Penn State football returned to the field on Saturday night for a Big Ten showdown against Nebraska. This didn't just mark an ordinary game for the Nittany Lions (5-6, 2-6 Big Ten), but it marked their big Senior Day event. In the end, Penn State defeated the Cornhuskers (7-4, 4-4 Big Ten), 37-10.
This was the Nittany Lions' second victory in a row, following Week 12's win over Michigan State. It also served as a callback to Penn State's first three weeks of the season, where it picked up dominant wins over the likes of Nevada, FIU, and Villanova. Week 3 was also the final time Nittany Lions' fans saw their team win at home. On the special Senior Day event, the seniors turned that around. Here are the three Class of 2022 players who exemplified Penn State's identity.
Kicking off the list, running back Nicholas Singleton had an absolutely monstrous day. Singleton finished the game with 44 rushing yards on seven carries, and three receptions for 51 yards through the air. He also ran the ball for two touchdowns, tying the all-time scoring record on the ground in Penn State history. This record was held previously by running back Saquon Barkley.
Late in the second, with roughly one minute left before halftime, Singleton played a pivotal role in the short, three-play drive. On the second snap, he scooped up the ball from quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, picking up five yards. With third-and-six upcoming, Singleton powered through for more than just enough. A full 10-yard run put him in the end zone, giving the Nittany Lions a 23-3 lead.
This was Singleton's second touchdown of the night and 43rd of his collegiate career. Barkley finished with the same, and Singleton is determined to have at least one over the 2025 Super Bowl Champion.
He scored his first touchdown on the previous drive, rushing for 14 yards on second-and-nine and finishing off the job with a four-yard run.
42nd rushing TD for Singleton 😳#WeAre | @NickSingletonn pic.twitter.com/PrH5MHgNRa
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) November 23, 2025
At the end of the first quarter, quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer found Singleton for a 50-yard reception. It was a short pass that Singleton hauled in at the Nittany Lions' 19-yard-line and took all the way into Cornhusker territory. Penn State was only up 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, but Singleton's advance down the field put the offense in field goal range.
The 50-yard rush eventually turned into a successful field goal attempt, putting the Nittany Lions in the lead by 10.
On defense, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton had a very memorable Senior Day. He finished with three total tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass breakup, and one sack. Dennis-Sutton logged his fourth sack in three games after starting the 2025 season with two over eight Saturdays.
Late in the fourth quarter, Dennis-Sutton got home on quarterback TJ Lateef. Though the game was already decided, the senior wasn't allowing any opportunity slip away from him. Lateef and his offense hoped for a touchdown to ice the scoreboard bruise, but Dennis-Sutton shut that down. The Cornhuskers knocked backwards to Penn State's 14-yard-line for a six-yard loss, setting the tone for them to stall out and put the Nittany Lions' offense back on the field from a turnover on downs.
Special teams was fairly quiet, especially given the lack of punts on Saturday as Penn State kept scoring and Nebraska kept trying on fourth downs.
With the running back success, wide receiver Trebor Pena was relatively overlooked on offense despite his four receptions for 47 yards. On special teams, his 21-yard return was also overshadowed by a 14-yard penalty on the Cornhuskers.
With under three minutes left in the second quarter, Nebraska was backed up all the way in its own end zone. The unideal field position forced the Cornhuskers to punt rather than attempt on fourth down. Punter Archie Wilson sent out a 46-yarder to Pena who returned it to the Nebraska 28-yard-line.
While his success in terms of getting Penn State into good field position was assisted by the defense halting Nebraska at its own three-yard-line, finding holes to put the Nittany Lions just 28 yards away from the end zone set up a scoring drive. A personal foul penalty enforced at the 28-yard-line also propelled Penn State forward by 14 more yards. From there, Singleton was in line to score his record-tying touchdown.