Grading QB Ethan Grunkemeyer's effective performance in win over Nebraska

Penn State football crushed Nebraska at home, winning in Beaver Stadium for the first time in 2025 since non-conference play.

The 37-10 win was driven by running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, who both had history-making performances with more to come in the final regular season game in Week 14.

Assisting their nights in Happy Valley was quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. Despite not being the star player on offense, he performed his role well, mixed in the pass game effectively, and continued his growth as a starter.

In Week 12 against Michigan State, Grunkemeyer showed his inexperience as a starter, even though Penn State won. There were positives to highlight from that performance, but he proved against Nebraska that he won't allow the past to impact his future. That mindset is something that faltered in quarterback Drew Allar, especially as mistakes piled up. Grunkemeyer, on the other hand, applied critiques without getting in his head.

Part of those critiques was falling back on the Nittany Lions' identity, something that applied to the whole offense, not just Grunkemeyer. Buying into that and using the strengths of his offense, the redshirt freshman played confidently and didn't hesitate as much when the time came for him to step up.

Grunkemeyer completed all but one pass, finishing with a 92 completion rate and a 245.9 quarterback rating. He threw a short pass to tight end Andrew Rappleyea in the first quarter that put the Nittany Lions on the board first, claiming an early 7-0 lead.

He found his receiver for the night, wide receiver Trebor Pena, and fed him when it was time for the pass game to shine. Grunkemeyer connected with Pena for 29 yards on first-and-10 and returned to the air as Penn State's offense got deeper into Cornhusker territory. On second-and-seven, Grunkemeyer released the ball quickly as Nebraska's blitz came in hot. He responded calmly to the situation, knowing and trusting that his man was there. Riding that momentum, he went back to Pena to convert on third-and-two.

Sprinkling in the pass game made the Nittany Lions' offense more two-dimensional, even though it relied on the run game for a majority of the night. Grunkemeyer effectively switching things up, especially on down field passes, is something the team can continue building on.

Grunkemeyer also took just one sack. Even though he was sacked twice at Michigan State, his overall performance looked shaky when combining that with his completion rate. In Week 13, he looked more comfortable getting the ball out quickly.

Moving forward, Grunkemeyer needs to build off this and gain confidence in his passing when escaping defenses and create plays. His sight and knowledge of the defense in front of him needs a boost. If he remains Penn State's starter for 2026 and beyond, meeting more talented defenses that exceed the Spartans, Cornhuskers, and Scarlet Knights will be the tests he needs to do so. When he does, he needs to keep his trust in his receivers high, even though a new crop of pass catchers will take the field.