How Penn State football somehow beat Rutgers, gets bowl eligible

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How Penn State football somehow beat Rutgers, gets bowl eligible

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey − The wildest Penn State football game yet of this most dysfunctional season played out here, when least expected in SHI Stadium.

And a certain Nittany Lion linebacker was the unsuspecting saving star.

The game of his football life for Amare Campbell in Saturday’s 40-36 come-from-behind victory to make the Lions bowl eligible?

Yes, it would be for the transfer from North Carolina, the one-year leader of a defense on the verge of collapse in Saturday’s regular-season finale here.

While Kaytron Allen steamrolled through the Rutgers defense from beginning to end, it would be Campbell who provided the game-saving plays down the stretch.

The junior returned an errant Rutgers fumble for a go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.

Campbell then made a crucial fourth-down tackle to stop the Scarlet Knights on the ensuing drive.

He finished with a game-high 14.

Here are your grades from Penn State’s feel-good sixth victory of the 2025 season:

Nov 29, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) reacts after a rushing touchdown during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Offense: B+

Penn State dominated in the run game, as expected, and probably should have leaned on it even more.

Kaytron Allen (career-high 218 yards) and Nick Singleton (86) were dominating together for the first time since the Big Ten Championship loss to Oregon.

Ethan Grunkemeyer, superbly efficient yet again, looks better with each start.

Defense: C

They were torn apart from beginning to end by pedestrian Athan Kaliakmanis (16-of-22, 338 yards, 3 TDs) − thanks, surprisingly enough, to nearly no pass rush.

The rush defense was maybe even worse.

A stunning letdown, all around.

And yet, Campbell helped save the day, and his teammates rallied together in the final minutes.

Special teams: B+

Best return action for Nick Singleton all season. One more solid punting effort from Gabe Nwosu and a clutch field goal to end the first half by Ryan Barker.

Coaching: B-

Nov 22, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith walks on the field following the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The potential final Penn State game for interim leader Terry Smith ended well enough, for sure.

The game-long defensive breakdowns nearly cost everything for the Lions, but credit to leaders like Campbell for stepping up when absolutely needed

Overall: A-

The defensive lapses and inefficiency would rarely necessitate such a grade. How do you give up 530 yards-plus to this Rutgers team, ever? But when you find ways to recover and win at the end, in this season, in these circumstances, you are deserving of more.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football report card vs Rutgers, becoming bowl eligible

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