For three quarters the Wisconsin vs Penn State game looked like a routine home win for the Nittany Lions. Then Wisconsin scored twice in the final four minutes. Colton Joseph found Jacob Harris for a 72-yard touchdown with 1:13 to play, and the Badgers stunned No. 13 Penn State 24-20 at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, September 26.
Wisconsin had trailed 17-0. It was their largest comeback win since they rallied from 18 points down against Illinois in 2006, and it handed Matt Campbell his first defeat as Penn State head coach.
How Penn State built a 17-0 lead
Wisconsin’s offence barely moved early on, managing just 14 yards in the first quarter. Penn State took advantage. Josiah Zayas picked off Joseph and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown, Rocco Becht ran one in from 3 yards out, and Ryan Barker added field goals from 22 and 37 yards.
Penn State still led 20-10 heading into the fourth quarter, and with their defence in control there was little sign of what was coming.
Two late drives flip Wisconsin vs Penn State
Joseph, who had thrown costly interceptions earlier in the day, found his rhythm when it mattered. With 3:31 left he capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Eugene Hilton Jr. to make it a three-point game.
Then, with 1:13 left, he hit Harris over the top for 72 yards and the lead. Harris finished with five catches for 105 yards. Penn State’s last hope ended when Becht’s deep throw sailed out of the back of the end zone as time expired.
“This is big time,” Harris said. “The Badgers are back.”
What the win means for Wisconsin and Penn State
Wisconsin improve to 3-1 and 1-0 in the Big Ten. The result also snapped a six-game losing streak against Penn State and gave the Badgers their first win in State College since 2003. Wisconsin outgained the Nittany Lions 355 yards to 233, according to ESPN’s box score.
Penn State fall to 3-1 and 0-1 in conference play. Becht completed just 12 of 29 passes with an interception, and the offence never found a way to put the game away.
“I don’t know if there’s any tougher situation than what we were in,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said of the comeback. It was a big night for late drama in the Big Ten, with Iowa beating Michigan on the final play in Ann Arbor.
