Northwestern Stuns Penn State in High-Drama Big Ten Matchup
Northwestern defeated Penn State 22-21 in a tightly contested Week 7 contest marked by 18 lead changes and dramatic momentum swings. The Wildcats covered the 20.5-point spread in an upset victory despite being outscored by the Nittany Lions in the second quarter, when Penn State built an early 14-3 advantage.
Northwestern quarterback Preston Stone led the offensive attack with 163 passing yards and connected with Griffin Wilde for a touchdown reception. Wilde finished with a team-high 94 receiving yards. Penn State's Kaytron Allen rushed for 90 yards in the losing effort, while quarterback Drew Allar found success through the air with multiple completions to Devonte Ross.
The fourth quarter proved decisive, with Northwestern's defense making crucial plays. Zuriah Fisher's sack of Stone was offset by Northwestern's defensive stops down the stretch. The game finished under the 46.5-point over-under, with the final score reflecting an intense back-and-forth battle that saw Penn State's win probability swing as much as 58.45 percentage points during the contest.
AI-generated recap · Aug 9, 2026
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Northwestern | 3 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 22 |
 Penn State | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Scoring Timeline
Drive Chart
Box Score
| Statistic | Northwestern | Penn State |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | 17-26 | 13-20 |
| Pass Yards | 163 | 137 |
| Rush Yards | 129 | 137 |
| Total Yards | 292 | 274 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| 3rd Down | 5-12 | 6-11 |
| Penalties | 2-10 | 6-71 |
| Possession | 34:46 | 25:14 |
Player Leaders
Player Leaders
Play-by-Play
Caleb Komolafe run for 1 yd to the NU 26
Caleb Komolafe run for 5 yds to the NU 31
Preston Stone run for no gain to the NU 31 for a 1ST down Penn State Penalty, off-side (Dani Dennis-Sutton) to the NU 36 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone pass complete to Hayden Eligon II for 4 yds to the NU 40
Preston Stone pass incomplete to Drew Wagner
Preston Stone pass incomplete to Drew Wagner
punt for no gain
Drew Allar pass complete to Devonte Ross for 20 yds to the NU 46 for a 1ST down
Drew Allar pass complete to Devonte Ross for 6 yds to the PSU 19
Kaytron Allen run for 10 yds to the PSU 29 for a 1ST down
Kaytron Allen run for 4 yds to the PSU 33
Drew Allar pass complete to Trebor Pena for 1 yd to the PSU 34
Kaytron Allen run for 5 yds to the NU 41
Liam Clifford run for 2 yds to the NU 39
Drew Allar pass complete to Trebor Pena for 4 yds to the NU 35 for a 1ST down
Kaytron Allen run for 5 yds to the NU 30
Drew Allar run for 10 yds to the NU 20 for a 1ST down
Kaytron Allen run for 9 yds to the NU 11
Kaytron Allen run for 11 yds for a TD (Ryan Barker KICK)
Kaytron Allen run for 3 yds to the NU 28
Drew Allar pass complete to Devonte Ross for 6 yds to the NU 22
Kaytron Allen run for 4 yds to the NU 18 for a 1ST down
Kaytron Allen run for 8 yds to the NU 10
Ore Adeyi return for no gain to the NU 33
Joseph Himon II run for 1 yd to the NU 34
Joseph Himon II run for 8 yds to the NU 42
Joseph Himon II run for 6 yds to the NU 48 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone pass complete to Griffin Wilde for 13 yds to the PSU 39 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone pass complete to Alex Lines for 7 yds to the PSU 32
Preston Stone pass complete to Joseph Himon II for 10 yds to the PSU 22 for a 1ST down
Joseph Himon II run for 1 yd to the PSU 21
Joseph Himon II run for 3 yds to the PSU 18 for a 1ST down Penn State Penalty, face mask (9 yards) (Alonzo Ford Jr.) to the PSU 9 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone sacked by Zane Durant for a loss of 4 yards to the PSU 13
Dashun Reeder run for no gain to the PSU 13
Caleb Komolafe run for 4 yds to the PSU 9
Jack Olsen 27 yd FG GOOD
Caleb Komolafe run for 6 yds to the NU 31
Caleb Komolafe run for 6 yds to the NU 37 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone run for 3 yds to the NU 40
Preston Stone pass complete to Hayden Eligon II for 3 yds to the PSU 43 for a 1ST down Penn State Penalty, personal foul (Dejuan Lane) to the PSU 42 for a 1ST down
Joseph Himon II run for 1 yd to the PSU 41
Joseph Himon II run for 2 yds to the PSU 39
Preston Stone pass complete to Joseph Himon II for 10 yds to the PSU 29 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone pass complete to Griffin Wilde for 29 yds for a TD (Jack Olsen KICK) (Jack Olsen KICK)
Luke Akers kickoff for 61 yds , Corey Smith return for 34 yds to the PSU 38
Drew Allar pass complete to Devonte Ross for a loss of 2 yards to the PSU 36
Nicholas Singleton run for 5 yds to the PSU 41
Drew Allar pass incomplete to Kyron Hudson, broken up by Josh Fussell
Gabriel Nwosu punt for 35 yds , Drew Wagner returns for 2 yds to the NU 26, fumbles, recovered by Penn State at the NU 26
Drew Allar run for 4 yds to the NU 22
Nicholas Singleton run for 7 yds to the NU 15 for a 1ST down
Nicholas Singleton run for 1 yd to the NU 14
Nicholas Singleton run for 3 yds to the NU 11
Drew Allar run for 7 yds to the NU 4 for a 1ST down
Drew Allar pass incomplete to Nicholas Singleton
Nicholas Singleton run for 2 yds to the NU 2
Nicholas Singleton run for no gain to the NU 2
Nicholas Singleton run for 2 yds for a TD (Ryan Barker KICK)
Caleb Komolafe run for 2 yds to the NU 27
Caleb Komolafe run for no gain to the NU 27 for a 1ST down Penn State Penalty, face mask (15 yards) (Zuriah Fisher) to the NU 42 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone pass complete to Caleb Komolafe for 9 yds to the PSU 49
Caleb Komolafe run for 1 yd to the PSU 48 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone pass incomplete
Preston Stone pass complete to Joseph Himon II for 16 yds to the PSU 32 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone pass incomplete to Hunter Welcing
Preston Stone pass incomplete to Drew Wagner for a 1ST down Penn State Penalty, roughing passer (Zuriah Fisher) to the PSU 17 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone pass incomplete to Hunter Welcing
Preston Stone pass incomplete to Hayden Eligon II, broken up by Elliot Washington II
Preston Stone run for 1 yd to the PSU 16
J. Olsen 34 yd FG GOOD
Kaytron Allen run for 3 yds to the PSU 33
Kaytron Allen run for 2 yds to the PSU 35
Drew Allar pass complete to Devonte Ross for 7 yds to the PSU 42 for a 1ST down
Drew Allar pass incomplete to Kyron Hudson
Kaytron Allen run for 2 yds to the PSU 44
Drew Allar pass incomplete to Trebor Pena
Gabriel Nwosu punt for 54 yds
Caleb Komolafe run for 1 yd to the PSU 8
Preston Stone pass incomplete to Hayden Eligon II
Preston Stone sacked by Zuriah Fisher for a loss of 15 yards to the PSU 23
Jack Olsen 41 yd FG GOOD
Caleb Komolafe run for 4 yds to the NU 6
Caleb Komolafe run for 8 yds to the NU 14 for a 1ST down
Caleb Komolafe run for no gain to the NU 14
Preston Stone run for 7 yds to the NU 21
Preston Stone pass incomplete to Hunter Welcing
Luke Akers punt for 49 yds
Drew Allar pass complete to Devonte Ross for 11 yds to the PSU 41 for a 1ST down
Kaytron Allen run for 2 yds to the PSU 43
Drew Allar pass complete to Kyron Hudson for 10 yds to the NU 47 for a 1ST down
Drew Allar pass incomplete to Kaytron Allen
Drew Allar pass incomplete to Luke Reynolds
Drew Allar run for 2 yds to the NU 45
Gabriel Nwosu punt for 35 yds
Preston Stone pass complete to Griffin Wilde for 1 yd to the NU 11
Caleb Komolafe run for 1 yd to the NU 12
Preston Stone pass complete to Griffin Wilde for 12 yds to the NU 24 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone pass complete to Drew Wagner for 8 yds to the NU 32
Joseph Himon II run for 5 yds to the NU 37 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone pass complete to Drew Wagner for no gain to the NU 37
Joseph Himon II run for 7 yds to the NU 44
Joseph Himon II run for no gain to the NU 44
Northwestern Penalty, delay of game (Luke Akers) to the NU 39
Luke Akers punt for 49 yds , Devonte Ross returns for no gain to the PSU 9
Luke Akers kickoff for 65 yds , Tyler Holzworth return for 9 yds to the PSU 9
Drew Allar pass complete to Kaytron Allen for 1 yd to the PSU 10
Kaytron Allen run for 4 yds to the PSU 14
Drew Allar pass complete to Devonte Ross for 67 yds to the NU 19 for a 1ST down
Kaytron Allen run for 18 yds to the NU 1 for a 1ST down
Kaytron Allen run for no gain to the NU 1
Drew Allar run for 1 yd for a TD (Ryan Barker KICK)
Preston Stone pass incomplete to Griffin Wilde, broken up by Dominic DeLuca
Preston Stone pass complete to Joseph Himon II for 2 yds to the NU 27
Preston Stone pass complete to Griffin Wilde for 16 yds to the NU 43 for a 1ST down
Joseph Himon II run for 9 yds to the PSU 48
Joseph Himon II run for 5 yds to the PSU 43 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone pass complete to Griffin Wilde for 12 yds to the PSU 31 for a 1ST down
Dashun Reeder run for no gain to the PSU 31
Preston Stone pass complete to Griffin Wilde for 11 yds to the PSU 20 for a 1ST down
Caleb Komolafe run for 9 yds to the PSU 11
Caleb Komolafe run for 2 yds to the PSU 9 for a 1ST down
Caleb Komolafe 9 Yd Run (Two-Point Run Conversion Failed)
Caleb Komolafe run for no gain to the NU 35
Drew Allar pass complete to Nicholas Singleton for a loss of 3 yards to the PSU 22
Drew Allar pass complete to Nicholas Singleton for 9 yds to the PSU 31
Drew Allar run for 1 yd to the PSU 32
Ethan Grunkemeyer run for no gain to the PSU 32
Caleb Komolafe run for 4 yds to the PSU 28
Caleb Komolafe run for 3 yds to the PSU 25
Caleb Komolafe run for 5 yds to the PSU 20 for a 1ST down
Caleb Komolafe run for 1 yd to the PSU 19
Joseph Himon II run for 17 yds to the PSU 2 for a 1ST down
Preston Stone run for a loss of 6 yards to the PSU 8
Preston Stone run for a loss of 2 yards to the PSU 10
Preston Stone run for a loss of 2 yards to the PSU 10