It’s the final stretch, folks.

The Nittany Lions secured their first win in an emotional victory over Michigan State last week, bringing home the Land-Grant Trophy as well as interim head coach Terry Smith and quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer’s first career wins.

Penn State hosts Nebraska in a must-win home finale on Saturday night. With a bowl game on the line, the Nittany Lions are riding a wave of momentum in hopes of bringing down the 7-3 Cornhuskers. Here’s how some of our staffers think Penn State will do on Senior Day.

Fernando Martinez Ruiz De Esparza (7-3): Penn State 27, Nebraska 17

The Nittany Lions will go out with a bang in their final game at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State finally won a game last week after a six-game losing streak and gave interim head coach Terry Smith his first win. It continues to play well with a lot of effort and grit, and the squad just had its best performance of the season. Despite the lost season, this team is still playing with a purpose as it looks to maintain bowl eligibility. They must win the remaining two games of the season to be bowl eligible, and I think we will see a Nittany Lion team that will be hungry for the win. With home-field advantage, Senior Day, and the momentum from last week’s win, Penn State has a lot of things going right for it heading into its final home game.

As for Nebraska, Matt Rhule has done a great job in rebuilding the program. It is 7-3 this season, and has great wins over teams like Cincinnati and Northwestern. However, the Cornhuskers lost their starting quarterback, Dylan Raiola, for the rest of the season due to injury, and will play this game with the backup quarterback, TJ Lateef. While they did beat UCLA in his first start, Raoila’s injury might be too much for the team to overcome, especially playing in an atmosphere like Beaver Stadium.

This will be a good game, but I think Penn State has been playing inspiring football since Terry Smith took over, and for that reason, the Nittany Lions win this game and keep their bowl eligibility alive heading into the season finale. Matt Rhule will learn why he shouldn’t have signed that extension with Nebraska.

Michael Zeno (7-3): Penn State 28, Nebraska 21

I’ve bought back in. Terry Smith ain’t losing another game. Nebraska, with its newly extended coach, might have a better record and a bowl game secured, but they are without starting quarterback Dylan Raiola. Their backup fared well against UCLA, but this Penn State defense has been ruthless the last two weeks.

Jim Knowles needs to keep dialing up the pressure, and Nittany Nation needs to bring it. No Thanksgiving slumber, go out and beat the Cornhuskers and set up a battle for bowl eligibility in New Brunswick next week.

CJ Gill (7-3): Penn State 31, Nebraska 24

Terry Smith is coaching the Nittany Lions this Saturday, not Matt Rhule. And that’s a good thing for Penn State fans everywhere. Smith and the guys are coming off a much-needed win last week on the road at Michigan State, and the blue and white will use the momentum to get another win against the Huskers under the lights at Beaver Stadium on Senior Day.

Both teams are on their backup quarterback at this stage in the season, but I don’t expect the offenses to struggle to score points. Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton are both hungry as they are chasing program records. Penn State’s defense will need to do its best to contain Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson through four quarters if the Nittany Lions want Rhule to leave his alma mater with a loss.

Jamie Lynch (4-6): Penn State 35, Nebraska 21

I think Penn State is going to shine on Saturday. The pencil is sharp, and the team will continue to write its story.

Under the lights at Beaver Stadium, this group will keep proving to the world that they are not quitters. Look for the players to feed off the crowd energy, and for the defense to maintain its upward trajectory. I expect a strong offensive showing as well, with Kaytron Allen wanting to break the rushing record on his home turf.

Jason Perry (3-3): Penn State 31, Nebraska 24

I want to start by congratulating Terry Smith on his first win as head coach. No matter what direction Penn State decides to go next year, it would be nice to keep Smith on the staff. After he leads the team to another win this Saturday night, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will, he has a strong case to keep that head coaching job for himself.

Nebraska will not be an easy opponent by any means, but I’m confident in this Nittany Lion defense to shut down a team that hasn’t scored more than 30 points in a game since early October and is playing with a backup quarterback. If the offense plays like it did against Michigan State, I expect Penn State to walk out of Beaver Stadium with the win.

Brandon Collica (4-0): Penn State 27, Nebraska 20

Penn State, coming off a big win against Michigan State, will look to continue its newfound streak against the Cornhuskers of Nebraska. Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola is out for the season, which will lead to the Nittany Lions’ victory and Terry Smith’s second career win.

Karlee Feger (3-1): Penn State 21, Nebraska 10

I think Penn State is going to close out its last home game on top. Coming off an exciting win for coach Terry Smith, this team has a new fire. As Grunkemeyer gains more confidence each game and Kaytron Allen is creeping in on becoming the all-time career rushing yards leader for a Penn State running back, this team is more motivated than ever to finish the season strong.

Brian Kriley (1-1): Penn State 24, Nebraska 10

Penn State was able to finally gain momentum and secure its first Big Ten win last week. Most of the Nittany Lion offense went through Kaytron Allen on the ground, and they should be able to keep that going against a bad Nebraska run defense. Ethan Grunkemeyer is looking more comfortable as he gets more in-game reps, and he should be fine enough to manage the game. On the other side of the ball, Penn State’s defense has had a really strong last couple of games. With a backup quarterback, I don’t see Nebraska getting much going on offense, and Penn State should be able to send the Cornhuskers packing with a comfortable win on Senior Day.

Ericka Apolskis (1-2): Penn State 27, Nebraska 10

Nittany Lions by a million.

Melanie Thalhimer (0-2): Penn State 28, Nebraska 14

After the emotions of last week’s win, I’m hopeful the Nittany Lions can pull off another one. Penn State was able to build solid momentum on both offense and defense, so if they carry that same energy into Saturday, I’m confident the team can give coach Terry Smith and the seniors one last win at Beaver Stadium.

Cadyn Gill (8-2): Penn State 24, Nebraska 20

My gut tells me this is going to be a signature, ugly, Big Ten football game. Both squads are starting backup quarterbacks, and the Beaver Stadium aura won’t be at full force due to Thanksgiving break. However, Penn State has the edge because of its ground game that features future Nittany Lions all-time leading rusher Kaytron Allen and the talented Nick Singleton. On top of that, I believe Terry Smith will have his guys chomping at the bit to secure a win in their final home game of 2025. Gimme the blue and white tonight!

Alexander Holmes (0-0): Penn State 17, Nebraska 10

The soon-to-be chilly night game at Beaver Stadium between Penn State and Nebraska should be exciting. This quarterback battle will be something no one wants to miss between Ethan Grunkemeyer behind the Penn State offense and the true freshman TJ Lateef behind the Nebraska offense. I believe Penn State wins this game 17-10. I don’t think the game will be high-scoring, primarily because of Penn State’s elite defense, but also because the Nittany Lions’ offense hasn’t been as hot as we’d like.

Oscar Orellana (4-6): Penn State 24, Nebraska 13

Penn State will build off its momentum gained against Michigan State and pull within one game of bowl qualification. The Nittany Lions will roll into Beaver Stadium for one last ride in 2025 behind Terry Smith while celebrating their seniors. It’ll be a special and emotional night for Penn State, which is why I think the boys will pull out the win. Kaytron will go for 150+ to break the all-time rushing record at home.

Cooper Cazares (4-6): Penn State 24, Nebraska 20

Penn State is riding a wave of momentum right now. With their back against the wall in a night game at Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions will roll to their second straight win on Saturday night. #BackItUpTerr #CoachT