Kaytron Allen took a handoff from Ethan Grunkemeyer and was met at the line of scrimmage, stiff-arming a Nebraska defender and rumbling upfield for a 15 yard gain, seemingly breaking Penn State’s program record for career rushing yards as the crowd roared in approval.
In a twist of fate, Allen was called for a facemask penalty, moving the ball 15 yards back from the spot of the foul and giving him just one official rushing yard. It left him two shy of breaking Evan Royster’s longstanding mark, causing boos from the fans and filling the press box with the sound of rapid back-spacing as reporters revised their stories. But it didn’t matter — he picked up three yards just four plays later on a handoff from wide receiver Liam Clifford, etching his name atop the Penn State record books.
“I definitely said on the sideline, like, that’s crazy that they did that,” Allen — who’d never been called for a facemask in his life — said after the game. “But I guess things just happened. God just wanted me to go get it a different way.”
Allen finished with 25 carries for 160 yards and two touchdowns as the Nittany Lions downed the Cornhuskers 37-10, but he wasn’t the only Nittany Lion to make history as fellow running back Nick Singleton tied Saquon Barkley’s program records for both rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns with two scores on the night.
“It’s special because, all the winter workouts, things like that, pushing each other, feeding off each other, it just means a lot,” Allen said. “He’s like a brother from a different mother and we’re just tight. We’re always talking to each other, things like that. Off the field, on the field, he helped me grow. I hope I helped him grow on the field and off the field.”
Singleton, who’s struggled to live up to lofty expectations this season, flashed shades of his vintage self with seven carries for 44 yards and three receptions for 51 yards. With one game remaining at Rutgers, followed by a potential bowl game, he’ll have chances to stand alone in the record book, too.
Doing so with his close friend made the moment that much sweeter. Allen and Singleton have shared the spotlight since they burst onto the scene as true freshmen in 2022, splitting touches throughout their careers in an era of rampant NIL and self-first mentality. They’ve spoken at length about the strength of their relationship and are often the first ones to greet each other on the sideline after a touchdown.
Dating back to their freshman season, there was speculation one would transfer to become a premier back, and it’s been reported other schools have thrown large offers in their direction over the last few seasons, which they didn’t entertain.
“There’s no downfall, there’s no jealousy, nothing like that,” Singleton said. “We want the best for each other. He’s on the field doing good. I’m on the field doing good. We just support each other. So that’s just my brother.”
Since taking over as interim head coach, Terry Smith has challenged Penn State’s offense to play with physicality and establish the ground game. In addition to crediting the offensive line, tight ends and wide receivers for blocking for them and creating holes, both running backs expressed enthusiasm for delivering on Smith’s request.
“That’s one of the things I love about coach Terry,” Singleton said. “He’s gonna tell you what it is, not sugarcoat or nothing … We heard that, and we stepped up to the challenge, the whole offense. We just practiced well and obviously it showed in the game.”
From greeting their families on West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium before the game to rewriting the record books between the whistles, emotions were high on Saturday night. In a season that will be remembered by Nittany Lion faithful for its unrealized potential, two of the greatest running backs to ever suit up in blue and white have solidified their standing among the program’s greats.
“The moment you stop having fun with playing ball, you might as well just stop playing football,” Allen said. “You play football to have fun, it’ll change your life.”
