UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State is no longer winless in conference play as the Nittany Lions outrushed Purdue 269-33 en route to Matt Campbell’s first Big Ten victory, 31-17.
Early on, Penn State was able to slow Purdue down but found itself pinned deep at its own 4-yard line on its first possession. Already missing wide receivers Koby Howard and Chase Sowell, Penn State relied heavily on 13 and 14 personnel packages and began to find some momentum.
Running back Carson Hansen broke free for a 42-yard run that gave the Nittany Lions the spark they needed. The run was just Penn State’s fourth rush of 10 or more yards all season.
As the Nittany Lions entered the Purdue red zone, the offense stalled after quarterback Rocco Becht took multiple shots downfield to tight end Benjamin Brahmer.
Kicker Ryan Barker lined up for a 38-yard field goal attempt when the Nittany Lions executed a fake, with punter Nathan Tiyce connecting with Brahmer for a 13-yard gain. Two plays later, Becht found tight end Andrew Rappleyea for a 4-yard touchdown to give Penn State a 7-0 lead, capping a 12-play, 96-yard drive.
Purdue responded on its ensuing possession as Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne connected with wide receiver Asaad Waseem for a 38-yard reception on the first play.
Later in the drive, facing third-and-6 from the Penn State 33-yard line, the Nittany Lions defense flushed Browne out of the pocket, but he was able to locate wide receiver Xavier Townsend for the tying touchdown.
While Purdue was finding explosive plays through the air, Penn State needed to do the same on the ground. Running back Cam Wallace answered the bell with a 48-yard rush that set up a 6-yard rushing touchdown by Becht, giving Penn State a 14-7 lead.
In the second quarter, Penn State continued its ground attack and faced a critical fourth-and-1 from its own 29-yard line. Becht converted on a quarterback keeper to extend the drive.
Wallace continued to outmuscle Purdue’s defense, piling up 97 rushing yards in the first half.
The Nittany Lions offense eventually stalled around midfield, where an uncharacteristic special teams miscue proved costly. Purdue defender Bisi Owens blocked a Nathan Tiyce punt and returned it for a touchdown to tie the game at 14.
The last time an opponent blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown at Beaver Stadium was Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn in 2009. It was also the first special teams touchdown Penn State had surrendered since 2019.
The Nittany Lions needed to respond, and Becht connected with Rappleyea for two key third-down conversions that set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Hansen on fourth-and-goal, giving Penn State a 21-14 lead.
Inside the final two minutes of the half, Purdue wasn’t going away quietly.
The Boilermakers opened the drive with Browne connecting with running back Fame Ijeboi for an 18-yard reception. On a key third down, Browne scrambled 12 yards to move the chains.
Purdue appeared to be gaining momentum, but a completion to Townsend was overturned, and the drive eventually stalled. Penn State drained the remaining clock to take a seven-point lead into halftime.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.In the second half, both defenses made key stands, but it appeared the Nittany Lions were finally ready to break through.
Becht connected with freshman wide receiver Amarion Jackson for a 22-yard reception that moved Penn State deep into Purdue territory. However, a questionable intentional grounding penalty on Becht halted the momentum and forced Barker to attempt a 55-yard field goal that fell short, keeping Purdue within seven points.
The Nittany Lions appeared to have the Boilermakers bottled up, but another questionable penalty, this time roughing the quarterback on defensive end Yvan Kemajou, extended the drive.
As the Beaver Stadium crowd began to jeer, the Nittany Lions defense seemed to feed off the frustration. Two plays later, safety Jamison Patton intercepted Browne, setting up Penn State’s offense at the Purdue 31-yard line.
The Boilermakers defense stiffened when it needed to most, but Penn State was able to extend its lead to 10 points on a 44-yard field goal by Barker.
As the fourth quarter began, Penn State decided to get one of its best defenders involved in the running game. Star cornerback Audavion Collins received his first career carry and gained 11 yards, giving the Nittany Lions another spark as they looked to put the game away.
After a questionable holding call wiped out a 26-yard rush by Wallace, Penn State responded as Becht found Brahmer for a 33-yard reception that set up a goal-to-go situation.
The Nittany Lions capitalized with a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Wallace.
For Wallace, it was his first career 100-yard rushing performance, with the redshirt junior finishing with 135 yards.
Purdue added a Jacobo Echeverria Lozano 49-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to get it to a two-score deficit.
One of the streaks Penn State snapped late in the fourth quarter is when Kemajou got to Browne to record the first sack by a Penn State defensive lineman since the Buffalo game where it was Kemajou who got the sack then. It is the third sack by a Penn State defensive lineman this season as Caleb Bacon as the other against Marshall.
The win was significant for the Nittany Lions beyond Campbell earning his first Big Ten victory. Since 2021, Power Four teams that improve to 4-4 have reached bowl games 83% of the time, compared to just 13% for teams that fall to 3-5.
The win is the Nittany Lions 12th consecutive win against the Boilermakers – one of the longest active streaks in the Big Ten.
Penn State hits the road next week to face Washington at Husky Stadium, marking its first visit to Seattle since 1921.
