For the second game in a row, Penn State was in a situation where it needed to claw together a way back for a victory. Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, this time they didn’t have to overcome a double-digit deficit as they did two weeks ago against USC, but this come-from-behind victory at Wisconsin took a few more bumps and bruises to get there. [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] filled in for an injured Drew Allar in the second half to help guide Penn State to a 28-13 victory in Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday night. With the win, Penn State remains undefeated going into November and a massive game next week against Ohio State in Beaver Stadium.
Allar left the game at the end of the first half after suffering an apparent knee injury. Allar warmed up before the start of the second half but did not play, giving way to Pribula to run the offense and forcing offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to adjust his playcalling a bit. Pribula played well by completing 11-of-13 pass attempts for 98 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 28 yards.
Penn State trailed at halftime, 10-7, after a strong defensive showing by both teams in the first 30 minutes. It was the Penn State defense that gave the Nittany Lions the lead for good when safety [autotag]Jaylen Reed[/autotag] picked off a pass from Wisconsin’s Braedyn Locke in the third quarter and returned it 19 yards for a go-ahead touchdown, which put Penn State up 14-10 at the time. Penn State went on to build a 28-13 lead with two more touchdowns by the offense in the fourth quarter. Pribule completed a touchdown pass to a wide-open [autotag]Khalil Dinkins[/autotag], who was running uncontested across the back of the Wisconsin end zone. [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] padded the lead on the next offensive series with a 24-yard touchdown run to put the game on ice.
The status of Allar will be key in the coming week as Penn State prepares for Ohio State. But Penn State has another key injury to watch as well. Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton also left the game in the first half and did not return after a brief series to start the second half of the game. Dennis-Sutton had a groin injury late in the first half.
Penn State will be home next week for the biggest game of the season. Penn State hosts Ohio State next Saturday for a noon kickoff on Fox. The game will be a top-five showdown after the Buckeyes escaped an upset bid at home earlier in the day against Nebraska. It will be just the second top-five matchup between the two schools in series history.
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