After a brutal six-game losing streak for the Penn State Nittany Lions, the once highly-regarded program was able to pick up their first win since Sept. 12 against the Michigan State Spartans in Week 12, 28-10.

Penn State Roundtable Podcast, Ep. 3: James Franklin Takes Virginia Tech Job Charlie Baduini and I of Roundtable Penn State met for our third podcast episode of the year, perhaps the biggest one of the year, after James Franklin decided to take the Virginia Tech job.

The dominant victory was led by senior running back Kaytron Allen, who managed to rush for a staggering 181 yards and two touchdowns in the contest. His performance last week was the third time this season that he’s tallied over 100 rushing yards in a single game, bringing his total to 917 rushing yards on 163 carries in 2025.

Luckily for the veteran playmaker and the Nittany Lions’ fanbase, Allen is in line for another huge performance on Saturday night when Penn State takes on the Nebraska Cornhuskers at home.

Led by head coach Matt Rhule, the fellow Big 10 Conference member enters the matchup with a 7-3 record, with their most recent victory coming from the likes of the UCLA Bruins.

One of the main reasons for the program’s success this season is the defense, which has held opposing offenses to an average of 295.7 total yards per game.

However, the major flaw in Rhule’s defense this year has been defending the run game. Nebraska has allowed an average of 161.1 rushing yards per game this season, which is the fifth-highest margin within the Big 10 Conference.

When facing the Michigan Wolverines in Week Four, the Cornhuskers’ defense was gashed by running back Justice Haynes, who finished the game with 149 rushing yards and one touchdown on 17 carries.

Looking at the Nittany Lions’ game plan for Saturday’s contest, it’s clear that the offense should revolve around Allen and the run game. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has shown promise through the past three weeks as the starter, but Nebraska’s secondary continues to dominate, allowing an average of 134.6 passing yards per game.

Allen has proven this year that he is fully capable of handling a massive workload and will have help from fellow senior running back Nicholas Singleton.

The dynamic rushing duo played a major role in aiding the offensive efforts after starting quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury, and will take the pressure off Grunkemeyer earlier in the contest.