Penn State football got its first taste of Big Ten victory on Saturday with a 28-10 win over Michigan State, earning the Nittany Lions (4-6, 1-6 Big Ten) the Land Grant Trophy in East Lansing. After the game, interim head coach Terry Smith had buckets of Gatorade poured on him and was hoisted into the air by his players in celebration.
Even with the excitement buzzing around him, Smith didn't take the moment for granted. Rather than have a sigh of relief in the aftermath of the win, he gave a harsh reality check.
"We finally know what it takes to win. We finally know what it takes to finish a game and close a game out and end the game on our terms, taking a knee," Smith said on the field after the game on the CBS broadcast. ". . . It was a total team effort . . . That's how you win. Everybody's got to contribute."
Terry Smith admits Penn State didn't know how to win before Week 12
After dismissing former head coach James Franklin, it took Smith three losses to get Penn State back in the win column. While it's better late than never, especially given the Nittany Lions have an opportunity to close out the season the way it started with three wins, it's a painful reminder that the team lost itself. In fact, Penn State never really knew what it was with all the noise, chatter, and doubt circling around.
Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki spoke with the CBS crew before the game and said the Nittany Lions lost their identity in the run game and felt like they needed to feed into what everyone around them was saying. Trying to take on a heavy passing identity on offense crushed the success of the run game and potential in running back Nicholas Singleton. While killing that element of the game, Penn State never fit the mold of a dominant passing team and couldn't force itself to either.
It took three losses after Franklin's firing to get the Nittany Lions back to who they are, who they were supposed to be this whole time. Against No. 2 Indiana in Week 11, Penn State put together a performance that looked like a preseason No. 2 team. Still, it didn't know what to do with a chance to end the game with a win, allowing the Hoosiers to go down the field and leave Happy Valley victorious.
Terry Smith on the next step:
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) November 16, 2025
“We are playing for our life to make a bowl game.”
The Nittany Lions have two games left, and while the 2025 season didn't go their way or as expected by anyone in the country, they want to end it on their terms. Beating the Spartans was step one of finishing out the season .500 with a 6-6 overall record. Penn State faces Nebraska at home in Week 13 followed by a season closer at Rutgers on Nov. 29.
If the blue and white win-out, they will be bowl eligible, something that didn't even seem like a possibility after losing to Northwestern. Smith said momentum is what the Nittany Lions need to harp on in order to finish the season out strong, but also said to reporters in his postgame press conference that they are playing for their lives to make a bowl game.
Even if they make it there, though, it's a harsh reminder that they were meant to play for something bigger when the season started back in August. They were never supposed to be so desperate fighting for the bare minimum. They were always supposed to know how to win.