5-6.

The Nittany Lions have done it, folks! Penn State closed out its Beaver Stadium stand for the year with a 37-10 pounding of the Nebraska Cornhuskers behind a record-breaking Kaytron Allen performance. Terry Smith led the squad to its second consecutive win as Penn State fans far and wide call for him to take the head coaching mantle.

Here’s a quick rundown of each position group’s performance against the Cornhuskers.

Quarterbacks: A+

Ethan Grunkemeyer has improved every single week since he took over as the starter, and his rapid development was on full display against Nebraska.

Grunkemeyer finished with 181 yards and one touchdown on 11-12 passing. That’s a 92% (!) completion percentage and a 245.9 rating. His sole incompletion came on an end zone shot to Kyron Hudson in the second quarter that looked like a missed pass interference call.

Smith said postgame that Grunkemeyer’s play goes hand-in-hand with the run game and increased downfield pass calls. Smith emphasized throwing the ball downfield when he took over for James Franklin, and those opportunities have completely transformed Penn State’s offense in recent weeks.

Grunkemeyer completed four deep passes of 20+ yards each. His longest came on a 31-yard strike to Koby Howard over the middle on Penn State’s opening drive.

Running Backs: A+++++

Kaytron Allen is Penn State’s all-time leading rusher. Nick Singleton tied Saquon Barkley for the most rushing touchdowns in Penn State history. They combined for 204 yards and four touchdowns on the day.

Enough said.

Wide Receivers: A

Trebor Peña once again flashed as Grunkemeyer’s preferred target. The Syracuse transfer reeled in four balls for 47 yards, 29 of which were after the catch. He caught a 29-yard pass to open the second half.

Howard, Devonte Ross, and Hudson all had one catch, but each over 20 yards. The receivers have done their job in being safe hands for Grunkemeyer as the offense got the pass game going again. With Allen and Singleton’s dominance and Grunkemeyer throwing the ball less than 20 times per game, there hasn’t been much need for stellar wide receiver play. The unit is doing exactly what they’re required to do.

Tight Ends: A-

Andrew Rappleyea scored his first career touchdown on a 4-yard snag to open the scoring for Penn State. Luke Reynolds took a direct snap for a fake punt on a 4th-and-4 at the top of the final frame. He rushed it 26 yards for not only the first down, but deep into Nebraska territory. Beaver Stadium loved it.

Khalil Dinkins didn’t record a stat, but he was a monster in the blocking game for Allen and Singleton.

“He’s not a selfish kid, man. He’ll go out there and do anything for his team,” Singleton said postgame. “He told me, he told Fat [Allen], ‘We going to get these records today.’ And Rapp[leyea], Luke [Reynolds], and all that. That tight end room, best tight end room in the nation.”

Offensive Line: A

A record-setting day for a team’s running back duo automatically bumps up the offensive line. It’s not possible without the guys up front blocking. Allen and Singleton had holes galore to run through against the Cornhuskers. It was easy work.

Nebraska only sacked Grunkemeyer once, but the Cornhuskers did have five tackles-for-loss. They weren’t enough to really give Nebraska any momentum whatsoever, so they’re mostly inconsequential. Allen and Singleton made the yardage back anyways.

The offensive line allowed no quarterback hurries and came out together for postgame media once again.

Front Seven: A

The defense is figured out. Penn State had no issue getting home to the quarterback once again, ending with three sacks, six tackles-for-loss, four quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble.

Dom DeLuca led the way with 10 total tackles, quickly followed by freshman Daryus Dixson with eight. Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zane Durant, and freshman Yvan Kemajou recorded Penn State’s sacks, generating a nice mix of senior and young blood.

Alex Tatsch, Jaylen Harvey, and Sam Siafa all played a considerable number of snaps.

Secondary: A-

While Penn State wasn’t able to generate an interception, they made life hard on Nebraska true freshman quarterback TJ Lateef. He consistently missed receivers or threw the ball away due to the Nittany Lions’ sticky coverage.

Zakee Wheatley almost came away with a pick at the end of the second quarter, but the ball hit the ground.

Lateef ended his night with 187 yards on 21-37 passing.

Special Teams: A-

FAKE PUNT. FAKE PUNT. FAKE PUNT.

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

Gabe Nwosu also did his usual thing, booming two punts for 92 yards. Ryan Barker missed a rare extra point after Singleton’s second touchdown at the end of the first half, but it didn’t prove too worrisome for Penn State down the stretch.