Penn State has established itself as the alpha dog in a number of series against Big Ten opponents. Among those who have struggled to defeat the Nittany Lions is Northwestern, who will look to spring a major upset on the road in Happy Valley in 2022.
Penn State leads the all-time series 14-5, with the first meeting coming in 1993. Penn State and Northwestern had never faced each other prior to Penn State joining the Big Ten. Penn State won the first two meetings in the series easily, including in 1994 when the Nittany Lions went undefeated and won the Big Ten. Northwestern claimed their first victory over Penn State the following season, as the Wildcats were on their way to a surprising and memorable 10-1 regular season highlighted by wins over ranked opponents Notre Dame, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Penn State.
Penn State won the most recent meeting in the series in 2017. The win snapped a brief two-game losing streak to the Wildcats from 2014 and 2015.
Here is a look back at every meeting in the series between Penn State and Northwestern entering their 2022 matchup in Beaver Stadium.