STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Colton Joseph hit Jacob Harris on a 72-yard touchdown pass with 1:13 to play and Wisconsin scored twice in the last four minutes to beat No. 13 Penn State 24-20 on Saturday.
Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht, who was 12-for-29 passing for 129 yards and an interception, tossed a final deep ball out of the back of the end zone as time expired, setting off a celebration by Wisconsin defenders.
Joseph, who threw a pair of costly
interceptions earlier in the game, rebounded to lead two long scoring drives for the Badgers (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten), who snapped their six-game losing streak to Penn State and won in State College for the first time since 2003. Wisconsin earned its first road win against a ranked opponent since beating No. 25 Purdue on Oct. 23, 2021. It was the Badgers' largest comeback victory since rallying from 18 points down against Illinois in 2006.
Joseph ran for a touchdown and threw an 11-yard TD pass to Eugene Hilton Jr. to cap a 10-play, 75-yard drive with 3:31 remaining in the fourth quarter. Gavin Lahm added a field goal for the Badgers, who were sluggish and mistake-prone in the first two periods and trailed 17-7 at halftime.
Ryan Barker kicked field goals of 22 and 37 yards, and Josiah Zayas returned an interception 51 yards for a score to lead the Nittany Lions, who lost for the first time under coach Matt Campbell.
Becht scored a go-ahead rushing touchdown early in the second quarter, but it wasn’t enough for an offense that punted on five of its next eight possessions.
Daryus Dixson and Tony Rojas had interceptions for Penn State (3-1, 0-1), while James Peoples carried 14 times for 67 yards.
The Nittany Lions held Wisconsin to just 14 yards and one first down in a lopsided first quarter. Meanwhile, Barker put Penn State up 3-0 with a 22-yard field goal on Penn State’s second drive.
The Badgers’ first two possessions ended with punts. Sitting on a flat route near the line of scrimmage, Zayas one-handed a Joseph pass and returned it 51 yards, untouched, to give Penn State a 10-0 lead early in the second.
Wisconsin’s offense broke down again just four plays later when Dixson picked Joseph off and returned it to the Badgers’ 11. Becht powered into the end zone from 3 yards out moments later to make it 17-0.
Joseph finally found a rhythm and led an 11-play, 75-yard drive that ended when he scored around the left edge from 7 yards out. It cut Penn State’s lead to 17-7 at the break.
Becht had a pass batted at the line of scrimmage moments later and Badgers defensive lineman Charles Perkins intercepted it. The Badgers pulled within a touchdown on Lahm’s 34-yard kick three plays later.
Wisconsin: The Badgers were sluggish and mistake-prone at the start, but recovered to push Penn State’s stingy defense late in the first half. They eventually outgained the Nittany Lions 355-248 and won their first game in Beaver Stadium since 2003.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions were out of sync the entire game on offense and clearly missing game-breaking wideout Koby Howard, who is week-to-week with an unspecified injury.
Wisconsin: Hosts Michigan State on Saturday.
Penn State: Visits Northwestern on Friday.
