On Saturday, November 29, Penn State will play its final game of the 2025 College Football regular season on the road against Rutgers.

Kaytron Allen can become the first player in program history to reach 4,000 career rushing yards with at least 46 rushing yards in this matchup. Nicholas Singleton is tied with Saquon Barkley for both career rushing touchdowns (43) and total touchdowns (53). Ethan Grunkemyer also became the first Penn State quarterback to complete over 90% of his passes in a game since Todd Blackledge in 1981 against Syracuse. Penn State is on a 17-game win streak against Rutgers and leads the all-time series 32-2.

Now, let’s take a look at what to expect in this matchup, including both teams’ offenses, defenses, special teams, and ultimately the final score of this regular-season finale.

Rutgers Offense vs. Penn State’s Defense

Rutgers’ offense has made strides, helping them approach bowl eligibility. While they’ve been more productive than in recent years, they still struggle against the top defenses on their schedule, including Oregon, Illinois, and Ohio State.

Athan Kaliakmanis, who spent time as the starting quarterback at Minnesota, has been solid but not spectacular leading the Scarlet Knights’ offense. He is completing 61.6% of his passes with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Kaliakmanis has topped 250 passing yards in eight games this season, including a season-high 389 yards against Washington. However, he only threw for 79 yards against Oregon and 81 yards last Saturday against Ohio State.

Kaliakmanis does a good job spreading the ball among his top three targets: KJ Duff, Ian Strong, and DT Sheffield. It’s typical for one of the three to exceed 10 yards most weeks, depending on who has the best matchup in the secondary. Duff is the big-play threat, averaging 17.4 yards per catch and leading the team with six touchdown receptions.

Kaliakmanis has struggled due to a shaky offensive line, which has allowed 35 sacks this season. The line has had trouble protecting him, allowing seven sacks to Minnesota, five to Purdue, and four against Ohio State’s top-ranked defense. Penn State has been able to unleash its pass rush in recent weeks, which could make it a tough afternoon for Kaliakmanis.

Antwan Raymond is the workhorse running back who carries nearly all of the rushing load for Rutgers. It’s not uncommon for him to get close to 30 carries in a game, including 41 against Maryland, where he ran for 240 yards.

Penn State Offense vs. Rutgers Defense

While Rutgers’ offense has improved, the defense has taken a step back. This is not the same Rutgers team from recent years, which was known for its strong defense but struggled offensively.

This season, the defense has had a hard time making plays in the backfield, averaging fewer than one sack per game. They are among the worst teams in the nation at stopping the run, allowing over 200 yards per game. Overall, they’re giving up 425.9 yards per game and 31.2 points per game. It’s been a rough season on the defensive side of the ball, as the Scarlet Knights have often been pushed around and allowed big games even from weaker offenses.

This could be a favorable matchup for a Penn State offense that has finally found success in the run game, with its veteran offensive line opening lanes for Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Allen is coming off back-to-back Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors and will look to continue his pursuit of the all-time rushing yards record, which he broke last week against Nebraska.

Penn State’s offensive game plan should be simple and predictable—plenty of Allen and Singleton, followed by play-action passes that Ethan Grunkemyer has executed so well in recent weeks. The redshirt freshman only threw the ball 12 times in the 37-10 victory over Nebraska but completed all but one attempt (which could have easily been ruled pass interference).

Special Teams

Rutgers kicker Jai Patel has made 13 of 18 field goals this season, with a long of 51 yards. Rutgers punter Jakob Anderson has a big leg and can flip the field, averaging 44.1 yards per punt with several punts over 60 yards.

What to Expect for Penn State vs. Rutgers

A few weeks ago, it would have been easy to imagine a motivated Scarlet Knights squad rallying around head coach Greg Schiano to pull off a win over a depleted Penn State team. However, that is no longer the case. The Nittany Lions have found their rhythm in recent weeks, dominating both lines of scrimmage and playing much closer to preseason expectations.

Penn State’s front seven should be able to disrupt Kaliakmanis early and often, making it difficult for the Scarlet Knights to establish their pass-heavy attack. If the offensive line continues its inspired play from the last six quarters, Allen and Singleton should have no problem moving the chains, wearing down Rutgers’ defense, and controlling the clock. Both running backs will have memorable afternoons, with Singleton becoming the all-time touchdown leader in program history and Allen continuing his hot streak with a 200-yard rushing performance.

The Nittany Lions will close out the regular season with a victory that will send them to a bowl game. The final score of this matchup will be:

Penn State 31, Rutgers 10