Rex Burkhead rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown for the sixth time this season as No. 17 Nebraska downed No. 12 Penn State, 17-14, in front of a somber crowd Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

In a game that will be remembered much more for the events that led to the dismissal of legendary coach Joe Paterno than the final result or overall impact in the conference, Burkhead finished with 126 yards for the Huskers (8-2, 4-2 Big Ten), who rebounded from last week’s shocking home loss to Northwestern.

Penn State's Silas Redd entered this contest as the conference’s third-leading rusher, but left midway through the third quarter and did not return until late in the fourth, when he was stopped for no gain on two straight runs on third and fourth down deep in Nittany Lion territory.

Stephfon Green, who replaced Redd for most of the second half, scored both touchdowns for Penn State (8-2, 5-1), which left the field to a standing ovation from the home crowd.

Late Wednesday evening, Penn State’s board of trustees announced the firing of Paterno effective immediately as part of the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky child-sex abuse scandal, ending a head coaching career that began on Sep. 17, 1966.

Over his 46-year career at Penn State, Paterno guided the Nittany Lions to 409 wins and two national championships. His assistant of 33 years, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, was named the interim head coach.

Among the many notable pregame tributes to the victims, Penn State marched out arm-in-arm through a corridor formed by the Nittany Lion band and Football Letterman Club following a moment of silence from the crowd.

Just prior to kickoff, the entire complement of players and coaches from both sides took a knee at midfield while Nebraska assistant Ron Brown led a prayer gathering that lasted several minutes.