Analyzing stunning Penn State football loss in Big Ten vs Wisconsin
· Yahoo Sports
STATE COLLEGE − Penn State football failed its first true test of the 2026 season, thanks to a stunning second-half collapse in all facets.
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The offense stuck and stalled all evening, unable to accomplish much of anything while playing for the first time without injured star receiver Koby Howard against the never-give-up Wisconsin Badgers here Saturday night, Sept. 26, in Beaver Stadium.
But most damaging and surprising was how a resplendent, attacking Nittany Lion defense tanked at the biggest moments down the stretch after the Nittany Lions failed to deliver a knockout punch with so many opportunities at hand.
Penn State and coach Matt Campbell, of course, must now try to regroup on the road at Northwestern with every seemingly turned and shaken.
Here are your grades from the Lions' shocking 24-20 defeat, their first of the season:
Offense: D-
Rocco Becht looked out of sync for the first time this season without star receiver Howard. Becht missed receivers badly throughout (12-of-29, 129 yards) and did little to spark the team, as expected. He had passes batted down at scrimmage, which caused his first interception as a Nittany Lion.
And, yes, 248 yards of offense doesn't pass the test, not even close.
A consolation? Ohio State transfer James Peoples looked like the new choice as the No. 1 tailback with his decisiveness and downhill running. He needed even more than his 14 carries.
Defense: C-
So much good ruined by three drives.
The key to the game was raining a storm on Wisconsin transfer QB Colton Joseph. Mission accomplished, early on, at least. Interceptions by two of the Lions' youngest stars, corners Josiah Zayas and Dayrus Dixson, led the 17-0 lead.
Leader and top playmaker Tony Rojas added a third INT in the fourth quarter.
But this group was unexpectedly strafed to end the first half. Then it strangely collapsed on two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter after shutting down Joseph and the Badgers for most of the entire night.
Special teams: B-
Not much at all from electric returner Zay Robinson. A busy and solid effort, though, from new punter Nathan Tiyce (42.7-yard average, seven attempts).
Coaching: D-
The Lions struggled to adjust to life without Howard. No consistency or explosiveness in the pass game, from the wideouts or highly-touted tight ends.
Becht, the most experienced QB in the nation, played perhaps one of his most inefficient games of his career and there were, surprisingly, no answers.
One of the toughest fourth-quarter collapses in recent memory.
Overall: F
One of the roughest fourth-quarter collapses in recent memory stings hard.
The Lions had all of the intangibles working in their favor, from the home night crowd to their experience and confidence at marquee positions to building that huge lead early.
At the end, a failure in all measures.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Analyzing stunning Penn State football loss in Big Ten vs Wisconsin