The Wisconsin Badgers (3-1) stormed back from behind 17, picking up a statement 24-20 win over No. 13 Penn State (3-1) in miraculous fashion. This stands as the team’s highest-ranked road win since the 2019 season and is a monumental victory for Head Coach Luke Fickell, who remains on the hot seat.
Wisconsin snapped their six-game losing streak against the long-rivaled Nittany Lions, who the Badgers defeated for the first time since 2011. It was also their largest comeback win since 2006, when they overcame an 18-point deficit against Illinois.
Wisconsin’s defense forced Penn State to fight for yardage from the get-go. The Nittany Lion’s short-lived six-play, 19-yard opening drive set the tone for the contest.
The Badgers offense wasn’t on the same par, a theme that transpired throughout the entire first half. A quick 2-yard, three-and-out stint put Wisconsin's defense right back to work at their own 40-yardline.
Penn State managed to travel 36 yards in seven plays, setting up a 22-yard field goal attempt that split the uprights.
Wisconsin trailed 0-3 at the end of the first quarter, where the Badger defense was forced to fight for a remarkable 11:33.
Quarterback Colton Joseph’s struggles only heightened in the second quarter. In the midst of his worst start as a Badger, Joseph’s first interception was an underthrown screen pass that was snatched by cornerback Josiah Zayas. Zayas returned it 51 yards to the house to put Wisconsin down 10-0 with 13 minutes to go in the second quarter.
The second pick came just three plays later when Joseph’s throw sailed past wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. and into the hands of cornerback Daryus Dixson. Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht punched it in on a 3-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive.
It was about as disastrous of a swing in momentum one could imagine. Wisconsin entered the second quarter down three and drove with the ball. Then, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, they were down 17 and faced the daunting prospect of mounting a comeback in one of college football’s toughest atmospheres.
The Badgers' offensive spark commenced with running back Abu Sama III’s 17-yard run on third-and-seven. Wisconsin steadily worked up the field after a notable 22-yard reception by tight end Jacob Harris.
Ultimately, a seven-yard quarterback-keeper into the endzone gave the Badgers a breath of life.
The Badgers entered halftime down 17-7 with a newfound sense of momentum. The Badgers kept clawing back, and a tipped ball interception by 6-foot-2, 333-pound boundary guard Charles Perkins set the offense up at the Penn State 22-yard line. They settled for a field goal, making it a one possession game and giving Wisconsin some life with just under 11 minutes left in the third quarter.
Penn State responded with a field goal of their own, advancing the score to 20-10.
A pair of three-and-outs from each team ate up the clock and the Badgers took over on a seemingly make-or-break possession with 08:11 left in the contest. On the first play of the drive, Joseph did it again, and this time it was Tony Rojas who picked off the quarterback.
A short Nittany Lion drive followed, and Wisconsin earned the ball back with 7:02 on the clock.
Joseph and the Badgers didn’t waste that opportunity. They put together a methodical 10-play drive capped off with an 11-yard toe-tapping touchdown catch by Hilton Jr. Wisconsin trailed by three with 3:31 left in the game, but momentum was back on their side.
The defense forced yet another three-and-out, giving the ball back to their offense with 2:28 left to play and a chance to stun the Nittany Lions.
The drive didn’t begin the way they would have hoped, with a couple costly penalties setting the Badgers back at their own 6-yard line and facing a second and 19. This time, Joseph was able to connect with running back Darrion Dupree on a screen pass, who turned upfield for 25 yards and picked up a first down.
They weren’t out of the mud yet, and an incomplete pass followed by another penalty forced the Badgers into 3rd and long at their own 28.
On third and 13, Colton Joseph found tight end Jacob Harris on a deep slant, who ran furiously toward the endzone and stiff-armed a defender on his way to a 72-yard go-ahead touchdown. Harris, who had two false starts on that drive, was relieved to make the big play after those costly penalties.
“Letting my guys down is like the worst thing I could possibly do,” Harris said. “So to be able to make up for it like that in a big moment is really special to me.”
The Badgers’ defense clearly outplayed their offense, and Colton Joseph’s three-interception night was a big part of Wisconsin’s offensive struggles.
They allowed just 233 total yards on the day and held quarterback Rocco Becht to a lousy 12 completions on 29 attempts for 114 yards, intercepting a pass along the way. They also forced a whopping four three-and-outs in the fourth quarter, the only exception coming on the last drive of the game.
Wisconsin’s defense rose to the occasion in the face of adversity.
“I like to say, ‘so what, now what?’ So what, they got a pick-six, now what? How are we going to respond? How are we going to punch them in the mouth?” Linebacker Mason Posa said. “We all love the spotlight, we all love the pressure, and we’re going to deliver.”
Fickell also shared a rare emotional press conference when talking about how his team dealt with adversity.
“I don’t know if I’ve had [a win] more special. I know I haven’t in four years, because I’ve had some bad nights here,” an emotional Fickell said. “To have [the win] the way it did … you couldn’t write it any better.”
After a massive statement to open up Big Ten play, the Badgers will return to Camp Randall to host the Michigan State Spartans at 11 a.m. on Oct. 3.
