5 things to know for Nebraska vs. Penn State

Nebraska football will be back on the road this week, with Penn State being the destination. 

The Nittany Lions (4-6) are playing for a bowl game. This will also be senior day for some players who were expected to compete for a national championship this season.

Nebraska football is a heavy underdog. Both teams will be starting freshman quarterbacks, and here are five things you need to know for Nebraska vs. Penn State, including how to watch and the odds.

Nebraska vs. Penn State odds

The odds have settled in at -9.5 for Penn State. It’s weird for a 4-6 team to be nearly a double-digit favorite, but that’s where things are at. The over/under is 43.5 points. The moneyline for Nebraska is +280, while it’s -355 for Penn State.

Nebraska vs. Penn State: How to watch

Nebraska and Penn State will be broadcast on NBC. Fans can watch on Peacock, too. Huskers.com will have the radio broadcast as well.

Both teams are protecting young quarterbacks

Penn State will start Ethan Grunkemeyer this Saturday. He’s got 113 career pass attempts with four touchdowns and five interceptions. He was 0-3 as Penn State’s starting quarterback until a 28-10 road win over Michigan State in which he completed 8 of 13 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Over the past two games, he has had three touchdown passes compared to just one interception. He is completing 61.7 percent of his passes.

Grunkemeyer isn’t a dual threat. He was a blue-chip coming out of high school, but he is a pro-style passer. He’s got a big arm, yet the Nittany Lions will want to limit his pass attempts, just like Nebraska did with TJ Lateef against UCLA.

Both teams will have a similar strategy. Run the ball, get their quarterback comfortable, and hope the defense makes some plays. Nebraska football probably has more confidence in its passing game, although the Penn State pass rush, called “ferocious” by Matt Rhule, will have something to say about that. Penn State has 22 sacks and 63 tackles for loss.

Nebraska threw it 15 times in its last win. Penn State threw it 13 times, which makes you wonder if there will be 40 pass attempts in this football game.

A challenging run game

Penn State hasn’t run the ball as well as it wanted to this season. Kaytron Allen is closing in on 1,000 yards, though, and has gone over 140 yards twice in his past five games.

Outside of Michigan and USC, though, Penn State probably has the best running game Nebraska has faced. Nicholas Singleton is averaging 3.9 yards per attempt. As a team, Penn State runs for 159 yards per game (4.4 per attempt).

It made all the difference in the world against Michigan State. And with the way Nebraska has struggled to slow down teams that want to run, it’s far from an ideal matchup.

Penn State might have more motivation

Nebraska has a hugely important game against Iowa next week. Because it’s Iowa. Outside of that, and trying to make a habit out of winning in November, it’s easy to make the case that Penn State has more on the line.

The Nittany Lions need two wins to extend their season. After this game is a road trip to Rutgers. Maybe the program would pass on a bowl berth, but extra practices are extra practices.

Nebraska can improve its bowl position. 10 wins are still possible, but winning on senior day and having a chance at a 13th game might be more motivating.

Either way, the two teams are in very similar situations. Motivation is in the eye of the beholder.

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