Nittany Lions show resilience in 28-13 win over Wisconsin

The Nittany Lions traveled to Camp Randall with one goal in mind: beat Wisconsin, win 1-0 and prepare for their next opponent. Wisconsin's Penn State team was on a three-game winning streak in which it defeated every team by at least 20 points. Wisconsin was on a roll, and then again, Penn State needed a big comeback in its last game and underwhelmed the game before that.

Then things began to play out like tales of years gone by. Things didn't go the way Penn State wanted, Wisconsin despite ineffective play still found itself in a position to win the game, at least in the first half.

It all started when the Badgers dodged a supposedly blocked punt on a three-and-out play and ran it for a first down. Wisconsin ended the drive with a field goal and quickly took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. Penn State, on the other hand, moved the ball with ease, and as they were about to reach the red zone, the ghosts of seasons past began to take over. First, a beautiful pass was dropped by Drew Allar on 3rd-and-1 that could have resulted in a touchdown. Then the attempt to grab first failed and Wisconsin took over on downs.

Penn State continued to move the ball with ease in the second quarter, taking its first lead with a nine-play, 90-yard drive that ended with a one-handed grab by Nicholas Singleton for a touchdown. The Lions and Badgers traded punts for a few possessions in the second quarter until Wisconsin finally got a good drive going. Wisconsin recovered the ball 73 yards on its own, aided by an unfortunate 12-man-on-the-field penalty on a 3rd-and-goal play that otherwise would have forced another field goal. Instead, Wisconsin was ahead by three points in the final minutes of the second quarter.

Then disaster struck. Both Dani Dennis-Sutton and Drew Allar suffered injuries within a few trips. Both tried to come back in the second half but couldn't stay on the field. Add in Anthony Donkoh and suddenly the Lions found themselves in dire straits. Memories of 2021 Iowa were immediately felt in the third quarter as the offense, with Beau Pribula leading the way, managed 39 yards on two drives early in the second half. Luckily for the Lions, the defense came into its own and didn't allow anything from the Badgers. On Wisconsin's first two drives of the second half, the Badgers gained 0 yards, the first drive, a three-and-out, gained four yards and the second, which ended with a pick-six by Jaylen Reed, gained minus-four yards.

That pick-six breathed life into the offense. Pribula settled into the game and began to carve up the Badgers in a way we had never seen before. 13 plays and 81 yards later, the Lions now had an eight-point lead after Wisconsin had a field goal drive to get within one point. A Wisconsin punt later, the Lions used eight and a half minutes to drive 76 yards and put the finishing touches on a disastrous game that showed this team is different.

Not only is the team different, but after ten seasons you can finally see how depth, good depth, can keep things from falling apart. Allow me to sound like a broken record for a minute. A few weeks ago I mentioned that it took Franklin many years to build the depth that good teams need to survive. Penn State has blown many a game because they lacked the players to survive an injury. Whether it was the 2017 Ohio State game, the 2016 Michigan debacle, the aforementioned 2021 Iowa disaster, or many other close misses along the way, it took time to put together a roster that could withstand that kind of adversity.

Now they are here. I praise Pribula for coming and his performance. But Smith Vilbert and Nolan Rucci, who stepped in for the injured Dennis-Sutton and Donkoh respectively and performed admirably in their replacements, also deserve recognition. It's never ideal for the Lions to lose starting players, they're starters for a reason. But the days when an injury to a key spot spelled disaster for the rest of the season are over. After all, we've been with the Nittany Lions for five games and are without one of their best defenders in Kevin Winston Jr., and the defense hasn't made a single mistake.

Statistics and storylines

80% – Both quarterbacks combined to go 25 of 31 for 246 yards in this game, Allar 14 of 18 and Pribula 11 of 13. Efficiency was the name of the game on Saturday.

173 – Rushing yards on the night, led by Kaytron Allen's 86 yards. It may not have looked like it at times, but the ground game is finding its footing again.

7 – The number of receivers who caught at least one ball on Saturday. Tyler Warren led in receptions, but Harrison Wallace III led in yards. As opposing defenses continue to focus on preventing Warren from moving forward, it will be crucial for receivers to continually advance.

Looking ahead — Ohio State is also dealing with its own injury concerns ahead of next Saturday's game. They had already lost their first left tackle this year and their backup failed against Nebraska. It will be interesting to see if he will be ready for this game.