UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State football will try to bounce back on a short week after Wisconsin handed the Nittany Lions their first loss of the season Saturday, rallying for a 24-20 victory at Beaver Stadium.
The loss dropped No. 13/14 Penn State to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions return to action Friday, Oct. 2, at Northwestern. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern. Penn State’s game report lists the matchup as the team’s next game.
Penn State built a 17-0 lead in the first half, highlighted by freshman cornerback Josiah Zayas’ 51-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Nittany Lions added a field goal in the second half to lead 20-10, but Wisconsin scored twice in the fourth quarter to take the lead and secure the win.
Quarterback Rocco Becht completed 12 of 29 passes for 129 yards and ran for a touchdown. Running back James Peoples carried 14 times for a team-high 67 yards, while Chase Sowell led Penn State receivers with 70 yards. Penn State’s defense intercepted three passes, with Daryus Dixson and Tony Rojas also recording interceptions.
After the game, head coach Matt Campbell said Penn State had opportunities to put the game away but did not capitalize. He said the team would review what went wrong and make corrections before its next game. Campbell’s postgame comments also described missed chances on both sides of the ball.
The game was Penn State’s Big Ten opener. Wisconsin improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play with the victory.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev/Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0.