No. 19 Penn State Upsets No. 12 Wisconsin Behind Late Red-Zone Interceptions
The No. 19 Penn State Nittany Lions put an end to the No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers' 25-game winning streak in home openers Saturday with a 16-10 win at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
A two-yard touchdown run by Penn State running back Noah Cain broke a 10-10 tie with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz was intercepted on each of the Badgers' final two drives to seal the deal.
In a game between two perennial Big Ten powers, it was defense that ruled the day, as both offenses struggled to find a rhythm throughout the contest.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Penn State's defense forced three turnovers in the victory. Meanwhile the Badgers had a strong defensive performance as well, holding the Nittany Lions to 297 total yards and 11 first downs, although Penn State did not turn the ball over.
With the win, Penn State is off to a vitally important 1-0 start both overall and in conference play, while Wisconsin is 0-1 overall and in the Big Ten.
Notable Stats
Sean Clifford, QB, PSU: 18-of-33 for 247 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT
Graham Mertz QB, WIS: 22-of-37 for 185 YDS, 0 INT, 2 INT
Noah Cain, RB, PSU: 8 CAR for 48 YDS, 1 TD; 5 REC for 27 YDS
Chez Mellusi, RB, WIS: 31 CAR for 121 YDS, 1 TD; 2 REC for 8 YDS
Jahan Dotson, WR, PSU: 5 REC for 102 YDS, 1 TD
Danny Davis III, WR, WIS: 8 REC for 99 YDS
Jahan Dotson Flashes Big-Play Ability in Defensive Struggle
Penn State couldn't get much going offensively throughout the day and relied heavily on its defense forcing turnovers and making stops to remain in contention.
When the Nittany Lions did move the ball, however, it was primarily thanks to dynamic senior wide receiver Jahan Dotson.
With the score still tied at 0-0 in the third quarter, Dotson got behind a Wisconsin defense that had shut down the Nittany Lions to that point and torched the Badgers for a 49-yard touchdown:
Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports joked that Penn State was lulling Wisconsin into a false sense of security before that play:
Tyler Donohue of 247Sports made note of the luxury Penn State has to dial up a play for an athlete like Dotson when things aren't working offensively:
It was Cain who scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown for PSU in the fourth quarter, but Dotson had a big hand in making that drive a success as well.
His 42-yard catch set up the touchdown, as Cain found pay dirt on the very next play.
Penn State undoubtedly has a lot of kinks to work out offensively for next week and beyond, but with a player like Dotson in the fold, some of the Nittany Lions' deficiencies can be hidden and overcome.
Mistakes in Red Zone Cost Wisconsin
Wisconsin had no shortage of opportunities to take control of the game and beat Penn State on Saturday, but two turnovers and a blocked field goal in the red zone sealed the Badgers' fate.
The first major miscue came early in the second quarter with the score tied at 0-0. Wisconsin came up short on third down but seemed certain to seize a 3-0 lead.
Instead, Arnold Ebiketie blocked a 25-yard field-goal attempt by Wisconsin kicker Connor Larsh:
On the ensuing drive, Wisconsin seemed to be driving for the go-ahead score once again only for Mertz to lose a fumble on 3rd-and-6 at the Penn State 8-yard line:
The Badgers did finally manage to break through with a touchdown run by Chez Mellusi in the third quarter in order to tie the score at 7-7, but he was the only true bright spot for the Wisconsin offense throughout the game:
With Wisconsin trailing 16-10 in the fourth quarter, there were multiple chances for the Badgers to take the lead.
The best chance came inside three minutes when Wisconsin got the ball down to the Penn State 1-yard line.
Mertz fumbled the ball on the next snap, however, resulting in 2nd-and-goal from the 7-yard line rather than the 1-yard line.
Mertz was then intercepted by safety Jaquan Brisker, and Wisconsin came away with no points on the drive:
Wisconsin got the ball back and drove it down the field quickly, but Mertz was picked off again on the final play of the game at the PSU 8-yard line:
The heartbreaking loss gave the Badgers their first defeat in a home opener in a quarter century, and also put them well behind the eight-ball in terms of vying for a Big Ten title.
What's Next?
Both Wisconsin and Penn State should have easier matchups next week, as they will both take on MAC foes.
The Badgers will host Eastern Michigan on Saturday, while the Nittany Lions will host Ball State the same day.
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