Penn State had this one in its grasp, then watched it slip away.
The Nittany Lions built a 17-0 cushion and still walked out of Saturday night’s 24-20 loss to Wisconsin with the kind of collapse that stings even more because it happened at home. Penn State also won the turnover battle by two and spent most of the game in front by multiple scores, but none of that was enough to finish the job.
The early stretch looked exactly how Penn State wanted it. The Nittany Lions jumped on Wisconsin right away, cashing in on back-to-back interceptions thrown by Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph. Joseph ended the night with three picks, and Penn State turned those mistakes into a fast 17-0 start.
Then Wisconsin started chipping away.
Joseph and the Badgers found their rhythm in the second half, and the fourth quarter turned the game completely. Joseph led a pair of touchdown drives in the final period, including a 6-play, 85-yard march that took just 1 minute and 15 seconds off the clock. The biggest strike came on a 72-yard go-ahead touchdown to tight end Jacob Harris.
Even with the lead for so long, Penn State couldn’t put the game away. The numbers tell the story: the Nittany Lions finished with 12 first downs to Wisconsin’s 18, and they were outgained 355-233 in total yards.
Both teams are now 3-1. Wisconsin returns home next to face Michigan State, while Penn State will try to bounce back next Friday at Northwestern.
In Other News...
Penn State Fans Have One Annoying Week 4 Viewing Problem
Week 4 is shaping up as one of the busiest slates of the early college football season, with multiple ranked matchups spread across the day and five ranked-on-ranked games on the board. Three of those are tucked into the SEC, giving the weekend an especially crowded feel for fans trying to keep tabs on the national picture while also watching how the playoff race begins to sort itself out.
For Penn State fans, the annoying part is less about the quality of the games than the juggling act required to follow them all. The lineup includes No. 1 Texas against No. 14 Tennessee and No. 24 Mississippi State against No. 19 Missouri, along with streaming options that should keep viewers bouncing between platforms. Add in players like Kamario Taylor, who leads the nation in points responsible for, and it is the kind of Saturday that rewards patience as much as attention. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Just Gave Fans A Reason To Worry
Penn State had already done plenty to put itself in position to win its first Big Ten game of the season, forcing three interceptions and leaning on a defense that looked sharp through the first half. But the Nittany Lions could never turn those takeaways into enough separation, and the game slowly shifted as the offense sputtered and the pass rush failed to consistently bother Wisconsins quarterback.
The late collapse was the real concern, with Wisconsin finishing the comeback after Penn States defense faded in the fourth quarter. Without Koby Howard, the offense managed only 13 points and had trouble sustaining drives, leaving the Nittany Lions with a loss that raised an early warning sign about how much margin for error this team really has in conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Already Has A Big Problem After Its Big Ten Opener
Penn States Big Ten opener at Beaver Stadium looked headed in the right direction late in the fourth quarter, with the Nittany Lions carrying a 20-10 lead and the defense producing takeaways to keep Wisconsin at arms length. True freshman Josiah Zayas and Daryus Dixson each came up with interceptions, and Zayas turned his into a touchdown, giving Penn State a jolt in front of the home crowd.
Instead, the game slipped away in the closing minutes, leaving Penn State with a 24-20 loss and an immediate sense that there is work to do on both sides of the ball. Rocco Becht finished 12 of 29 for 129 yards, and the Nittany Lions now have a short turnaround before facing Northwestern, where they will be trying to steady themselves after letting a winnable conference opener get away. [Read more 🡒]