Penn State Football Game Balls, MVP: Nittany Lions can Lay Claim to No. 1 After Nevada Beat Down
No. 2 Penn State Football’s highly anticipated 2025 season opened without much drama on the scoreboard.
The Nittany Lions cruised to a 46–11 win over Nevada, flashing a balanced offense, ferocious defense, and plenty of depth. Quarterback Drew Allar looked sharp in his return, new transfer wideouts showed immediate chemistry, and Dani Dennis-Sutton wreaked havoc off the edge.
Still, for all the positives, James Franklin’s squad left some teachable tape for Week 2, namely, finishing drives and avoiding late defensive lapses.
Penn State Football Game Balls, MVP From Nevada Blowout
Game Ball #1: Kyron Hudson, WR
USC transfer Kyron Hudson wasted no time making his presence felt. In his Penn State debut, he hauled in six catches for 89 yards and caught Allar’s lone touchdown pass, a 31-yarder that highlighted his ability to separate and finish in the red zone.
Hudson looked like the kind of plug-and-play weapon Penn State has been missing in recent years. Beyond the stat sheet, his leadership and pro-style preparation drew praise from teammates and it’s clear he could quickly become Allar’s go-to receiver in 2025.
Game Ball #2: Dani Dennis-Sutton, DE
If there was any doubt about who would emerge as Penn State’s next defensive star, Dani Dennis-Sutton erased it.
The edge rusher dominated Nevada’s line with 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, a pair of forced fumbles, and constant disruption in the backfield.
Dennis-Sutton’s relentless motor set the tone for a defense that held Nevada to 2.5 yards per carry and just 78 total rushing yards. The Nittany Lions have long been known for defensive line depth, but Dennis-Sutton looks ready to take that tradition to All-American levels.
Penn State MVP: Drew Allar, QB
The biggest headline wasn’t gaudy stats, it was Allar’s efficiency and command. Returning for his final season after bypassing the NFL Draft, Allar completed 22 of 26 passes for a staggering 84.6% completion rate, and tallied 217 yards and a touchdown.
He spread the ball effectively, showed poise in the pocket, and looked comfortable running the offense with a new crop of receivers. His chemistry with Hudson and Trebor Peña (seven catches, 74 yards) suggests Penn State’s passing attack could finally match its punishing ground game.
If Allar keeps stacking performances like this, Penn State won’t just contend for a conference title they’ll be playing for the whole thing in January.
Since No. 1 Texas struggled in Columbus yesterday, the Nittany Lions should assume the top spot in all the land this coming week.
The last time Penn State was ranked #1 in the AP Poll was in Week 8 of the 1997 season.
Buy The Newest Penn State Gear From Fanatics | Shop Penn State Merchandise on Amazon
Nice Win. Bad Beat
For fans, this one was a laugher. For bettors, it was a gut-punch.
Penn State closed as a 42.5– to 44-point favorite with the total sitting near 55. With the Lions up 46–3 and under a minute to go, it looked like favorites and under backers would cash comfortably; most were wearing some form of blue and white gear yesterday.
Then, Nevada, against Penn State’s reserves, mounted its best drive of the game. A late timeout, a fourth-down conversion, and a defensive pass interference set up a nine-yard touchdown with 30 seconds left topped off by a triggering two-point conversion that left Happy Valley-goers a little lighter in their wallets and possibly bereft of a post-game celebratory stop at the Berkey Creamery on their way home yesterday.
Final score: 46–11. The backdoor cover was sealed, and the over snuck through in the waning moments, a painful reminder that in college football, there are no meaningless points.
It was at PRISM where Staszak produced live games and began his career as an on-air reporter.
After a couple of brief stints with CBS-3, WB-17 and WGAL-8 in Lancaster, PA, Staszak began a 12 year stretch at FOX 29 where he became the lead sportscaster in 2007. It was there that Staszak found himself in the middle of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Championship coverage that earned him an Emmy nomination for best sports reporter in 2008.It was one of five Emmy nominations that Staszak earned over the course of his career.
All told Staszak covered three World Series, two Stanley Cup Finals, an NBA Finals and one Super Bowl during his television run.
Staszak left the TV business for 97.5 The Fanatic in 2013, where he enjoyed eight years bloviating his beliefs on how a professional football team should be run.In 2018 when he fortunate enough to be the first sports talk host in the city, along with cohort Zach Gelb, to provide post-game coverage of the first Super Bowl Championship for the city’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
Staszak was also a writer for 97.5 The Fanatic along with 4 Philly Sports and now covers Penn State athletics for NittanyCentral.com.
- Penn State Football Game Balls, MVP: Nittany Lions can Lay Claim to No. 1 After Nevada Beat Down - August 31, 2025
- What Time, TV Channel is Penn State Football vs. Nevada (9/30/2025)? How to Watch Online for FREE - August 29, 2025
- James Franklin: Abdul Carter Adds ‘Controlled Chaos’ for Giants - August 5, 2025