Penn State breaks 4-game losing streak by running over Purdue

STATE COLLEGE – On a gorgeous Halloween afternoon, Penn State masqueraded as a team that’s strong at the line of scrimmage.

The Nittany Lions battered Purdue up front on both sides of the football and rolled to a 31-17 victory Saturday at Beaver Stadium, giving Matt Campbell his first Big Ten coaching win.

“Those are the things we really worked on the last two weeks, running the ball and stopping the run,” Campbell said. “What are we doing and what are we not doing schematically and fundamentally that can help us?

“I give a lot of credit to our coaches. They did a great job with the game plan. I think we took a step in the right direction.”

Cam Wallace, who hadn’t played an offensive snap in the last three games, ran for a career-high 135 yards and one touchdown and Carson Hansen rushed for a season-high 96 yards and one score as Penn State snapped a four-game losing streak.

“It feels good watching your running back go that way for a lot of yards,” tight end Andrew Rappleyea said, pointing his arm forward. “I remember the first one. Carson spit right inside my block (for a 42-yard gain). I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I waited weeks for this.’ It felt good, man.”

The Lions (1-4, 4-4) controlled the clock by more than a 2-to-1 margin, rushed for a season-high 269 yards and outgained the Boilermakers (2-3, 3-5) by a whopping 282 yards. Rocco Becht passed for 175 yards and one touchdown and ran for another.

They began the game ranked 107th in the FBS and 14th in the Big Ten in rushing and topped their season average (130.7) by a bunch. They had failed to reach 100 rushing yards in each of the previous three games against Michigan, USC and Northwestern.

Wallace has endured much during his four seasons at Penn State, including breaking both of his ankles in a game two years ago, seeing limited action behind Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton last year and falling behind Hansen and James Peoples on the depth chart this season.

Before Saturday, he had just 22 carries this year for 125 yards and two touchdowns.

“Last Tuesday and Wednesday in the bye week, this guy was the shining star,” Campbell said about Wallace. “I said it Thursday. He was again the shining star. To be the guy not playing and then to come out and demand to play and make us play him. …I said to our staff he’s gonna play. He’s earned the right to be on the field.”

Penn State overcame the absence of injured wide receivers Chase Sowell and Koby Howard, a defensive lapse, a special-teams blunder and a few questionable calls to beat Purdue for the 12th straight time.

After Rocco Becht’s short touchdown pass to Rappleyea opened the scoring, Purdue tied it when Ryan Browne backpedaled to avoid a pass rush, threw off his back foot and lobbed a throw that Xavier Townsend caught with Penn State defenders around him for a 33-yard touchdown.

Becht scored the Lions’ second touchdown on a 6-yard run after Wallace broke loose for a 48-yard gain. After Purdue punted, Penn State drove to the Boilermakers’ 49. On first down, Becht unloaded a bomb that Brett Eskildsen couldn’t catch with defensive back Don Sanders making contact. But no flag was thrown.

Three plays later, Bisi Owens blocked Nathan Tiyce’s punt and Jalil Hall returned it 31 yards to tie it.

“There was a breakdown in protection,” Campbell said. “We’re going to have to get it corrected. The biggest thing was how we responded after the blocked punt happened. That was huge.”

Penn State used 15 plays to drive 65 yards for the go-ahead TD, a 1-yard run on fourth down by Hansen. The Lions never trailed again.

After a questionable roughing the passer call on Yvan Kemajou, Penn State’s Jamison Patton intercepted Browne’s pass. That set up Ryan Barker’s 44-yard field goal, which made it 24-14.

The Lions added another touchdown, a 2 -yard run by Wallace after an 85-yard drive, to seal it.

Defensively, the Lions held Purdue to a meager 33 yards on the ground after they had been ranked 105th in rushing defense and second-to-last in the Big Ten.

They picked up their first win since drubbing Buffalo 55-13 on Sept. 19.

“There is joy when you put in the time, effort and energy and you get the outcome,” Campbell said. “I just felt a different energy the last two weeks of practice. To watch this team get rewarded with a win, but not only a win but playing its best four quarters together in team football, that’s exciting.”