STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Caleb Komolafe ran for 72 yards and a touchdown and Northwestern held on to beat Penn State 22-21 on Saturday.
Preston Stone threw for 163 yards with a touchdown pass to Griffin Wilde, and Jack Olsen kicked three field goals for the Wildcats (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten), who won their third straight.
“I truly believe that our football team expected to win today,” Northwestern coach David Braun said. “Ultimately, the message was you’ve got a football team that’s got their back up against the wall, but also a football team that may be questioning who they are.”
The Wildcats, who hadn’t won in Beaver Stadium since 2014, took the lead for good with 4:51 when Komolafe bulled his way through Penn State’s defense to cap a 75-yard drive late in the fourth quarter.
The Nittany Lions got the ball back, but lost quarterback Drew Allar to a leg injury on a third-down play. Penn State coach James Franklin said afterward that Allar, a senior, will be out for the rest of the season with an unspecified injury.
Backup Ethan Grunkemeyer replaced him and was immediately stopped on a fourth-down run and the Wildcats ran the clock out from there.
Allar finished 13 for 20 for 137 yards passing and added 25 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Allar, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen ran for touchdowns for the Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3), who lost their third straight. It was the fifth time a Franklin coached Penn State team has lost at least three consecutive games in a season.
“I take full responsibility for all of it,” Franklin said. “I hired all the staff, I recruited all the players. I believe in all of them. But we’re not getting it done right now.”
The Nittany Lions, who committed six penalties for 71 yards in the first half, could never get out of their way. Meanwhile, the Wildcats played steady, almost mistake-free football in front of a flat Penn State crowd that chanted “Fire James Franklin!” early.
Allar was intercepted on Penn State’s opening drive when he threw the ball right to defensive back Ore Adeyi in the end zone. Adeyi returned it to the Northwestern 33 and the Wildcats turned it into three points 12 plays later with Jack Olsen’s a 27-yard field goal with 2:51 left in the first quarter.
The Nittany Lions finally got their offense moving with Allen. He carried five times on Penn State’s next possession and gave his team a 7-3 lead when he muscled in from 11 yards out early in the second.
Northwestern marched into Penn State’s territory on its next possession where Stone found a wide open Wilde for a go-ahead 28-yard touchdown pass.
The Wildcats appeared to get a stop on defense but fumbled away the ensuing punt. The Nittany Lions needed nine plays from Northwestern’s 26, but finally broke through on a fourth-and-goal when Singleton slashed around the Wildcats’ left flank for a 2-yard touchdown.
Olsen made a 34-yarder with three seconds left to cut Penn State’s lead to 14-13 at halftime.
Allar done
Allar returned for his senior season to make better on the season-ending interception he threw in last season’s College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame. Now, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound quarterback will spend the rest of the year watching after suffering what appeared to be a left ankle injury on Penn State’s final drive.
Grunkemeyer has spent the first six weeks of the season as the No. 2 quarterback. Penn State also has Jaxon Smolik on the roster.
The takeaway
Northwestern: The Wildcats looked quite comfortable in the usually hostile Beaver Stadium even though they hadn’t played a road game in over a month. They stymied Penn State’s struggling offense and overwhelmed Jim Knowles’ defense with a strong running game late.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions have yet to play a complete game and looked sluggish and sloppy again a week after a disastrous loss to previously winless UCLA dropped them from the Top 25. They need to find some answers with a trip to always-tough Kinnick Stadium next week. They also still have to play No. 7 Indiana and No. 1 Ohio State.
Up next
Northwestern: Hosts Purdue on Saturday.
Penn State: Visits Iowa on Saturday.