Penn State’s latest Big Ten stumble left little room for debate: the Lions were pushed around from the opening whistle and never found a way to slow Northwestern’s ground game.
In a 34-13 loss Friday night at the new Ryan Field, Penn State gave up 237 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the first half alone. Northwestern dictated the game early, battering the Lions’ front seven and turning a close score into a runaway before halftime.
The decisive stretch came early in the second quarter. After Carson Hansen scored on an eight-yard run to pull Penn State within 10-7, Northwestern answered with a three-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Joseph Himon finished it with a 38-yard scoring run, and suddenly the Wildcats were ahead 17-7 with 9:21 left before halftime.
That was the kind of night it became for Penn State, which is now 3-2 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play. High-scoring USC is next.
There were a few individual efforts worth noting, even in a lopsided loss.
Chase Sowell was the lone Penn State offensive player to earn a game ball. He caught five passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, with the score coming in the fourth quarter.
On defense, Tony Rojas stood out in a unit that had far too many problems to count. The veteran linebacker finished with 12 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
Nathan Tiyce also earned recognition after a rough night for the special teams. Ryan Barker missed a 45-yard field goal late in the first half, so Tiyce gets the nod after averaging 41.1 yards on seven punts and pinning Northwestern inside its 20 on three of them.
In Other News...
Penn State Suddenly Has Bigger Problems Than One Bad Loss
The loss to Northwestern in Week 5 was jarring enough on its own, but the bigger issue for Penn State is how exposed the team looked in the process. Allowing 34 points and more than 500 total yards is the kind of outing that forces a deeper look, especially with the Nittany Lions already off to an 0-2 start in Big Ten play. What had been framed as a bad result quickly turned into a broader warning sign about where this team is headed.
A lot of the attention now falls on the offense and defense alike, with Rocco Bechts play under scrutiny and the defensive line under Ikaika Malloe drawing questions after another difficult showing. Even Matt Campbells overall coaching has come under review, which says plenty about how wide the concern has become. One loss can be shrugged off in September, but Penn State now has a pattern, and the pressure is building fast. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Northwestern Prep Just Took A Surprising Turn
Northwesterns injury report added a wrinkle to a Penn State matchup that was already going to be shaped by personnel more than pageantry. The Wildcats will be without tight end Luke Dehnicke and defensive back Braden Turner, while defensive back Damon Walters and receiver Hayden Eligon are listed as game-time decisions. The most notable update there is Eligon, who is expected to play, giving Northwestern at least some help as it tries to sort through the weeks uncertainty.
Penn State has its own absences to manage, with defensive end Max Granville out for the season and receiver Koby Howard sidelined for an extended stretch. So while the focus often falls on who is available for the opponent, this one is a reminder that the Nittany Lions are still working through their own depth questions as they head into the game. Availability across both sidelines could end up mattering as much as anything schematic on Saturday. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Just Got Exposed In A Way Fans Feared
Northwesterns long-awaited return to Ryan Field turned into a rough afternoon for Penn State, and the loss looked every bit as lopsided as the final score. The Wildcats beat the Nittany Lions 34-13 in a game that marked Northwesterns first home crowd in more than 1,000 days, and the home side made the most of the moment with a relentless ground attack and enough defensive stands to keep Penn State from settling in.
Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II each topped 100 rushing yards as Northwestern piled up 415 on the ground, a number that will stick with Penn State long after the trip home. The Wildcats kept stringing together scoring drives while the Nittany Lions struggled to answer, and the combination of methodical offense and timely stops left Penn State with an ugly result and plenty to sort through moving forward. [Read more 🡒]