What We Learned From Penn State's Satisfying Win Over Purdue

The Nittany Lions find a run game, and perhaps a running back, in beating the Boilermakers at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Cam Wallace (26) is lifted into the air by offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh (68) after scoring a touchdown against the Purdue Boilermakers at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State offensive tackle Anthony Donkoh unleashed four games of frustration with a roar, ringing the victory bell then flexing as he screamed into the fans left in the student section. Yes, it’s been that long.

Penn State finally broke its Big Ten losing streak Saturday, defeating Purdue 31-14 in a game the Nittany Lions controlled throughout.

Here’s what we learned from Penn State’s important Big Ten win, one punctuated by two areas the Nittany Lions have previously struggled in: the ground game and the pass rush.  

Penn State finally has success running the ball

Penn State coach Matt Campbell on what led to RB Cam Wallace”s breakthrough game. pic.twitter.com/NVcd5lHmpR

— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) October 31, 2026

The Nittany Lions scored two touchdowns in the first quarter of a Big Ten game for the first time this season. They owed that to a running game that finally produced against a conference opponent. 

Penn State ran for 124 first-quarter yards on the backs of Carson Hansen and Cam Wallace, who jolted for 42- and 48-yard explosive rushes the team hadn't found against Big Ten teams. The Nittany Lions ran for 269 yards against Purdue after failing to record more than 68 rushing yards in their previous three games. 

“In the run game, simplifying what we do allows us to fundamentally try to adapt to what our backs and our offensive line can do well,” Penn State coach Matt Campbell said. “... So I thought it was a great starting point and a great opportunity for us to continue to grow forward.”

In particular, Penn State found success on the edges. Heading into the game, the Nittany Lions’ four backs (Hansen, Wallace, James Peoples and Quinton Martin Jr.) ran for 5.89 yards per carry attacking the right side of the line and 7.06 on the left side, as opposed to 3.28 running up the middle. Penn State’s two explosive runs, which set up touchdowns, came off rushes on the edges.

Wallace headlined the team’s ground game, rushing 22 times for a season-high 135 yards and a touchdown. Campbell called Wallace the “shining star” of Penn State’s bye week.

“You’ve got to earn the right to play, and Cam did,” Campbell said. “Cam had an incredible two weeks [of practice]. He has continued to stay the course, and how he's practiced has earned the right to go in and not just play, but honestly take advantage of his opportunity.”

Hansen followed with a 17-carry, 96-yard, one-touchdown performance. The duo led Penn State to dominate time of possession, holding an eye-catching 43:27-16:33 edge. The defense was jealous.

“Man, it was awesome,” linebacker Kooper Ebel said, “and almost frustrating because you want to be out there.”

Tight ends pick up the slack with Sowell, Howard inactive

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Andrew Rappleyea (87) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Purdue Boilermakers at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Chase Sowell and Koby Howard, Penn State’s top two receivers, were inactive, which routed the passing game through the tight ends. They responded.  

“I thought the tight ends stepped up in a great way,” Campbell said.

Andrew Rappleyea paced the offense in the first half, posting four catches for 45 yards and a touchdown through two quarters. He was a consistent presence for quarterback Rocco Becht in the middle of the field, just like he has been in Big Ten games. 

Heading into Saturday, 24 of Rappleyea’s 35 targets this season came at least seven yards downfield. Three of the redshirt junior’s four first-half catches resulted in 10+-yard gains. Saturday marked Rappleyea’s fourth consecutive game with at least four catches and 30 yards.

Ben Brahmer piggybacked Rappleyea in the second half, finishing with four catches for 58 yards. Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser made a point to get him involved, and while it didn’t work in the first half, Brahmer was reliable in the second.   

Penn State played with nothing to lose

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell reacts to a call during the fourth quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Campbell and his staff called plays like they had nothing to lose against the Boilermakers. The Nittany Lions faked a field goal on fourth-and-7 on their first drive and went for it on fourth-and-1 twice on the same series, including once from their own 28-yard line. Both attempts were successful, with the second producing a touchdown. 

Mouser stretched the playbook without his top two receiving threats, calling a jet sweep with cornerback Audavion Collins that picked up 11 yards. The coordinator seemingly dialed up his most creative game of the season, and plenty of his calls worked. But it wasn’t just the daring shots he took.

Mouser rolled Becht out of the pocket often, which was successful several times, specifically in the third quarter when he hit freshman Amarion Jackson for a 22-yard catch. 

And he also pulled out some neat formations, like calling a diamond alignment on the right sideline that created a 1-on-1 with tight end Ben Brahmer and a cornerback on the opposite side of the field. 

Mouser consistently put his players in advantageous situations, and it was one of the main reasons his team put up 31 points, the most in conference play this season. 

“I thought they did a really great job from a game-planning standpoint,” Campbell said.

Penn State’s pass rush finally shows up

Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) throws a pass while being pressured by Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Alexander McPherson (33) at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It took eight games, but the Nittany Lions’ defense, despite recording just one sack, generated pressure on Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne. The defensive line was constantly in Browne’s face, disrupting his timing and causing several misthrows. He seriously looked uncomfortable in the pocket. 

Purdue scored just one touchdown on offense, in large part due to the pressure it faced. There were several times receivers were open downfield. Browne just couldn’t execute because of his limited time to throw. He was under pressure even on the touchdown throw, a jump ball that receiver Xavier Townsend caught near the end zone.

Penn State recorded six quarterback hurries, including two each by Caleb Bacon and Alexander McPherson. Yvan Kemajou also stood out with one sack and another wiped off the board by a questionable roughing-the-passer call. After completing six of his first seven passes, Browne went 4-for-22 after that. His streak of nine straight incompletions included an interception.

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