PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Penn State made two game-changing plays on defense in the final eight minutes and rode running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton on offense to turn back Rutgers 40-36 Saturday night at SHI Stadium.
The Nittany Lions (3-6 Big Ten, 6-6) became bowl eligible with their third straight win in the regular season finale and beat the Scarlet Knights (2-7, 5-7) for the 18th consecutive time.
With Rutgers driving, linebacker Amare Campbell picked up the football after quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis dropped it and returned it 61 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 7:27 to go.
A few minutes later, after a remarkable 42-yard catch by KJ Duff, safety Zion Tracy tackled Kaliakmanis for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at the Lions’ 28 with 3:55 left.
Penn State then took advantage of a defensive holding call on second-and-26 to run time off the clock. Allen reeled off a 50-yard run to the Scarlet Knights’ 28 before the Lions sealed it with two first downs.
Allen carried 22 times for a career-high 226 yards and one touchdown and passed 4,000 in his career. Singleton gained 183 all-purpose yards, passing Saquon Barkley as the school’s all-time leader, and scored two touchdowns, passing Barkley in career rushing TDs and overall TDs.
Kaliakmanis was 16-for-22 for 338 yards and two TDs and Antwan Raymond ran 29 times for 189 yards and one TD for Rutgers.
The first half was full of offensive fireworks, Penn State taking a 24-21 lead and rolling up 311 total yards to 296 for Rutgers.
The Knights opened the game with an impressive 75-yard drive that was capped by Raymond’s 19-yard touchdown run through the left side of the defense.
The Lions responded quickly, tying it on Grunkemeyer’s 53-yard pass to tight end Andrew Rappleyea on fourth-and-1.
Rutgers drove to the Penn State 22 on its next series and didn’t score. Zion Tracy tackled kicker Jai Patel for a 3-yard loss on a fake field goal.
Penn State took a 14-7 lead behind Allen, who had a 55-yard burst, and Singleton, who broke Barkley’s touchdown records on an 11-yard run.
The Knights continued to move the ball and tied it on a Kaliakmainis’ 2-yard quarterback sneak with 1:30 left in the first quarter.
Singleton returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards, but it was called back because of a holding penalty. Undeterred, he ripped off a 53-yard run to set up Allen’s 16-yard TD that made it 21-14 on the first play of the second quarter.
After the defenses finally settled, Rutgers drove 89 yards to tie it on Kaliakmanis’ 21-yard pass to DT Sheffield with 27 seconds left in the half. It was the most points that the Knights have scored against Penn State since 1995.
Penn State, though, wasn’t done. Behind Grunkemeyer’s passing, the Lions moved 56 yards in four plays before Barker kicked a 31-yard field goal to make it 24-21 at the half.
