Saturday night had "trap game" written all over it, between a surging Wisconsin team, James Franklin's struggles coming out of bye weeks and a matchup with No. 4 Ohio State lurking next weekend. The Nittany Lions dodged a potential upset with College Football Playoff and Big Ten title implications with a 28-13 victory over the Badgers.
A big second half showing was needed to escape Camp Randall with a victory, however. The Nittany Lions trailed 10-7 at halftime and had their backs against the wall. The clutch play of Jaylen Reed loomed large once again, taking an interception back to the house in the third quarter to revitalize the Nittany Lions, who posted 21 points after halftime and shut down the Badgers' attack to ice the victory.
Wisconsin entered the night soaring after three straight victories, with Tawee Walker and the ground game being a large part of the recent success. Penn State's 11th-ranked run defense stifled Walker and company, keeping the Badgers to a season-low 81 yards on the ground. The Nittany Lions also allowed just 122 total yards in the second half to shut down Wisconsin's hopes of a season-altering victory.
While Penn State escaped the upset bid, the questions now turn to the injury to Drew Allar. There is no word on how serious Allar's aliment is at this point, but it will be a big talking point for James Franklin heading into a matchup with Ohio State next weekend. Penn State's QB1 went down just before halftime, thrusting Beau Pribula into action. Pribula stepped up when his number was called, throwing for 98 yards on 11-13 passing, while rushing for another 28 yards on the ground.
The run game also helped out Pribula, with Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton headlining an effort of 173 yards and a score on the ground.
The Nittany Lions now shift their focus to the aforementioned No. 4-ranked Buckeyes in a matchup that could decide one of the two spots in the Big Ten Championship Game and do significant damage to one's College Football Playoff hopes.
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The Penn State defense nearly got a stop on Wisconsin's opening drive of the game, but timely plays by the Badgers led to points early. After the Nittany Lions forced a 3rd and 15, Braedyn Locke found Vinny Anthony II to keep the chains moving.
Penn State then forced a fourth down, but Wisconsin punter Atticus Bertrams saw a crease and rushed for a first down. That heads up play by the Badgers' punter led to a 50-yard field goal by Nathanial Vakos, putting Penn State in an early 3-0 hole.
Drew Allar and company looked poised to respond, moving methodically down the field, getting inside the Wisconsin 30 yard line. On third and one, Allar found a wide open Julian Fleming, who dropped the sure fire first down. James Franklin decided to make a statement by going for it on fourth down before a botched snap ruined those plans, giving the ball back to the Badgers.
After getting a stop defensively, the Nittany Lions indeed responded to Wisconsin's initial blow. Allar led an explosive drive down the field, going 90 yards in nine plays, capped off by a six-yard touchdown pass to Nicholas Singleton to give Penn State a 7-3 lead at the start of the second quarter. Allar accounted for 83 of those yards, going a perfect 6-6 on the drive.
The Nittany Lions' signal caller was flawless to start Saturday night, beginning 10-11 for 119 yards and the aforementioned score across his first two drives.
The offense then slowed on both ends, with Penn State and Wisconsin combining for five punts on five consecutive possessions, with just 74 yards picked up on those drives.
Wisconsin broke that trend at the end of the second quarter, however. Tawee Walker and Braedyn Locke led the Badgers on a 10-play, 73-yard scoring drive. The Badgers moved quickly down the field and deep into Penn State territory. The Nittany Lions defense nearly came up with a huge stop to force a field goal attempt from inside the five-yard line before a 12 men on the field penalty negated what would have been a third down stop.
On the very next play, Tawee Walker powered his way to pay dirt to give the Badgers a 10-7 advantage with 1:23 to play in the first half.
A failed two-minute drill by the Nittany Lions ended the first half, but a hobbled Drew Allar heading back to the locker room early had James Franklin and company holding their breath at the break.
Allar attempted to re-enter the game at the start of the third quarter, but was unable to suit up. The injury thrust backup signal caller Beau Pribula into the lineup as Penn State looked to ruin Wisconsin's upset bid. Pribula's first drive fizzled out in Badger territory after a run heavy approach was ended by a false start on fourth down that gave the ball back to Wisconsin.
After swapping punts once again, Penn State came up with a massive momentum changer defensively. Wisconsin was backed up in its own territory when Braedyn Locke's errant pass found Jaylen Reed on third down and 14, which was then return the other way for six points. Reed's second big takeaway in as many games gave the Nittany Lions a 14-10 lead with 6:29 to play in the third quarter.
The pick-six gave Penn State a spark when it desperately needed it. The Beau Pribula-led offense came up empty handed on its first two drives while still trailing the Badgers.
Wisconsin was evidently given a boost on the heels of adversity as well, however. The Badgers flew down the field thanks to connections between Locke and Vinny Anthony II, as well as CJ Williams, to put the Nittany Lions' defense on its heels. The stout defense then tightened up with Wisconsin in the red zone, forcing another Nathanial Vakos field goal that brought the Badgers within one, with 2:44 left in the third quarter.
It was then Pribula's turn to leave his imprint on the game. The backup quarterback led a 81-yard touchdown drive, where he provided 47 yards through the air, 17 rushing yards, and a passing touchdown to give the Nittany Lions a 21-13 lead early in the fourth quarter. After Tyler Warren was stood up twice at the goal line, Pribula found another tight end, Khalil Dinkins, wide open in the end zone for the score.
On the heels of the big score, the Nittany Lions forced a three-and-out against a suddenly reeling Wisconsin offense, Pribula orchestrated another methodical drive down the field. The 76-yard drive milked 5:15 off the clock. The drive also served as the final nail in the coffin after Kaytron Allen had the biggest run of the game, a 24-yard touchdown, giving the Nittany Lions a 28-13 lead with just over three minutes to play.
Wisconsin's last-ditch effort at a comeback failed despite a strong final drive, which ended after a turnover on downs in the red zone, clinching the victory for the Nittany Lions.
