Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith reacts gestures during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Indiana, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

Following are the highlights of Terry Smith’s Monday press conference:

Saturday’s game: at Michigan State (3:30 p.m., CBS)

Records: Penn State (3-6), Michigan State (3-6)

Odds: Penn State is a 6½-point favorite.

Rankings: Both teams are unranked by the Associated Press and the CFP.

Series: Penn State leads, 19-18-1

Solid effort

Chalk one up to what could have been for Penn State as it nearly pulled off what would have been the upset of the season against Indiana.

Were there positives? Absolutely. There were more explosive plays than the Lions have seen all season. Smith said young quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer ‘grew up’ in the second half.

“I thought our guys played really hard on Saturday,” Smith said. “At one point we were down 13 points to the No. 2 team in the country in the second half and we battled back. The effort was there from start to finish.”

The back-breaker for the Nits was not finishing the game, starting with the Lions’ offense unable to convert a first down just short of the 2-minute warning that would have put the game on ice. When the Lions punted away, defensive tackle Zane Durant sacked sensational Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza on the first play. Mendoza recovered and looked like the Heisman candidate that he is, and led the Hoosiers to an impressive drive.

Smith said Saturday the Lions need to taste victory ‘because they’ve earned it.’ He reiterated that thought on Monday.

“The guys are hungry. There’s no quit in this team,” he said. “The guys are excited to have a new opportunity this week.”

The final timeout

There were questions on why Smith called his last timeout when he did after Grunkemeyer hit Trebor Pena for a first down at the Lions’ 47-yard line with 20 seconds left.

The clock stops on first downs, but starts again once the ball is set and the chains are moved to their proper placing. Rather than waste a few seconds, Smith called timeout at an interesting moment.

“We got the first down, and we felt like we should take a timeout to maximize our plays,” Smith said. “We were trying to get three plays if we could. Once you get the first down, the clock automatically starts running (when the ball is set), so even to spike the ball, you’re talking a 3-second runoff by rules of the game.”

Penn State got Indiana to jump offsides on the next play to cross midfield, but the Lions did not get a chance to even tie the game with a field goal.

“Obviously we fell short no matter how it turned out,” Smith said.

More talk of the future

Naturally, Smith said he has had conversations with players about what the future holds for the program, for the players, and even himself.

Nothing has changed, but it doesn’t make anything less unsettling with what is coming only a few weeks down the road with the possibility of mass transfers out of the program.

“The consensus right now is ‘wait and see,'” Smith said. “We don’t know. It depends on who the new coach is, and then decisions will be made from there. What’s his style of play? What type of defense will he bring in? What type of offense will he bring in? Does it fit these kids? We’ll see how it all turns out.”

Would Smith be open to a role in the program of being off the field, such as a general manager?

“I would examine any position to be at Penn State,” Smith said. “But my concern right now is, ‘How do we beat Michigan State?'”

Throwing it downfield

The fan base had become increasingly frustrated in the lack of throwing the ball down the field, and rather instead settling for short dump-offs or screens and constant checkdowns.

That changed against Indiana with Grunkemeyer throwing for 219 yards to eight different receivers. It also resulted in an improved run game, especially in Nicholas Singleton’s case.

“We went into halftime and we made sure to make those calls in the second half,” Smith said.

“We have to grow and build on that. We’ll come out and be super aggressive against Michigan State. We’re going to mix it with play-action and run because that’s our formula to success.”

Family matters

In such a time where Penn State is losing way more than what was expected, Smith leans on family to get him through the tough days.

Smith has been seen with his daughter, Haley, before and after games. Smith called Haley, who has Down syndrome, “the glue to our entire family.”

“If the world had what she possesses, we wouldn’t have any of these issues going on in the world,” Smith said. “We wouldn’t have war. We wouldn’t have a government shutdown. She has unconditional love. She doesn’t care if we lose or win.

“Every day I get the same hug and greeting when I walk through the door as if it’s the first time she’s ever seen me. That strength re-encourages me. It lifts me up, it helps me through the day, and it lets me know that this is just a game.”

(Compiled by Andy Stine of the Altoona Mirror. He can be reached at astine@altoonamirror.com.)