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Penn State returned to State College, Pennsylvania, looking to bounce back from last week’s upset loss against the UCLA Bruins. But the Northwestern Wildcats had other plans on Saturday.
Wildcats running back Caleb Komolafe sprinted for 72 yards and scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to help lift Northwestern to a 22-21 win at Beaver Stadium. The narrow victory secured Northwestern’s third consecutive victory, while Penn State dropped its third straight.
“I truly believe that our football team expected to win today,” Northwestern coach David Braun said. “Ultimately, the message was you’ve got a football team that’s got their back up against the wall, but also a football team that may be questioning who they are.”
The Wildcats ended their 11-year windless drought at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State got the ball back with just under five minutes remaining following Komolafe’s touchdown, but quarterback Drew Allar suffered an apparent leg injury on a third-down play.
After the game, Penn State coach James Franklin confirmed Allar would miss the remainder of the season with an unspecified injury. Backup Ethan Grunkemeyer replaced him, was stopped on a fourth-down run, and the Wildcats ran out the clock.
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Backup Ethan Grunkemeyer replaced him and was immediately stopped on a fourth-down run and the Wildcats ran the clock out from there.
Allar finished 13 for 20 for 137 yards passing and added 25 yards rushing and a touchdown. Allar returned for his senior season to make better of the season-ending interception he threw in last season’s College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame.
The Nittany Lions committed six penalties for 71 yards in the first half.
Franklin took responsibility for Penn State’s recent struggles. “I take full responsibility for all of it,” Franklin said. “I hired all the staff, I recruited all the players. I believe in all of them. But we’re not getting it done right now.”
Iowa will host Penn State next week, and Grunkemeyer is expected to start at quarterback for the Nittany Lions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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