MADISON, Wis. — In a gritty matchup on Saturday night, Beau Pribula stepped in for the injured Drew Allar, while Jaylen Reed secured the decisive touchdown with a 19-yard interception return, leading No. 3 Penn State to a 28-13 victory over Wisconsin.
Allar, who was notably impressive in the first half, exited the game late in the second quarter after sustaining an injury while being sacked. He made a brief appearance in the second half wearing a knee brace, but stayed on the sidelines for the remainder of the contest.
When Allar departed, the Nittany Lions were down 10-7. During the game, they also had to cope without standout defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, who was injured in the first half but returned momentarily before being sidelined permanently.
Despite these challenges, Pribula and Reed played pivotal roles in ensuring Penn State maintained their unbeaten record. Pribula completed 11 of 13 passes for 98 yards, contributing a 1-yard touchdown pass to Khalil Dinkins. Furthermore, he added 28 rushing yards on six carries, as the Nittany Lions outperformed the Badgers with a 21-3 advantage in the second half, ending Wisconsin’s three-game win streak.
The game’s standout moment came from Reed. In a critical situation, Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke attempted a pass from his own end zone on third-and-14 from the 8, only for Reed to intercept it. Reed sprinted to the right corner of the end zone, allowing Penn State to seize a 14-10 lead with just over six minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Locke responded by connecting with CJ Williams on a 33-yard throw, which set up a Nathanial Vakos field goal from 32 yards, narrowing the score to 14-13. However, Pribula swiftly answered, leading the Nittany Lions back to the end zone on two consecutive drives.
Pribula capped a lengthy 81-yard, 13-play drive by finding a wide-open Dinkins again in the end zone with 10:01 left in the game. Wisconsin’s subsequent drive ended quickly, and shortly afterward, Penn State scored once more with Kaytron Allen rushing for a 24-yard touchdown with just 3:10 remaining.
Prior to his exit, Allar had a strong first half, completing 14 of 18 passes for 148 yards, including a spectacular 6-yard touchdown pass to Nick Singleton, who made a remarkable one-handed catch. Unfortunately, Allar did have a fumble on a critical fourth-and-inches attempt during Penn State’s opening series.
As for Wisconsin, they managed to lead 10-7 at halftime, thanks in part to a 50-yard field goal from Vakos on the game’s opening drive and a 1-yard touchdown run by Tawee Walker late in the second quarter. The Badgers struggled to maintain their momentum as Locke finished the game with 22 completions on 42 attempts for 217 yards, including the interception thrown to Reed. Penn State’s defense effectively contained Walker, limiting him to just 59 yards on 22 carries.
In terms of key insights, Penn State demonstrated their depth by dominating the second half even in the absence of two key players. They have been particularly strong in the third quarter throughout the season, noticeably outscoring opponents 66-6 in that frame, including a 7-3 edge on Saturday.
Wisconsin, on the other hand, squandered an opportunity to improve their record against ranked teams, falling to 2-14 in their last 16 games against Top 25 opponents, with their current coach Luke Fickell remaining winless at 0-5.
Looking ahead, it’s anticipated that Penn State will retain its No. 3 ranking in the upcoming polls. They are set to face off against No. 4 Ohio State next Saturday, while Wisconsin will travel to play Iowa on the same day.