Penn State won a football game, folks.

After a six-game skid, the Nittany Lions won their first football game since mid-September, putting them on track for bowl eligibility.

Although it wasn’t pretty to start, Penn State pulled away late against the Michigan State Spartans, winning 28-10 after late-game efforts from Kaytron Allen and the Nittany Lion offensive line.

Our staff was in and around Spartan Stadium for the contest. Here’s what we saw.

Where Is Everybody?

Talk about an underwhelming tailgate scene. There were open spots everywhere in sight, not to mention the “fan zone” with inflatable obstacle courses and carnival games was essentially barren. I completely understand that it was cold and neither team is “must-see TV” right now, but I was hoping for more out-of-stadium atmosphere.

Inside the stadium, the crowd took a while to fill up, but at its peak, there was no way it was a sold-out crowd. According to ESPN, over 61,000 fans piled into Spartan Stadium, good enough for an 81% capacity percentage.

Heavy Police Presence

Not sure what this was about.

It felt like every state trooper and campus police vehicle was parked along the roads closest to the stadium. We expected that it was for the team’s arrival, but the cars were still there after all four quarters of competition. Maybe Michigan State has more troublemakers than we saw?

East Lansing Is Windy

The weather in East Lansing was nice all day. Even with clouds, the temperature was still warm enough to ditch the heavy overcoats for a while. However, the wind changed things immensely, just ask our photographers who had to endure the elements all game while we writers were in the cozy press box.

The wind didn’t impact the Nittany Lions much in the pass game, though. Here’s a highlight to refresh your memory.

That throw pic.twitter.com/DdTg9M4wol

— Onward State (@OnwardState) November 15, 2025

The Biggest Shirtless Section Ever?

Well done, Spartan fans.

The student section had its “tarps off” moment in the second half, in what was probably the fastest-growing shirtless section I’ve ever seen.

Penn State fans, we have something to beat next Saturday. https://t.co/Ihed2p45SL

— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) November 15, 2025

At one point, the shirtless section spanned well over 20% of the student section. Despite the cold, the score, and the team’s performance, Spartan fans earned my respect for one of the better shirtless sections in college football this season.

The Land-Grant Trophy Stays Home

Ah, yes, the LGT STAYS HOME.

The 76.2-pound trophy meant more to the Penn State fanbase than ever before after Penn State’s rollercoaster season. After a Gatorade shower, Terry Smith was hoisted into the air by his players, who then celebrated with the trophy on the field. The vibe was filled with relief as the Nittany Lions ran into the locker room, a sight and sound that was welcome after six straight weeks of turmoil.