up with him for the sack and turnover-on-downs.

Milivojevic scrambled up the middle for 16 yards on the first play of the Spartans’ next drive. The Spartans couldn’t cook up anything after that as they punted it back to the Nittany Lions with 1:05 remaining in the half. The Spartans downed Eckley’s punt at Penn State’s own 11-yard line.

Peña lost a yard on a quick screen pass. Penn State let the clock run out to end the first half still up by four points.

Michigan State opened the second half with a first down, but its drive stalled behind a deep incompletion and a Zakee Wheatley tackle-for-loss. Peña signaled for a fair catch at Penn State’s own 9-yard line.

Penn State returned a middling drive of its own, capped off by a 6-yard sack on Grunkemeyer. Nwosu boomed a 68-yard punt almost from his own end zone to Michigan State’s 20-yard line.

Wheatley flew around the edge to bring down Milivojevic in the backfield, but the Spartan signal caller got a pass away. He rifled a throw to Nick Marsh on 3rd-and-7, but it fell incomplete despite a close call with King Mack in the area. Michigan State punted it away and wrapped up Peña on the return.

Allen rumbled through Spartans and Nittany Lions alike for a 12-yard gain. Singleton checked in and rattled off a 14-yard dash of his own. The Nittany Lions entered Michigan State territory, but Matthews and Jalen Thompson stopped Allen before the sticks to force another Penn State punt. Nwosu booted a 43-yard punt. Audavion Collins downed it at Michigan State’s 4-yard line.

Frazier rushed for nine yards on first down to get the Spartans out of immediate trouble. He picked up 15 more yards over the next two plays before Marsh reeled in a 2-yard pass on 1st-and-10.

Milivojevic connected with Masunas for 10 yards to move the sticks once more. Milivojevic had a receiver wide-open downfield, but Dennis-Sutton got home for the 7-yard sack on the last play of the third quarter.

Dennis-Sutton brought Milivojevic down again on the first play of the final frame to set up 3rd-and-30. The Spartans handed it off to Tau-Tolliver, but Penn State had no issue wrapping him up to force the punt.

Grunkemeyer scrambled left for nine yards on first down. Allen got the carry and moved the sticks on the following play. He and Singleton exchanged carries before Allen rattled off 12 yards to enter Michigan State territory.

Grunkemeyer scrambled again before Liam Clifford checked in at quarterback for a handoff to Allen. Grunkemeyer lined up out wide on the play. The redshirt freshman quarterback continued to move the drive along with his legs, carving a 10-yard dash to Michigan State’s 9-yard line.

On 3rd-and-goal, Grunkemeyer flipped the ball to Ross, who waltzed into the end zone down the left side. Barker’s extra point went up and in as Penn State elevated its lead to 21-10.

Michigan State marched downfield behind two roughing the passer penalties on Zuriah Fisher and Dennis-Sutton. The Spartans knocked on the red zone before Zion Tracy and Daryus Dixson flew off the edge and sandwiched Milivojevic, forcing a fumble. Dixson recovered the ball with 3:15 remaining in the game.

Allen ripped back-to-back 42 and 26-yard runs to get Penn State in the end zone. The Nittany Lions took a 28-10 lead just before the two-minute warning.

Tau-Tolliver gained seven yards on an underneath pass before he picked up a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for throwing the ball at a Penn State player. Amare Campbell sacked Milivojevic on 4th-and-18, and Grunkemeyer kneeled it out.

Takeaways

• Terry Smith said Penn State had to unlock the deep passing game, and the Nittany Lions finally took the top off of a defense. Ethan Grunkemeyer tossed a 75-yard beauty to Devonte Ross midway through the second quarter to hand Penn State the lead and inject some energy into the offense. It was Grunkemeyer’s longest career touchdown pass and Ross’ longest touchdown reception of the season.
• Dani Dennis-Sutton had himself a game coming off the edge and on special teams. The star edge rusher notched his third blocked punt of the season in the second quarter, tying the Penn State single-season record. He also tallied two sacks and two tackles-for-loss against the Spartans.
• Penn State’s defense didn’t allow Michigan State’s smash-mouth 57-yard opening touchdown to rattle it. The start felt eerily similar to UCLA’s fast start, but the Nittany Lions didn’t let the moment affect them. Michigan State only scored three points the rest of the game. Penn State’s defense didn’t falter.

What’s Next?

Penn State returns home for Senior Day against Nebraska on November 22 at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff time against the Huskers is to be announced.