STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — No. 24 Northwestern may lose the number next to their name very shortly.
The Wildcats (5-1, 1-1 Big Ten) fell to Penn State 39-28 today, allowing 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter after building an 11-point lead.
The Nittany Lions responded well after NU running back Venric Mark returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown with less than a minute left in the third quarter. After NU held Penn State to a three-and-out on their next drive, the Nittany Lions took control of the game.
Penn State’s first score in the fourth quarter came on a six-yard pass with nine minutes and 49 seconds remaining in the game, and a subsequent two-point conversion made it a 28-25 game.
The Cats replied with a three-and-out, and the Nittany Lions marched back down the field, scoring on a Matt McGloin five-yard quarterback scramble on fourth down that put Penn State ahead for good.
NU’s next offensive series ended on an inaccurate fourth-down pass from quarterback Trevor Siemian to Kain Colter, and the Nittany Lions added another touchdown while running out the clock.
The loss ended the Cats’ five-game winning streak. Penn State controlled the game, running 99 plays compared to NU’s 61. Colter, who threw the ball sparingly last week after starting the first four games at quarterback, did not attempt a single pass against the Nittany Lions.
NU’s continues Big Ten play next week against Minnesota.
— Rohan Nadkarni
