Wisconsin Upends Penn State 24-20 in Happy Valley

OriginalGlobal Sportscast deskSep 27, 2026 · 07:01 UTC

The short version

Wisconsin beat Penn State 24-20 at Beaver Stadium, overcoming a 17-0 deficit
It was Matt Campbell's first Big Ten game as Penn State head coach
QB Rocco Becht completed under 50% of his passes with top receiver Koby Howard out
Penn State visits Northwestern on October 2 at 8:00 PM ET on FOX

The Badgers erased a 17-0 deficit to hand coach Matt Campbell a loss in his first Big Ten game, dropping the Nittany Lions to a 24-20 defeat at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State fell 24-20 to Wisconsin at Beaver Stadium, blowing a 17-0 lead in what amounted to the first real test of the Matt Campbell era. The loss was Campbell's first Big Ten game as Nittany Lions head coach, and it came against a Badgers team that steadily took control after Penn State's fast start.

The defeat all but ends Penn State's already slim College Football Playoff hopes, according to the source report. It also raised broader questions about the direction of the program in Campbell's first season and whether the hire will pay off, with the source's overall grade for the performance coming in at an F.

Quarterback Rocco Becht, a transfer making his first Big Ten appearance, struggled badly while playing without injured star receiver Koby Howard. He completed fewer than half of his passes, missed several routine throws, and looked shaky throughout, though he did score his first rushing touchdown at Penn State. The source graded his performance a D-plus.

The running game regressed sharply. After piling up 295 yards on the ground the previous week, Penn State managed just 119 yards against Wisconsin at 3.3 yards per carry. James Peoples showed some early spark, but the Badgers' front seven eventually controlled the line of scrimmage and the unit earned a D from the source.

The receiving corps drew the harshest mark of the night, an F, with no pass-catcher managing more than 70 yards. Without Howard in the lineup, the group created little separation and offered no vertical threat, and the report noted how much the offense missed its top target. Howard's status going forward remains a concern if he is out for an extended stretch.

The defense was the bright spot until the final moments. Josiah Zayas returned an interception for a touchdown, and the secondary was having a breakout performance before Wisconsin's Colton Joseph connected with Jacob Harris on a third-down touchdown pass to win the game. The unit earned a B, and coordinator D'Anton Lynn was credited as a strong hire despite the collapse.

Special teams received a B-minus. Ryan Barker connected on both of his field goal attempts, but punter Nathan Tiyce averaged 42.7 yards with only two of seven punts downed inside the 20, and returner Zay Robinson managed just 36 combined yards on kick and punt returns.

The coaching staff took heavy criticism, drawing a D-minus from the report, which called the home loss to a conference opponent a significant early blemish on Campbell's resume. The report added that upcoming opponents USC and Michigan, previously viewed as vulnerable, now look like far more dangerous hurdles, with Campbell under pressure to fix the offense quickly.

Penn State now heads on the road to face the Northwestern Wildcats on Friday, October 2, in the opener at the renovated Ryan Field. Kickoff is set for 8:00 PM ET with the game televised on FOX.