Jacob Harris' 72 Yard Score Sends Wisconsin Past Penn St 24-20

Colton Joseph threw three interceptions and still walked out of Beaver Stadium with the win, finding Jacob Harris for a 72 yard touchdown with 1:13 left to lift Wisconsin past Penn St. 24-20 on Saturday night.

Harris hauled in the game winner on 3rd and 13 from the Wisconsin 28, breaking free down the middle of the field to cap a six play, 85 yard drive. It was the second touchdown pass of the fourth quarter for Joseph, who found Eugene Hilton Jr. for an 11 yarder to cut the deficit to 20-17 just over three minutes earlier. Joseph finished 18 of 38 for 235 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, adding 39 yards and a rushing touchdown on the ground.

Penn St. controlled most of the night's flow behind a defense that turned two of those three Joseph interceptions into points, including a back breaking one. Josiah Zayas picked off Joseph in the second quarter and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown, part of an 11 point second quarter that put the Nittany Lions up 17-0. Rocco Becht added a 3 yard touchdown run on that same drive sequence. Becht was far from sharp through the air, completing just 12 of 29 passes for 129 yards with an interception of his own, but Penn St.'s ground game and defense did enough to build the early cushion.

James Peoples led the Penn St. rushing attack with 67 yards on 14 carries, chipping away behind a physical offensive line all night. Chase Sowell was Becht's most reliable target, catching six passes for 70 yards, and Ben Brahmer added four catches for 36 yards. Ryan Barker was steady in the kicking game for the Nittany Lions, hitting field goals from 22 and 37 yards and going 2 for 2 on extra points.

Wisconsin clawed back into it in the third quarter on a Gavin Lahm 34 yard field goal, but Penn St. answered right back with a 37 yarder from Barker to push the lead to 20-10 heading into the fourth. That's when Joseph and the Badgers found their rhythm. Darrion Dupree chipped in 52 yards on eight carries and caught four passes for 44 more, and Abu Sama III added 34 yards on five totes. Harris finished with five catches for 105 yards and the game deciding score, while Hilton Jr. added two grabs for 29 yards and a touchdown of his own.

Wisconsin out gained Penn St. 355 to 248 in total yards and won the third down battle for most of the second half, but turnovers were the story for long stretches. The Badgers committed three interceptions to Penn St.'s one, yet still found a way to make the last two possessions of the night count. Wisconsin also converted 2 of 2 fourth down tries, both coming on that final scoring drive when Joseph kept the chains moving with his legs and his arm.

Penn St. got the ball back one more time with 1:13 remaining and drove into Wisconsin territory, but the Nittany Lions turned it over on downs at the Wisconsin 33 as time expired, with Becht's final incompletion sealing it.

The loss drops Penn St. to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in the BIG, while Wisconsin improves to 3-1 and 1-0. Both teams will look ahead to next week after a game that swung on a handful of splash plays, an interception return touchdown, a pair of long completions, and a fourth quarter that Wisconsin simply finished better.

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