No. 13 Penn State fumbles a 10-point second-half lead to lose to Wisconsin in Big Ten opener
Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph found tight end Jacob Harris for a 72-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to give the Nittany Lions their first loss of the season.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — After No. 13 Penn State took a 10-point lead at the end of the third quarter, it was all downhill for the Nittany Lions in their Big Ten opener against Wisconsin on Saturday.
Wisconsin scored two touchdowns in 3 minutes, 31 seconds to defeat the Nittany Lions , 24-20. Quarterback Colton Joseph found tight end Jacob Harris for a 72-yard go-ahead touchdown with 1:13 to go. That play gave the Badgers their first road win since 2024 and first victory over Penn State since 2011.
Penn State’s offense was inconsistent from the get-go, while its defense couldn’t keep up after three straight three-and-outs on the other side of the ball.
“We just really struggled to find a rhythm,” coach Matt Campbell said. “Never got into the flow of the game.”
Offensive struggles
Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser’s first crack at calling plays in the Big Ten didn’t go as planned.
Without top receiver Koby Howard, the passing game struggled. Quarterback Rocco Becht threw his first interception of the season after a ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage and fell right into the hands of Wisconsin defensive end Charles Perkins.
Becht finished 12-for-29 with 129 yards and an interception. He had multiple bad misses and threw it through the end zone on the final play of the game.
“I got to be better for the offense,” Becht said. “I got to be better for this team. I can’t put us in scenarios where our backs are backed up and we got to have a big play. We got to continue to move the chains, stay in front of the sticks, and I didn’t do my part today, so I got to do better.”
The run game couldn’t find the consistency it had last week, and running backs Carson Hansen, Quinton Martin Jr., Cam Wallace, and James Peoples all saw the field in the first quarter in an effort to get something going.
Peoples ended up being the featured back. The Ohio State transfer finished with 67 yards on 14 attempts, good for 4.8 yards per carry.
“I thought James ran the ball really well today,” Campbell said. “I thought he made some really key plays in some key situations. I do.”
Cornerbacks step up
Penn State’s cornerback room was the most stable following an offseason of transfer portal exits and additions, with eight corners from last year’s squad returning this season.
True freshman Josiah Zayas and sophomore Daryus Dixson recorded interceptions on back-to-back drives in the second quarter, resulting in a 14-point swing for the Nittany Lions in just over two minutes. Zayas returned his for a touchdown, while Dixson’s set Penn State up at the Badgers’ 11-yard line.
“Our defense was playing well,” Becht said. “Props to those guys for continuing to go out there and make plays and having our back.”
On Zayas’ pick-six, he read the screen perfectly, and there was only green grass in front of him once the ball was in his hands. The play was eerily similar to his pick-six in Penn State’s Blue-White Game.
Redshirt senior Audavion Collins got involved as well with three pass breakups, two of which came late in the fourth quarter.
Linebacker Tony Rojas tacked on a third interception in the fourth quarter.
Up next
Penn State heads to Northwestern and its brand-new Ryan Field for its first Friday game since 2023 (8 p.m., Fox29).
Northwestern beat the Nittany Lions, 22-21, last season in what ultimately was James Franklin’s last game at Penn State.
