Game Week: at Penn State

NEBRASKA at Penn State
Nov. 22, 2025 | BEAVER STADIUM
STATE COLLEGE, PA. | 6 PM CT

HUSKERS
Record: 7-3, 4-3 B1G
Last Game: at UCLA (W, 28-21)
Rankings: NR
Head Coach: Matt Rhule
Career/NEB Record: 66-59 record (10th Year)/19-16 (3rd Year)
Record vs. Penn State: 1-2

NITTANY LIONS
Record: 4-6, 1-6 B1G
Last Game: at Michigan State (W, 28-10)
Rankings: NR
Interim Head Coach: Terry Smith
Penn State Record: 1-3
Record vs. Nebraska: First meeting

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Seres: Nebraska leads, 10-8
In State College: Penn State leads, 6-3
As Big Ten Foes: Nebraska leads, 4-1
Current Win Streak: Nebraska, 1 game
Last Meeting: Nebraska, 30-23, in 2020

BROADCAST INFO
TV – NBC (Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, Kathryn Tappen)
RADIO NETWORK – Kyle Crooks, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody
INTERNET AUDIO – Huskers.com
APP AUDIO – Official Huskers App

The Matchup
Nebraska completes its road schedule on Saturday, traveling to State College, Pa., for a matchup with the Penn State Nittany Lions. Game time at PSU's Beaver Stadium is set for 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. local)  with the game televised by NBC.  The game can also be heard on the Huskers Radio Network, the official Huskers App and Huskers.com. 

Nebraska stands at 7-3 overall and 4-3 in Big Ten Conference play and comes into the game after a bye week. In their last game, the Huskers defeated UCLA, 28-21, at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 8. Nebraska used an efficient offensive performance, scoring on its first four drives to take control of the game, and win a seventh regular-season game for the first time since 2016.

The UCLA game was a showcase for a pair of Husker offensive players. Running back Emmett Johnson punctuated his All-America season by accounting for 232 yards from scrimmage, including more than 100 yards rushing and receiving. True freshman quarterback TJ Lateef shined in his first start, completing 13-of-15 passes, including three touchdowns. 

Saturday's game at Penn State marks the first matchup between the schools since a 2020 Nebraska victory in Lincoln in a game played without fans during the COVID-shortened season. The Huskers' last visit to Happy Valley came in 2017, when the Nittany Lions posted a 12-point victory.

Penn State is 4-6 overall and 1-6 in Big Ten play following a 28-10 victory at Michigan State last Saturday. That win came on the heels of extending second-ranked Indiana to the closing seconds before the Hoosiers prevailed by three points. The Nittany Lions are guided by interim coach Terry Smith who took charge of the program in mid-October. Penn State features a balanced offensive attack, and defensively PSU allows less than 320 yards of total offense, and ranks in the top 15 nationally in pass defense. 

Huskers-Nittany Lions History
Saturday's meeting will be the 19th all-time matchup between the Huskers and Nittany Lions. Nebraska holds a 10-8 advantage in the all-time series between the schools, including a 4-1 edge since joining the Big Ten Conference. 

• This is the first meeting in five seasons, with the Huskers winning 30-23 in Lincoln in 2020. Saturday's game will be the first meeting in State College since a 56-44 Penn State win in 2017.

• Penn State holds a 6-3 edge in the series in Happy Valley. The Huskers won the first two meetings at Beaver Stadium after joining the Big Ten, picking up three-point wins in 2011 and 2013. 

• Both teams were nationally ranked in five straight meetings between 1979 and 1983, with Penn State ranked in the top eight in all five games. Nebraska posted a 3-2 record in those games.

• Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule was a member of the Nittany Lion football team from 1994 to 1997. He was a linebacker who was a part of 41 victories in his four seasons, including a Big Ten title, three bowl victories and a top-20 final ranking all four seasons. 

Nebraska Closes Regular-Season Road Slate
Saturday's trip to State College will mark Nebraska's final road game of the 2025 regular season. Nebraska has posted three wins away from Lincoln this season, including a pair of victories in true road games. 
• The three victories away from Lincoln this season are the most in a regular season for the Huskers since winning three road games in 2014. 

• The last time Nebraska won four regular-season games away from Lincoln came in 2010, when the Huskers won their first four road games on their way to a 10-2 regular season. 

Huskers Improve Regular-Season Win Total; Look for Strong Finish to Season
Nebraska completed the first half of the season with a 5-1 record for the second straight year, and the Huskers now stand at 7-3 overall following a victory at UCLA on Nov. 8.

• The 7-3 record is Nebraska's best through 10 games since beginning the 2016 season with an 8-2 record. This marks the ninth time in the past 22 seasons since 2004 that Nebraska has started the season with seven wins or more in its first 10 games. 

• Nebraska has matched last year's win total and improved on its six wins in the 2024 regular season. Rhule has now matched or increased his team's win total from the previous season in every year of his 10-year college coaching career.

• The 2025 season marks the fourth straight year Nebraska has improved its regular-season win total. This marks the first time in the 136-year history of the program that Nebraska has improved its win total in four straight regular seasons.

•  Nebraska's 5-1 start this year marked the second straight year the Huskers achieved that record at the midway point of the season. This was the first time Nebraska started 5-1 in consecutive seasons since the 2013 and 2014 campaigns.  

Husker Program Filled with Pennsylvania Ties
Nebraska's football program is filled with Pennsylvania ties, including Head Coach Matt Rhule who played for the Nittany Lions.

• Five Nebraska players called the Keystone State home, including nose tackle Elijah Jeudy (Philadelphia), running back Mekhi Nelson (Wilkes-Barre), defensive back Kahmir Prescott (Philadelphia), linebacker Rahmir Stewart (Philadelphia) and linebacker Marques Watson-Trent (Pittsburgh).

• The Husker staff is also filled with a number of coaches who have played and coached in Pennsylvania, with several working with Rhule during his time as Temple's head coach from 2013 to 2016.

• Four members of Nebraska's full-time on-field coaching staff played in Pennsylvania including Rhule (Penn State) and linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek, outside linebackers coach Phil Simpson and assistant secondary coach Adam DiMichele (Temple). Eight members of the on-field coaching staff have worked in the state of Pennsylvania.

• Several other members of the Husker football support staff have played or worked at Pennsylvania schools, including Director of Football Player Development Gus Felder, who was a two-time All-Big Ten offensive lineman for the Nittany Lions in 2001 and 2002

Johnson Produces Career Performance at UCLA
Junior running back Emmett Johnson continues to emerge as a contender for major national awards including the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award. The 5-11, 200-pounder is also in position to be Nebraska's first first-team All-America selection since 2011 and is a front runner for Big Ten Running Back of the Year. Johnson was named one of 13 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award on Nov. 11 with more honors likely to come soon. 

Johnson's emergence into the national discussion peaked after a historic night at the Rose Bowl against UCLA on Nov. 8. For his effort, Johnson was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career and was also the Maxwell Award National Player of the Week.

• Johnson accounted for a career-high 232 yards from scrimmage against the Bruins, including 129 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, and three catches for a career-high 103 yards and two touchdowns. 

• Johnson's performance marked the first time in Nebraska history a player has had 100 rushing and 100 receiving yards in the same game. It was just the ninth 100-yard receiving game by a running back in Nebraska history. 

• Johnson's touchdown catches of 56 and 40 yards were the two longest catches of his career. The two TDs tied a Nebraska running back record for touchdown catches in a game, matching Husker greats Ahman Green and Cory Ross. 

• According to stathead.com, Johnson became the first Big Ten player since at least 1995 to have more than 125 rushing yards, more than 100 receiving yards, a rushing TD and two receiving TDs in the same game.
 
• With 28 carries against the Bruins, Johnson had at least 25 carries for a third straight game. It marks the first time a Husker running back topped 25 carries in three straight games since Ahman Green in the final three games of the Huskers' 1997 national championship season.

Lateef Shines Bright in Starting Debut
True freshman quarterback TJ Lateef was a standout in his first career start, guiding the Huskers to a victory at UCLA. The Compton, Calif., native had an excellent homecoming, completing 13-of-15 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns. Lateef completed his first 11 passes and also produced 31 rushing yards. He was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week for his performance.

• Lateef directed Nebraska to touchdowns on NU's first four full possesions to give the Huskers a 28-7 lead early in the third quarter.

• Lateef was just the fifth true freshman to start at quarterback since 1950 joining Tommie Frazier (1992), Cody Green (2009), Adrian Martinez (2018) and teammate Dylan Raiola (2024). Frazier, Green and Lateef are the only Husker quarterbacks to win their starting debuts against conference opponents. 

This Week’s Numbers
1 - Running back Emmett Johnson recorded 129 rushing yards and 103 receiving yards at UCLA two weeks ago.  He is the first Husker to have 100 rushing and receiving yards in the same game. 

10 - Nebraska has held all 10 opponents this season to fewer than 400 yards of total offense. The Huskers are one of only seven schools in the country in that category. This is the longest streak to open a season for Nebraska since holding the first 11 opponents below 400 yards in 2009.

14 - Johnson has 14 total touchdowns this season to rank sixth nationally. His 14 touchdowns are the most by a Husker since Ameer Abdullah in 2014, and he is three TDs from the top 10 on the NU single-season chart.