Penn State Rewind: How the Lions Landed a Big Win at Wisconsin

James Franklin loves two stats: turnovers and big plays. The Lions won both in their victory over the Badgers.

Author:
Mark Wogenrich
Sep 4, 2021 7:57 PM EDT

Penn State coach James Frankin said "our kids willed it to happen today," following his team's 16-10 win over No. 12 Wisconsin. It was No. 19 Penn State's first win over a ranked team to start a season since 1999 and Franklin's second road win over a ranked opponent (along with the Iowa game in 2019) as Penn State's coach.

Here's a look at the top moments, key stats, and opportunities for improvement from the Lions' fifth consecutive win over Wisconsin.

Penn State's exhausted defense prevails

Wisconsin ran a staggering 95 plays and had the ball for 42:24, totals higher than any team managed against Penn State last season. In fact, Ohio State buried Penn State in both categories (79 plays, 37:01 time of possession) and won 38-25.

Meanwhile, Penn State's offense (which ran at a higher tempo under first-year coordinator Mike Yurcich) provided little downtime: The Lions had seven 3-and-out series, and their longest drive lasted 2:05.

So how did the defense withstand such a pace in humid conditions at Camp Randall?

"This offseason was the toughest offseason I’ve ever had," defensive tackle PJ Mustipher told reporters in Madison. "Coach Franklin put us all in situations that … it was tough. That was day-in and day-out. It wasn't just one time in the offseason. But we were prepared, and it showed up when it mattered the most."

Franklin found comfort in the ending, particularly considering Wisconsin had two chances to take the lead in the fourth quarter. He also hoped Penn State would put that finish to good use.

"Obviously, when you can go on the road and find a way to protect the lead against that type of team and that type of offense and the crowd and everything else, yeah, there’s tremendous confidence that can come from this," Franklin told reporters after the game. "And we see it across the board in college football. An early season big win can do a lot of good. But all that matters is we learn from it, we correct the film and then we’ve got to find a way to do it next week."

Overcoming the memory of Indiana

Speaking of seeing it across the board in college football...

Last October, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. led Indiana on a 75-yard, seven-play drive to the game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter against a weary Penn State defense. The Hoosiers won in double overtime, and Penn State finished the season 4-5.

The subject certainly came up on Penn State's sideline Saturday at Wisconsin.

"It was the same situation," Mustipher said. "So it kind of flashed back in my mind like, 'If we want to win this game, we've got to stop them in the red zone.' And we did that."

Safety Ji'Ayir Brown intercepted a Graham Mertz pass at the 8-yard line, providing the final sigh of relief yet also a question: Why couldn't the offense run out the clock?

Penn State had a chance to do that after safety Jaquan Brisker returned a goal-line interception 41 yards. Ultimately, the Lions punted after three plays.

Yes, Wisconsin used its last two timeouts, but the Lions gained just 4 yards and gave the Badgers another chance with 1:11 remaining.

The flashback was intensified after defensive end Arnold Ebiketie was called for a personal foul, giving Wisconsin possession at the Penn State 40. While proud of his defense, Franklin sought more there from his offense.

"We shouldn't put the defense back out there," Franklin said. "We've got to be able to finish the game on our terms."

Penn State safety Ji'Ayir Brown intercepts a fourth-quarter pass to seal his team's 16-10 win over Wisconsin (Jeff Hanisch/USA Today Sports)

Two key stats for Penn State

Wisconsin dominated the scorebook, save for two key points that Franklin considers vital: turnovers and explosive plays.

Penn State was plus-3 in turnovers, with two interceptions and a fumble recovery, all in its own red zone. The Lions tied for 113th in the nation last year in turnover margin (minus-8)

Penn State also had five plays of 15+ yards to Wisconsin's three. Three of Penn State's big plays went for 42+ yards; Wisconsin's longest was 23.

And four of those plays belonged to receivers Jahan Dotson and KeAndre Lambert-Smith. Dotson caught a touchdown pass of 49 yards and added a 42-yard reception that set up a score. Lambert-Smith's 52-yard catch on 3rd-and-10 set up Penn State for a scoring opportunity, though kicker Jordan Stout missed the field goal.

According to Franklin, Penn State wins 97 percent of its games when it wins those statistical categories.

"They're the two most important stats in football," he said.

Arnold Ebiketie's huge debut

Teammates have been raving about defensive end Arnold Ebiketie since he arrived at Penn State as a Temple transfer. Ebiketie, an all-conference defender with the Owls, introduced himself to Big Ten football with a high-impact performance.

Ebiketie made seven tackles (two for losses), sacked Mertz on the play before Brown's interception (forcing a grounding penalty) and blocked a first-quarter field goal to keep the game scoreless. It was his first career blocked field goal.

Franklin said he saw Ebiketie's day coming.

"There's been a buzz about AK since he showed up on campus," Franklin said. "He's an explosive guy. he's a productive guy, and I think he'll only get better from this."

Penn State's Arnold Ebiketie hits Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz (Jeff Hanisch/USA Today Sports)

The offensive line took a beating

Granted, Wisconsin sports one of the Big Ten's most physical defensive fronts, and coordinator Jim Leonhard attacked with clever blitzes and stunts. Still, Penn State's offensive line did not handle this game well.

The Lions had 2 yards rushing at halftime, converted one first down and faced an average third-down distance of 7.9 yards for the game. One saving grace: Quarterback Sean Clifford was 4 for 6 passing on third down, averaging 21.5 yards per attempt.

Penn State isn't likely to face such a defense until it gets to Iowa in October, so there's time to improve. But this was humbling.

"We knew we had to get the ball on the perimeter, whether that was with outside zone or whether that's with the bubble [screens], so that helped get us going," Franklin said. "Because it's really hard to live in third and long all day."

Penn State's Jahan Dotson celebrates a touchdown (Jeff Hanisch/USA Today Sports)

Quick outs

Penn State ended Wisconsin's 25-game winning streak in home-openers that dated to 1996.
Running back Noah Cain asserted himself in the fourth quarter, rushing six times for 45 yards and the eventual game-winning touchdown. Cain had just 2 carries for 3 yards in the first half.
Kicker Jordan Stout had a wild day: He averaged 53.9 yards per punt (with a long of 76), hit four touchbacks on kickoffs, missed a 23-yard field goal and missed an extra point, which Franklin said gave him "agita." Fellow kicker Jake Pinegar, who handled short-yardage attempts last year, was available, Franklin said, but the staff went with Stout.
Wisconsin had 17 rushing first downs. Penn State had one.
Franklin said he wants Dotson to get more touches. Dotson was targeted 11 times and made five receptions. He did not drop a pass.

Up next

Penn State hosts Ball State in its home opener Sept. 11 at Beaver Stadium. Ball State (1-0) defeated Western Illinois 31-21 in its opener Thursday. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.

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