MADISON, Wis. – No. 3/3 Penn State (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) took down Wisconsin (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten), 28-13, on Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium.
A pair of fourth quarter touchdowns separated Penn State from Wisconsin late in the game and helped the Nittany Lions improve to 7-0 for the third time under head coach James Franklin.
Quarterback Beau Pribula entered the game in the second half in relief of starter Drew Allar and completed a solid half of football to lead Penn State to the victory. Allar finished his day with 148 yards and a touchdown, completing 14-of-18 passes. Pribula completed 11-of-13 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown in the second half. The duo fueled Penn State to 419 total yards of offense against the Badgers.
Tight end Tyler Warren caught seven passes for 46 yards and also picked up two rushing yards while once again lining up at multiple positions and playing all over the field. Harrison Wallace III caught five passes for 67 yards, leading the offense with 13.4 yards-per-catch. Nicholas Singleton and Khalil Dinkins each hauled in touchdown receptions, as Penn State’s quarterbacks spread the ball around to seven different receivers in the contest.
Kaytron Allen led the rushing attack with 11 carries for 86 yards, including a 24-yard rushing score in the fourth quarter. Singleton posted 12 carries for 48 yards and Pribula picked up 28 yards on six totes. As a group, the Nittany Lions amassed 173 rushing yards.
Defensively, a Jaylen Reed pick-six highlighted the group’s outstanding performance. Penn State’s defensive group yielded just three points in the second half while allowing its offense to pace the Badgers and earn the win. Zakee Wheatley led the unit with a career-best 10 total tackles while Dominic DeLuca, Reed, and Elliot Washington II each posted five tackles. Six different Nittany Lions collected at least a half-tackle for loss, with Alonzo Ford Jr. leading Penn State in that category with a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage, on the same drive, to help the Nittany Lions’ second-half defensive effort.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Wisconsin knocked a 50-yard field goal through the uprights to take a 3-0 lead on their first offensive possession. The Badgers traveled 42 yards on 12 plays and scored at the 11:05 mark of the opening quarter.
Penn State scored the first touchdown of the ballgame at the end of a nine-play, 90-yard drive. A slick one-handed touchdown grab by Singleton on a pass thrown by Allar gave Penn State a 7-3 lead with 14:37 remaining in the second quarter.
In the final two minutes of the first half, the Badgers scored their first touchdown to take a 10-7 lead over Penn State with 1:23 left in the second quarter. Wisconsin constructed a 10-play, 73-yard scoring drive that culminated in a one-yard rushing score.
The Nittany Lions regained the lead in the second half on a defensive touchdown. Jaylen Reed returned an interception 19 yards for a score to put Penn State up 14-10 with 6:29 to play in the third quarter.
Wisconsin answered with a field goal, cutting the Penn State lead to 14-13 with 3:39 on the clock in the third quarter.
Two fourth-quarter touchdowns by the Nittany Lion offense put them up 28-13 with just over three minutes left in the final frame. Touchdown drives of 81 yards and 76 yards extended the Penn State lead. A 1-yard touchdown pass to Dinkins from Pribula and a 24-yard rushing score by Allen put the Nittany Lions up late.
The Nittany Lions stifled the Badgers on three straight drives at the end of the quarter and Penn State walked away with a 28-13 lead.
The 2024 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.