The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Reviewing Penn State football’s 40-36 win over Rutgers
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Penn State beat Rutgers 40-36, secured bowl eligibility and closed 6-6.
- Kaytron Allen rushed 226 yards; Nick Singleton set Penn State touchdown records.
- Defense surrendered 36 points, failed on pressure and tackling, prompting staff scrutiny.
Penn State won its regular season finale in a shootout against Rutgers, 40-36, to get to bowl eligibility with a 6-6 record overall and a 3-6 record in the Big Ten.
Let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from Penn State’s final regular season game of 2025.
Good
Running back Kaytron Allen: Few players have been good all year for Penn State, and really only one has been elite, and that’s Allen. The senior running back may not suit up for the Nittany Lions again, and if he doesn’t, he went out on top. He ran for 226 yards on 22 attempts to become the first player in Penn State history to top 4,000 career rushing yards. Allen was unheralded for much of his career as the thunder in a thunder and lightning duo with Nick Singleton, but he’s been a model of consistency for four years now. And he may not receive the praise he deserves now, in part because the season went so far off the rails, but in due time he will be praised as one of the best backs in program history.
Running back Nick Singleton: Singleton struggled early this season as the co-lead back with Allen, but once the Penn State senior started getting fewer touches he started thriving, and that continued against Rutgers. Singleton ran nine times for 86 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 23 yards — along with returning four kicks for 74 yards. All of that led to him breaking the all-time Penn State marks for rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns and all-purpose yards, capping off a prolific career with an exclamation point and proving his value to the program even with an uneven start to the season. It’s worth noting, too, that Singleton or Allen could have easily transferred in the last few years to become a full-time lead back, but both stuck it out and will leave Penn State as all-time greats.
Tight end Andrew Rappleyea: Few players have benefited more from Smith’s promotion than Rappleyea. He’s been more involved in the offense ever since and has proven his worth as an all-around tight end. He’s been a better blocker than Khalil DInkins and has been a better receiver than Luke Reynolds, and should be a top priority for whoever the next head coach is. And Rappleyea’s emergence comes after he suffered a season ending injury early last season. His ascension has been impressive considering the depth behind him, and his four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown are a good way to end the regular season for the redshirt sophomore.
Offensive line: This was, for the third week in a row, what this offensive line was supposed to look like this season. The group leaned on Rutgers all game with plenty of spurts of creating huge holes for Allen and Singleton to run through. The Nittany Lions were able to get whatever they wanted on offense, and while redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and his weapons deserve some of the credit for that, it was mostly because of the offensive line. Guard Vega Ioane stands out most among that group, and like Allen at running back, has been elite for Penn State the entire season. He’s a true people mover in the running game and a high-level pass protector with elite size and athleticism — the kind of player who could be the first guard off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki: Not including the two-point conversion throw to offensive tackle Drew Shelton, Kotelnicki had a great game plan and great day of play-calling against the Rutgers. He leaned on his two best offensive weapons in Singleton and Allen, and found creative ways to get them the ball, including inside runs with Singleton lined up at fullback. Kotelnicki has not had a great year, but that does not mean he isn’t a good offensive coordinator. He’s unlikely to be retained following this season, as a new coach will surely want to bring in their own offensive coordinator, but he should be able to succeed if he goes elsewhere as an OC for next season.
Bad
Cornerback A.J. Harris: Hand up, I thought Harris was going to be in the discussion as one of the best cornerbacks in the country this season, but that has not been the case. He’s been benched at times and on Saturday struggled mightily against Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights targeted him several times, drawing penalties from him as he held receivers while still giving up receptions. Harris has had a difficult season and has gone from a potential first round pick to a player who will likely be back in college in 2026. The talent is still there for the cornerback, and he’s proven he can play at an elite level in the past, but Saturday was a microcosm of what has been a very disappointing season for a player who could have made his mark on college football this year.
Ugly
The entire defense: This might have been the worst performance by Penn State’s defense the entire season. Terry Smith described it as the unit playing “horribly” and that feels about right. The defensive line didn’t get enough pressure, the cornerbacks couldn’t cover, none of the players could tackle. It was putrid. And one of the best defensive coordinators in college football did not do his job well. Jim Knowles was paid to lead this defense to the next level, but it took a step back in 2025, and it’s fair to wonder if a new head coach would want him on staff, even with his long track record of success. It would be unfair to judge him, or any player, off one game, but there’s no denying how disappointing this defense has been this season — and a fresh start could be better for both Penn State and Knowles moving forward.
