Becht struggles as Penn State blows 17-point lead, falls to Wisconsin 24-20

OriginalGlobal Sportscast deskSep 27, 2026 · 04:07 UTC

The short version

Wisconsin beat Penn State 24-20 at Beaver Stadium, the Badgers' first win there since 2003.
Rocco Becht went 12-for-29 for 129 yards, season lows in both categories, with one rushing touchdown and a third-quarter interception.
Penn State led 17-0 late in the first half and was outgained 208-52 in the fourth quarter.
Chase Sowell was the only Lions wide receiver with a catch, totaling 70 yards on six receptions.
Penn State plays Northwestern on Friday night in its next game.

The redshirt senior quarterback posted his worst passing numbers of the season, and Penn State lost to Wisconsin at home for the first time since 2003.

Penn State fell to Wisconsin 24-20 on Saturday at Beaver Stadium, squandering a 17-0 lead and losing to the Badgers at home for the first time since 2003. Quarterback Rocco Becht turned in his least productive outing since joining the program, going 12-for-29 for 129 yards while adding a touchdown on the ground.

The collapse unfolded late in the second quarter. Penn State held a 17-0 advantage with two minutes remaining before halftime, but the offense generated little after the break while Wisconsin staged a 17-3 surge through the final two quarters to seize control.

A third-quarter interception by Becht helped fuel the Badgers' comeback. After Wisconsin scored on consecutive possessions and moved in front during the fourth quarter, Penn State answered with four consecutive punts. The Lions were outgained 208-52 in the final period.

Becht, a redshirt senior in his fifth season and fourth game with Penn State, entered the night among the most accomplished active quarterbacks in the country. He leads all current FBS quarterbacks in career victories and starts, ranks second in career passing yards, and guided seven game-winning drives during his college tenure at Iowa State.

"I've got to be better for this offense and I've got to be better for this team," Becht said afterward. "I can't put us in scenarios where our backs are backed up and we need a big play. We've got to continue to move the chains and stay in front of the sticks, and I didn't do my part today."

Wisconsin's defense set the tone at the line of scrimmage, sacking Becht twice and repeatedly deflecting his throws. After opening the game with four completions on his first five attempts, he connected on just 8 of 24 passes the rest of the way. Chase Sowell was the only Penn State wide receiver to record a reception, finishing with six catches for 70 yards.

The passing game was shorthanded, with receiver Koby Howard ruled out for the foreseeable future earlier in the week, leaving a significant void in the offense. "We have a lot of talent on this team, a lot of receivers, tight ends and running backs that can go out there and make plays," Becht said. "I put that on me. I've got to be able to spread the ball around and make the defense guess."

Coach Matt Campbell acknowledged that Penn State could have attempted several short fourth-down conversions but opted instead to trust a defense that had contained Wisconsin for most of the night — until the Badgers' back-to-back touchdown drives. "I thought we were playing such good defense that I didn't want to put our team at risk," Campbell said. "That will eat at me."

Saturday marked Becht's weakest performance since Iowa State's 20-17 win over Oklahoma State last season, when he completed 9 of 19 passes for 113 yards and a score. He had four games under 200 passing yards last year. With Howard sidelined indefinitely and a short week ahead of a Friday night matchup against Northwestern, Becht expressed confidence the Lions can recover. "I've been in this situation before," he said. "The season's not over. We could go out there and win every single game, but we've got to put the work in."