EVANSTON, Ill. – Penn State helped Northwestern stage a perfect Friday night for dedication of the Wildcats’ new $875 million Ryan Field. The Wildcats steamrolled the visiting Nittany Lions for more than 400 yards on the ground on the way to a 34-13 win before a delighted Ryan Field crowd and a national television audience.
First-year Penn State coach Matt Campbell credited the Wildcats, offering that the hosts played the kind of game he would like to see his Nittany Lions play. “They really beat us where it was really hard to find the rhythm on both sides of the football. They controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.”
Penn State dropped to 3-2 with the loss and an 0-2 record in the Big 10. The Wildcats are 3-1 overall, 1-1 in conference play. The Nittany Lions will be at home next Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. game with Southern Cal, the annual White Out game.
Redshirt senior quarterback Rocco Becht completed 26 of 41 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown. Redshirt senior wide receiver Chase Sowell was Becht’s top-yardage receiver, compiling 68 yards and one touchdown on five receptions. Junior wide receiver Brett Eskildsen hauled in six catches for 45 yards, and senior tight end Benjamin Brahmer also tallied 45 yards on five catches. Senior running back Carson Hansen led Penn State on the ground with 19 yards and one touchdown.
Redshirt junior linebacker Tony Rojas led the defense with a career-best 12 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Senior linebacker Kooper Ebel followed with 11 total tackles, matching his career high. Redshirt senior defensive tackle Keanu Williams also had a personal-best seven tackles on the night. Freshman cornerback Josiah Zayas recorded his second straight game with a takeaway, recovering a fumble that led to PSU’s first touchdown.
Penn State limited Northwestern to just three points on its opening drive after pressure from redshirt senior defensive end Caleb Bacon allowed Rojas to take down the Wildcats’ quarterback on third down. The home team converted a 50-yard field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.
Penn State was forced to punt on its first offensive sequence, and the Wildcats took advantage, adding seven points to the board. Northwestern capped a seven-play, 88-yard drive with a 2-yard rush to the end zone to go up 10-0 with 5:07 left in the first quarter.
Both punting units were called upon, with sophomore Nathan Tiyce for the Nittany Lions coming to the field twice and the Wildcats punting once.
Zayas jumped on a loose ball on the next Northwestern possession to give the PSU offense optimal field position at the NU 34-yard line. Penn State turned defense into offense. Hansen finished off the sequence with an 8-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 10-7 with 10:39 left in the second quarter.
Northwestern responded with two explosive runs to restore its 10-point advantage at 17-7. The Nittany Lions did not have an answer, going three-and-out. Northwestern’s next drive was also brief, ending in a punt after five plays. Becht and the offense had another quick appearance before Tiyce was out to punt again.
The Wildcats quickly added to the board, using just two plays to convert their fourth score of the night. Northwestern found the end zone with its third rushing touchdown of the game to take a 24-7 lead. Penn State had an opportunity to add points to its total before the end of the half but came up empty. Redshirt junior kicker Ryan Barker came on for a 45-yard field goal attempt on fourth-and-5 but could not connect, leaving Northwestern ahead 24-7 at the half.
Penn State punted after three plays on the first offensive sequence of the second half. The Nittany Lions’ defense came up with a stop on fourth down to force a turnover on downs at the Penn State 17-yard line. Ebel had the pass breakup resulting in the turnover. Penn State’s offense did not make use of the opportunity, despite crossing midfield.
Northwestern tacked on seven points with 1:13 left in the third quarter, extending its lead to 31-7 on a 1-yard rush. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Becht threw an interception to give the Wildcats’ offense field position near midfield. They didn’t make much headway, attempting another 50-yard field goal that went just shy of the crossbar.
The Nittany Lions broke their scoring drought with a 16-yard pass from Becht to Sowell to decrease the deficit to 18 points. The passing touchdown capped a 10-play drive to make the score 31-13 after a failed two-point conversion.
Northwestern added a 37-yard field goal to the board before the final whistle, making the final score 34-13 in favor of the Wildcats.
