UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State has been searching all season for downfield passing, well before things went off the rails with James Franklin’s firing and Drew Allar’s season-ending injury.

Despite another gut-wrenching loss as the Nittany Lions nearly upset No. 2 Indiana, quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer led some major leaps forward as he, play-caller Andy Kotelnicki and the rest of the offense continue to audition for their next jobs — whether at Penn State, another school or in the NFL.

Grunkemeyer completed 22 of 31 passes for 219 yards, a season high for Penn State passers, and a touchdown with one interception. Wide receiver Trebor Peña corralled 99 receiving yards, the most any Lion had since Devonte Ross put up 115 against Northwestern.

Interim coach Terry Smith promised multiple times during this losing streak to make his Lions more of a vertical threat.

It finally happened Saturday, and the explanation, in Smith’s eyes, was as simple and as frustrating as you might expect.

“We made calls to throw the ball down the field,” he said bluntly.

So why not do it sooner?

Grunkemeyer and other players praised their preparation in practice for helping remedy the passing woes.

The Lions had six completions of 20-plus yards in the 27-24 loss to Indiana, matching their total in the previous five losses.

“All week, we emphasized it. Coach Terry emphasized it. Coach (Kotelnicki) emphasized it,” Grunkemeyer said. “It’s something we really worked on, getting timing with the receivers. I think that was just a little glimpse of what we can be.”

Grunkemeyer’s play was especially strong in the second half. He opened the third quarter with an incompletion and an interception that he appeared to force between multiple defenders, a decision that led to a Hoosiers field goal.

He then completed 10 of his next 12 passes for 116 yards, including a touchdown to Nick Singleton that gave Penn State a fourth-quarter lead.

Grunkemeyer credited quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien for instilling a “no-flinch” mentality that he preached on the sideline after the turnover.

“I think he does a great job of keeping us level-headed,” the redshirt freshman said. “I’m super grateful for that.”

“I thought he grew up in the second half,” Smith said. “He bounced right back. He started making some good throws. He gave us a chance to win. He led us back. He took control of the huddle.

“I thought he was big time, and just looking forward to him continuing to get better and continuing to develop. I thought he gave us a chance to win, and that’s all you can ask.”

Captain center Nick Dawkins said a key word from practice this week was “patience.” He said Penn State called many plays Saturday in hopes of setting up others. Fake outside zones, specifically, helped force safeties to bite and open deep attempts.

“(Grunkemeyer is) a gunslinger,” Dawkins said. “I feel bad that his starts have been how they’ve been with us losing games, because he’s a hell of a ball player and a hell of a leader and a competitor.”

The converse was also true. Penn State’s success throwing the ball allowed running backs Singleton and Allen to run more freely. The Lions averaged 5.9 yards per carry in the second half compared to just 1.6 in the first.

Singleton, with a big hole to run through, scampered for 59 yards to set up his second of three touchdowns. He said the burst of speed made him feel like the “old me” amid a trying season.

“Everybody’s trying to stop the run, stacking the box. (Grunkemeyer) made good throws down the field, opening everything up,” Singleton said. “That’s why I got that long run.”

Even amid a six-game skid, Grunkemeyer has noticeably stepped up in his first chance as the starter. He walked into his postgame press conference and delivered an opening statement — atypical for Penn State players — to defend his team’s effort.

He also discussed how he’s been getting dinner and extra throws each week with his receivers, including Peña, to generate on-field chemistry.

Against Indiana’s Heisman hopeful Fernando Mendoza, Grunkemeyer finished with one more passing yard, a better completion percentage, the same number of touchdowns, the same number of interceptions and a higher passer rating.

“Grunk was good throughout the whole game,” Singleton said. “He was calm in the huddle. When we’re on the sidelines, he’s hyping his team up — defense, offense, special teams. Just being that leader.”

It hasn’t been an easy assignment for Grunkemeyer in relieving Allar. He played at Iowa in a rowdy night environment before games against No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana — all of which featured extremely stingy defenses.

But he continues to take strides as Penn State’s leader and has given a glimmer of hope for the Nittany Lions to finish the lost 2025 season on a higher note.

“I felt super comfortable, just seeing the windows. I felt good,” Grunkemeyer said. “Game 1, maybe they felt tight. Game 2, they loosened up a little bit. And in Game 3, I’m starting to see it better.”

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)