For Penn State, Sloppiness Changes Everything

Penn State beat Rutgers 41–34, but almost nothing about the night felt encouraging. The win delivered bowl eligibility on paper, yet the performance was filled with the kind of miscues, busted coverages, and predictable play calling that erase momentum in a season that needed a strong final statement. What unfolded in Piscataway looked far more like a team holding on than one building toward something.

A Win That Doesn’t Feel Like One

Allen and Singleton Carried the Load While the Passing Game Stalled

Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton kept the offense afloat from start to finish. Every time the game began to tilt, the pair steadied it. They controlled drives, set the tone physically, and gave Penn State the only consistent source of production all night. Rutgers had no answer when the ball stayed in their hands.

The moment the offense shifted away from them, everything became disjointed. Andy Kotelnicki fell back into the same tendencies that have frustrated fans all year. Sideways throws on early downs, routes that developed behind the line of scrimmage, and no real urgency to threaten anything past five yards. Rutgers saw it coming and sat on it. Drives stalled because the passing game never asked the defense a meaningful question. It was another reminder of why Penn State needs a clean break at offensive coordinator when the season ends.

This was Allen and Singleton dragging the offense to the finish line while the passing attack drifted.

A Defensive Showing That Undercuts Terry Smith’s Push

The more damaging story is what happened on defense. Rutgers moved the ball at will and finished with more than 500 yards. They found openings in the run game that hadn’t been there against Penn State in weeks, and hit chunk plays through the air without much resistance. They dictated matchups, tempo, and responses. It looked nothing like the defense that had tightened up in recent games.

The lack of energy was noticeable. Penn State was late to adjust, late to fill, and late to rally to the ball. Miscommunication in the secondary created easy completions, and Rutgers never had to work particularly hard to create space. It was the flattest defensive performance of the Terry Smith stretch, and the timing couldn’t be worse with Pat Kraft evaluating every snap.

Smith’s appeal to many fans and alumni came from the team’s sharpness and urgency under his leadership. None of that showed up here. It will absolutely influence how his candidacy is viewed this week.

A Staff Heading Toward Major Upheaval

This game also reinforced something that has become increasingly clear. This staff is about to be gutted. Ty Howle, Dan Connor, and Stan Drayton have value to the next regime, but the overall infrastructure has cracks that aren’t going to repair themselves. Many assistants may leave regardless of Kraft’s intentions, and the next head coach will have to rebuild the operation almost completely.

If Kraft misses on a big-name hire, he does have another option. He could give Smith a one or two-year contract with no buyout. A bridge arrangement that steadies the roster, stabilizes recruiting, and buys time for the next hiring cycle. It would allow Smith to prove whether this late-season charge is sustainable while also giving Kraft freedom to pivot quickly if it isn’t. It isn’t ideal, but neither is rushing into the wrong long-term hire.

A Win That Complicates More Than It Clarifies

Penn State got the result it needed, but everything around the result makes the evaluation harder. The offense was unbalanced, the defense was porous, and the game never felt under control. The run game was the bright spot, but one strength can’t cover up everything else.

This was supposed to help define Terry Smith’s case. Instead, it adds more layers to Kraft’s decision. The bowl game will be played — the bigger question is whether Penn State will look anything like a complete team when it gets there, and who will still be in the building when it does.