TJ Lateef and Ethan Grunkemeyer have been thrust into important roles and found some good fortune last week.
The quarterbacks at the center of the Big Ten matchup between Nebraska and Penn State on Saturday in University Park, Pa., look for more of the same with the regular season winding down.
Lateef made his first career start on Nov. 8 — prior to the bye week for Nebraska (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) — with starting QB Dylan Raiola out for the season with a broken leg. A true freshman, Lateef went 13-of-15 for 205 yards and three touchdowns in the 28-21 win over UCLA.
“I want him to go there and let it rip,” said Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule, a former linebacker at Penn State. “Sometimes the second game you start to — no, don’t overthink too much. Just go out there and play.”
Grunkemeyer prepares for his fifth start for Penn State (4-6, 1-6) under similar circumstances. Starter Drew Allar was lost for the season with a knee injury before Penn State fired head coach James Franklin.
The redshirt freshman threw two touchdown passes in last week’s 28-10 win over Michigan State that snapped a six-game losing streak.
There is less drama simmering around Rhule’s return to Happy Valley. The Nebraska coach was immediately connected to the vacancy at Penn State because of his connection with current Nittany Lions AD Patrick Kraft, who hired him as head coach at Temple.
Rhule knows Penn State interim coach Terry Smith pretty well, too.
“I hired him out of Gateway High School, and he was on my first staff at Temple. I have a lot of respect for him,” Rhule said.
But Rhule isn’t leaving Nebraska for Penn State, not after signing a contract extension to stay in Lincoln. He said he “doesn’t have very many” emotions about his trip “home” on Saturday.
“It’s just different for me because I’ve been back so many times,” Rhule said. “The only things I feel is my grandfather had season tickets at Penn State and he’s no longer living. My grandmother’s no longer living. Just the people who poured into me and meant a lot to me in my life, they won’t be there for this.”
Grunkemeyer was only asked to throw the ball 13 times against the Spartans, as the Nittany Lions leaned on their rushing game. Kaytron Allen ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns, while Nicholas Singleton chipped in with 56 yards on the ground.
“We do know in our keys to victory every week is for Kaytron and Nick to touch the ball,” Smith said, “and if they’re touching the ball, that means we’re going to get closer to that goal.”
Nebraska has a dynamic backfield threat of its own in Emmett Johnson, who posted 129 yards rushing and 103 receiving against UCLA. Johnson, who accounted for three touchdowns in that win, is aiming for his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game and his seventh overall this season.
The Cornhuskers are 4-1 against the Nittany Lions since joining the Big Ten, including a 30-23 triumph in the last meeting in 2020.
