Penn State football (3-3, 0-3 Big Ten) lost to Northwestern (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) 22-21 at Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The two squads duked out a back-and-forth affair. Penn State took the lead behind a 67-yard Devonte Ross catch and run and big rush from Kaytron Allen in the fourth quarter, but Northwestern marched right back down and took the lead. Penalties, special teams faults, and a simple lack of intensity doomed the Nittany Lions into their third consecutive Big Ten loss. Penn State’s season is all but gone.

How It Happened

Dom DeLuca and Keon Wylie wrapped up Northwestern’s Caleb Komolafe for a 1-yard gain on the first play of the game. Penn State got a stop on third down, but a Dani Dennis-Sutton offsides penalty gifted Northwestern a first down. However, the Nittany Lions got a stop, and Dennis-Sutton blocked Northwestern’s punt on fourth down. Penn State set up shop at the 31-yard line for its first offensive possession.

Kaytron Allen pounded his way down the field with an 8-yard gain on a halfback toss to the left. Drew Allar looked to Liam Clifford in the end zone on the subsequent 2nd-and-2 from the 10-yard line, but Northwestern cornerback Ore Adeyi picked the ball off and returned it to Northwestern’s own 33-yard line.

Northwestern running back Joseph Himon picked up a first down with an 8-yard rush on the Wildcats’ ensuing possession. Preston Stone completed a 13-yard play-action pass to wide receiver Griffin Wilde before eating another chunk with a 14-yard screen pass to Himon.

Alonzo Ford Jr. committed a face mask penalty, bringing the Wildcats to Penn State’s 9-yard line and setting up 1st-and-goal. Stone lost his footing in the backfield and took a 4-yard sack before the Wildcats called their first timeout of the half.

The Nittany Lions forced the Wildcats into a field goal behind stout run defense from Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant. Northwestern took a 3-0 lead with just under three minutes left in the first frame.

Andrew Rappleyea committed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the subsequent kickoff, forcing Penn State back before it even retook the field.

Allen quickly rattled off a 10-yard run up the middle for a first down. The Nittany Lions found themselves facing a 3rd-and-5, but Allar hit Devonte Ross up the seam for a 20-yard gain on the last play of the opening 15 minutes.

Trebor Peña picked up a first down on 3rd-and-3 with a slippery spin move on a screen pass. Allen rattled off five yards before Allar dashed for 10 up the middle as Penn State entered the red zone.

Allen pounded a 9-yard rush on 1st-and-10 before walking into the end zone through a wide-open lane for Penn State’s first score of the game.

Another week, another Kaytron Allen touchdown!pic.twitter.com/PAapi0UyZC

— Onward State (@OnwardState) October 11, 2025

Dejuan Lane committed a personal foul on Hayden Eligon, gifting Northwestern 15 extra yards from the end of the play. The Wildcats continued driving with another pass to Himon. He picked up 10 yards and set Northwestern up at Penn State’s 29-yard line.

Stone hit Wilde in the end zone for a 29-yard score on the next play. The Wildcats went up 10-7 with 7:14 remaining in the first half.

Corey Smith returned the ensuing kickoff to the 38-yard line, pumping some energy back into the Beaver Stadium crowd. The Nittany Lions immediately lost two yards with a pass up the middle to Ross before Nick Singleton checked in for a 5-yard rush. Allar looked towards Kyron Hudson on 3rd-and-7, but he bobbled it after the Wildcats forced the incompletion.

Northwestern muffed the subsequent punt. Audavion Collins jumped on the ball as Penn State retook possession at Northwestern’s 26-yard line.

Penn State continued to feed Singleton with three consecutive rushes until the Nittany Lions faced 3rd-and-6 from Northwestern’s 11-yard line. Allar rolled out and tucked it, picking up the first down on his feet. He missed a surefire touchdown to Singleton on a play-action rollout from the 4-yard line. Penn State let the clock roll down to the two-minute warning on 3rd-and-goal.

The Nittany Lions rushed to the line just for the Wildcats to stump Singleton up the middle for no gain. Northwestern used its final timeout of the half before the Penn State offense got the snap off on 4th-and-goal.

Singleton scored from two yards out on a halfback toss to the left. The Nittany Lions reclaimed the lead 14-10 with 1:19 left in the half.

Singleton for six!pic.twitter.com/75hQavu4Mj

— Onward State (@OnwardState) October 11, 2025

Zuriah Fisher committed a 15-yard face mask penalty on the second play of Northwestern’s next drive, eradicating a 6-yard tackle-for-loss from the Penn State defense.

Northwestern broke off another big chunk off of a screen pass to Himon. Fisher got pressure on Stone and forced a bad throw, preventing another big chunk with a Northwestern receiver open downfield. Fisher got called for roughing the passer on the next play, though, moving the Wildcats up to Penn State’s 17-yard line.

DeLuca laid out Stone near the sideline on 3rd-and-10, forcing Northwestern to kick a field goal. The Wildcats pulled within one point at 14-13 at the end of the first half.

Allar connected with Ross for nine yards for Penn State’s first first down of the second half. However, the Wildcats quickly forced the Nittany Lions off the field. Tyler Holzworth downed Gabe Nwosu’s punt at the 1-yard line.

Northwestern quickly dug out of the hole behind two strong runs from Komolafe. Fisher put pressure on Stone from the right side on third down, forcing the Northwestern signal caller to miss his tight end over the middle. Penn State retook the field after a Wildcat punt.

Allar picked out Ross down the near side for a first down. He connected with Hudson two plays later for a 10-yard gain and another fresh set of downs.

On 3rd-and-10 from Northwestern’s 47-yard line, Allar rushed up the middle through a broken pocket for a gain of two as the boos rained down from the crowd. Nwosu trotted back onto the field. Northwestern signaled a fair catch at its own 10-yard line.

Northwestern clawed itself out of a 3rd-and-8 with a 12-yard completion to Wilde. Amare Campbell broke into the backfield and stopped the Northwestern drive. The Wildcats punted, but Ross muffed it on the receiving end. Northwestern regained possession at Penn State’s 9-yard line for 1st-and-goal with 30 seconds remaining in the third frame.

Durant set the tone immediately with a big hit on the final play of the quarter. Northwestern only gained one yard.

Stone threw it into the stands on second down with Eligon injured on the play. He walked off hobbling with the help of two Northwestern athletic trainers.

On 3rd-and-goal, Stone tripped over himself for a 15-yard loss with pressure from Fisher. Northwestern settled for three points as it took a 16-14 lead one minute into the final frame.

Holzworth hesitated on the kick return, but decided to take it out. Northwestern brought him down at the 9-yard line. Allar swung a short pass to Ross over the middle on 3rd-and-5, who hit the gas pedal for a 67-yard chunk. Allen almost rushed 19 yards for the score on the very next play, but the officials ruled him down at the 1-yard line. Allar punched it in with a quarterback sneak two plays later as Penn State took the lead 21-16.

Stone and Wilde connected for a 16-yard gain on 3rd-and-8 as Northwestern didn’t let the Beaver Stadium crowd creep in. Himon continued pounding the rock for methodical gains as the Wildcats broke into Penn State territory.

Stone and Wilde connected once more for another first down pickup. Komalfe broke a 9-yard rush as Northwestern worked its way to Penn State’s 9-yard line. He scored a 9-yard touchdown to send Northwestern up by one point with just under five minutes remaining in the contest. Penn State stopped the Wildcats’ two-point attempt.

Allar kept the ball on third down on Penn State’s next possession. He went down with an injury, but walked off under his own power, albeit with a limp. Ethan Grunkemeyer checked in and scrambled on 4th-and-3, but Northwestern lit him up for the turnover-on-downs.

Northwestern found its way to the 1-yard line behind some solid runs. Stone took the knee and forced Penn State to burn its timeouts and ran the clock out.

Takeaways

• Northwestern’s offense was methodical and knew how to remain on the field. The Wildcats picked up 23 first downs compared to Penn State’s 13. Northwestern won the time of possession battle, owning the field for 34:46.
• Penn State’s special teams were all over the place. Dani Dennis-Sutton blocked another punt, Gabe Nwosu downed Northwestern at the 1-yard line, and Penn State recovered a muffed punt as well. However, Devonte Ross muffed a punt of his own, handing Northwestern an easy three points.
• Penn State simply doesn’t have the juice anymore. The season is gone. Three consecutive losses in Big Ten play makes one of Penn State’s most anticipated seasons ever completely obsolete only halfway through October.

What’s Next?

Penn State hits the road again to take on Iowa at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 18, at Kinnick Stadium. The game will be broadcast on Peacock.