Highs and Lows: Wisconsin

MADISON, Wisc. - Penn State notched a nail-biting win against No. 12 Wisconsin Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium, slogging through a scoreless half only to find the key offensive and defensive plays for a win in the second.

Recapping the highs and lows from the No. 19-ranked Nittany Lions' upset win, here:

PLAYER OF THE GAME Jaquan Brisker, playing through obvious injury, needing three injury stoppages through the course of the game, ended up making one its deciding plays. Desperately clinging to a 16-10 lead with fewer than three minutes to play in regulation, the Nittany Lions managed to keep the Badgers out of the end zone when the fifth-year senior made a defining interception with a return nearing midfield. The Badgers would get another crack at it, but the Nittany Lion defense held firm to emerge with the win.

PLAYS OF THE GAME On the first key late-game sequence, leaping in front of Graham Mertz’s pass to his tight end in the end zone, Brisker snatched the ball out of the air for his second career interception at Penn State. His safety partner and former teammate at Lackawanna, Ji'Ayir Brown, then finished the job by making an interception of his own as time expired.

BEST PASS Sean Clifford didn’t panic through an uncomfortable first half and, given the opportunity at the start of the second, made the most of it. Connecting on three passes consecutively to move the Nittany Lions to midfield, Clifford kept his poise with another Wisconsin blitz coming and aired a 49-yard strike to Jahan Dotson for the game’s first touchdown.

BEST RUN Held in check all game, Noah Cain’s response to the Nittany Lions’ first deficit of the game in the second half was strong. Pulling in Clifford’s handoff, the junior running back burst right toward the sideline and upfield for a 32-yard gain to move his offense into Badger territory. The run was the first of a big fourth quarter for Cain, who got stronger down the stretch.

BEST CATCH With Penn State’s blitz coming, Mertz tossed a leading pass to tight end Jake Ferguson deep in the red zone. Ferguson, appearing to expect the pass delivered to his left, quickly shifted direction and managed to corral the pass to pick up a first down and, just one play later, lead to Wisconsin’s first touchdown of the afternoon. Badger teammate Danny Davis also made a few spectacular grabs, including a 17-yard pickup late in the third quarter and a critical 8-yard catch on third down to set up first-and-goal at the 1-yard line in the fourth.

WORST DROP Banging on the door of Penn State’s end zone for the second time, Wisconsin had its second big miscue of the afternoon late in the first half. A dropped handoff between Mertz and Mellusi hit the turf and into the waiting arms of defensive end Nick Tarburton, giving Penn State possession at its own 13-yard line and again keeping the Badgers off the scoreboard.

BEST SACK Ellis Brooks quickly established himself as one of the game’s top performers with his first quarter impact. Against a Wisconsin first-and-10 near midfield, the Nittany Lions’ linebacker forced an intentional grounding from Mertz for the sack and an 18-yard loss.

BEST HIT After a review, Penn State end Arnold Ebiketie didn’t get a sack or the forced fumble he appeared to make, but his hit on Mertz was vicious nonetheless. Teeing off on the Badgers’ signal-caller on a third-and-short in the first quarter, AK earned a QB hurry and, more important, forced a punt from the hosts.

BEST EFFORT The play was only the difference of three points, but Ebiketie’s field goal block on fourth-and-goal from the 7-yard line was a moment of glee unlike many Penn State has seen recently. Sparking an eruption from the Nittany Lion sideline, the play prevented the Badgers from getting on the scoreboard in the first quarter. Both Ebiketie and Brisker clearly played through troubling injuries to help lead the Nittany Lions to the win on Saturday.

BEST KICK With nothing happening offensively for Penn State, backed against its own end zone late in the first half, punter Jordan Stout came through with a boomer. Officially a 52-yard punt, field position switched even further thanks to an illegal block in the back on A.J. Lytton that sent the Badgers back to their 26-yard line.

WORST KICK Lining up for a chip shot at the 13-yard line to retake the lead midway through the third quarter, the decision to send out Stout for a field goal went unrewarded as the attempt sailed outside of the right upright. Stout’s afternoon would get worse later in the fourth quarter when his PAT hit the left upright, Rafa Checa unable to spin the laces out on the hold.

BEST DECISION Taking the field goal after Stout had just missed one wasn’t necessarily bold, but it was the right call given the circumstances. Nailing the attempt, Stout brought the game back to even at 10-10 with 11:26 left to play in the fourth quarter.

WORST DECISION Technically, Lytton might not have given Wisconsin return man Dean Engram enough space on a punt late in the first quarter, but the kick catch interference penalty assessed to the transfer appeared ticky tack at best. The penalty improved the hosts’ field position to their own 47-yard line.

MOST TELLING MOMENT Think Penn State wanted this one? The visual of multiple Nittany Lions doing back handsprings - James Franklin's favorite metaphor - demonstrated just how important the season-opening 16-10 win was for the program.

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