With 2023’s 41-13 devastation against Penn State in the back of its mind, a new-look Northwestern entered its most challenging forum yet: Beaver Stadium.
Graduate student quarterback Preston Stone and the ’Cats (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) blocked out all the noise and dealt the Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3 Big Ten) another upset in a 22-21 victory.
Saturday marked the visitors’ first win at the formidable site since 2014.
NU started the game with a lackluster first drive and were forced to punt after six plays. On the punt, Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton went untouched as he rushed graduate student punter Luke Akers and blocked the kick, handing the Nittany Lions perfect field position.
Just as it looked like the ’Cats’ defense would allow the opening score in the red zone, graduate student defensive back Ore Adeyi intercepted Penn State’s Drew Allar in the endzone and returned it to the NU 33 yard-line.
With redshirt junior running back Joseph Himon II and Stone leading the charge, NU marched down the field on a 12-play drive capped off by a 27-yard field goal from graduate student kicker Jack Olsen.
Once the second quarter started, both teams traded punches.
The hosts found an answer on offense once running back Kaytron Allen got comfortable. On the Nittany Lions’ next drive, Allen rushed the ball six times. He took his sixth carry of the series for an 11-yard score to give Penn State its first lead of the afternoon.
However, the ’Cats weren’t down for long. Over four minutes later, Stone hit junior wide receiver Griffin Wilde on a play-action pass for a 29-yard touchdown.
The NU defense was ready to do its part to help extend the lead, forcing the Nittany Lions to go three-and-out, but the offense didn’t make it on the field. Sophomore wide receiver Drew Wagner muffed the punt, and Penn State recovered.
Nine plays later, running back Nicholas Singleton took it outside and squeezed his way into the endzone. An Olsen 34-yard field goal with seconds to spare in the first half gave the Nittany Lions a 14-13 lead at the break.
The second half remained silent until less than a minute remained in the third quarter when Penn State muffed an Akers punt, and NU recovered. Despite taking over in the redzone, the ’Cats only mustered a field goal to take a 16-14 lead.
The Nittany Lions bit right back. Three plays after Allar hit Devonte Ross for a 67-yard catch and run, the quarterback kept it himself for a one-yard rushing score.
Needing a score to stay alive, Stone and the NU offense relied on their favorite targets to retake the lead. After entering the red zone, the ’Cats ran the ball three consecutive times with redshirt sophomore running back Caleb Komolafe. On the third, he traveled nine yards for a score. A failed two-point conversion attempt left NU with a 22-21 lead.
With the game on the line, the NU defense came up with a crucial stop and secured victory.
Here are five takeaways from the ‘Cats’ win over Penn State:
1. NU can compete with worthy opponents when Stone is on his game
Stone continued his run of good form in Happy Valley Saturday, and it paid off.
Earlier this season, Penn State took an Oregon team that dominated NU almost a month ago to overtime. The last time NU faced a Penn State team in 2023, it lost 41-13.
While this is a different Nittany Lion squad, it is still a talented one, and the ’Cats earned victory courtesy of their quarterback.
Stone finished the day with 163 yards and one touchdown.
Stone completed over 60% of his passes for the third consecutive game. Saturday’s matchup against Penn State also marked Stone’s third consecutive game without an interception.
He even continued his budding relationship with Wilde. The wide receiver finished with 7 catches for 94 yards and one touchdown.
The ’Cats with a comfortable Stone are a completely different team than the ’Cats with a rusty Stone. The quarterback’s progression is starting to create a positive impact on his team.
2. NU didn’t fully capitalize on Penn State miscues
After 30 minutes of play, the Nittany Lions had been flagged six times for 60 yards. Five of the penalties resulted in first downs for the ’Cats. The one outlier backed up Penn State to its own 13-yard line on its second possession of the game.
NU, which had not been called for a penalty in the first half, trailed at halftime even with the help of a messy opponent. On the four drives the ’Cats received free first downs, the visitors scored two field goals and a touchdown.
Additionally, Penn State still scored a touchdown despite the penalty backing it deep into its own territory.
The trend continued into the second half. Even with the help of a Nittany Lion muffed punt that gifted NU the ball in the red zone, the ’Cats settled for a field goal.
The NU offense put points up on the board while still leaving some points off the board, and the defense couldn’t come up with a stop despite the headstart.
For a talented Nittany Lion team that has struggled to play its best football as of late, leaving the door open allowed more opportunities for the hosts to figure it out. The ‘Cats got away with it today.
3. NU special teams delivered after messy first half
The Nittany Lions handily made their special teams unit valuable from the jump.
From blocking a punt, to returning a kickoff for 34-yards, to recovering a muffed punt, Penn State created opportunities for itself in non-traditional ways. Though the defense found ways to mitigate the challenges presented by the blocked punt and kickoff return, the Nittany Lions ultimately took advantage.
Wagner’s muffed punt allowed Singleton to score the hosts’ second touchdown of the day as they took a one-point lead into the intermission.
The success continued into the second half. The Nittany Lions were forced to punt on their first possession of the third quarter, and punter Gabriel Nwosu pinned the ’Cats on their own two-yard line.
After five plays, NU punted the football back to Penn State.
However, the ’Cats turned it around. A muffed punt off an Akers punt gifted the visitors a lead in the fourth quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, NU pinned the Nittany Lions on their own nine-yard line.
The response from the unit in the final 30 minutes of play proved pivotal in victory.
4. The Wildcats need to get back to their run-stopping ways
There was pressure on the Penn State coaching staff all week to put the ball in Allen’s hands, and the hosts obliged.
Allen got to work early, rushing nine times for 59 yards and one touchdown in the first half. Singleton was still effective despite taking a backseat, scoring a touchdown of his own.
For a NU defense that prides itself on its ability to stop the run, it has been a problem against competitive opponents. In their previous matchups against FBS opponents this season, the ’Cats have only allowed less than 130 yards to one team: Louisiana-Monroe.
Most notably, NU allowed 269 rushing yards to Tulane and 176 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to Oregon.
Today was no different. The Penn State rushing attack finished with 137 yards and three touchdowns.
5. Ground game showed up when it mattered most on slow day
Entering Saturday, NU rushed for over 170 yards in four consecutive games. When the passing attack struggled, the running backs were the motors of this offense.
Against Penn State, the ’Cats only rushed for 119 yards. Komolafe and Himon did not make the same impact they were used to, partly because of the situation the game presented.
For the first time in almost a month, Himon totaled over ten carries. He had 13 Saturday. Additionally, Himon and Komolafe saw a more balanced share of the carries.
Komolafe, who averaged over four yards a carry in his last two games, wasn’t up to his usual standards in Beaver Stadium. Saturday, he averaged 3.8 yards per carry.
However, on NU’s lead-taking fourth quarter touchdown drive, Himon and Komolafe proved their worth. Including the two-point conversion attempt, the pair touched the ball a combined seven times on the drive.
Komolafe’s score extended his touchdown streak to four games and lifted the ’Cats to victory.
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