First Quarter: Northwestern received the opening kickoff and fumbled on its second play of the game. The Wildcats’ defense held strong, holding the Nittany Lions to a 32-yard field goal. On NU’s second drive, it drove 65 yards in 17 play to set up a 34-yard boot by junior kicker Stefan Demos, tying the game at 3-3.Second Quarter: NU struck first, driving 80 yards in eight plays, capped off by a seven-yard scamper by quarterback Mike Kafka. The senior faked an inside run, but took the ball himself and went untouched through the line. Penn State went three-and-out, but on its next drive Daryll Clark tied the game with a two-yard run of his own. The Cats got in field goal range twice late in the quarter, but one was blocked. NU went into halftime with a 13-10 advantage.Third Quarter: After intermission, Penn State chewed up 5:38 off the clock and tied the game at 13 on a 23-yard kick by Collin Wagner. NU had the ball for less than four total minutes in the quarter, and punted on each of its possessions. The Cats struggled to move the ball without Kafka under center. NU netted two yards of total offense in the quarter.Fourth Quarter: The Nittany Lions struck quickly and put the game out of reach. In less than a four-minute span, Penn State scored three touchdowns while NU punted three times. The first score was a two-yard run by Brandon Beachum. The second was a 53-yard fade to Derek Moye down the right sideline. And the third was a 69-yard run by Evan Royster, who went untouched.It was over when…: Kafka limped off the field with an apparent hamstring injury. When Kafka was sacked for a loss of one yard, it didn’t look like much, but it ended up being the turning point of the game. The Cats struggled to move the ball with sophomore quarterback Dan Persa running the offense. The Nittany Lions brought blitz after blitz and Persa was under constant pressure.Play of the game…: Kafka’s seven-yard run put Penn State in a first-quarter hole for the first time all season. It was also only the second rushing touchdown the Nittany Lions have surrendered all season. Kafka’s run put NU ahead and gave it the confidence to compete with one of the nation’s top teams.