Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
2-2 , 1-0
Penn State
4-1 , 1-1
Team Stats
NU 7, PSU 0
NU - Siemian, Trevor 1 yd run (Mitchell, Jack kick), 4 plays, 31 yards, TOP 1:27
NU 14, PSU 0
NU - Siemian, Trevor 1 yd run (Mitchell, Jack kick), 10 plays, 60 yards, TOP 3:52
NU 14, PSU 3
PSU - Ficken, Sam 42 yd field goal 10 plays, 55 yards, TOP 1:23
NU 14, PSU 6
PSU - Ficken, Sam 36 yd field goal 5 plays, 11 yards, TOP 0:38
NU 20, PSU 6
NU - Walker, Anthony 49 yd interception (Mitchell, Jack kickfailed)
NU 23, PSU 6
NU - Mitchell, Jack 23 yd field goal 4 plays, 8 yards, TOP 1:36
NU 29, PSU 6
NU - Siemian, Trevor 1 yd run (Mitchell, Jack kickfailed), 7 plays, 28 yards, TOP 3:55
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Defensive Dominance Leads B1GCats Over Penn State, 29-6
9/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Northwestern opened Big Ten play Saturday at Penn State with a dominating defensive performance, riding three rushing touchdowns from Trevor Siemian and a pick-six by Anthony Walker to a resounding 29-6 win, the Wildcats first victory over the Nittany Lions and at Beaver Stadium since 2004.
Northwestern's defense stole the show through the duration of the game, led by the coming out party of redshirt freshman Walker. Making his first career start in his Big Ten Conference debut in place of the injured Collin Ellis, Walker registered eight tackles to go along with a game-changing interception return for touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Siemian recorded 21 completions on 37 attempts for 258 yards and one interception. Though the record will reflect just five rushing attempts for an eight-yard loss, three of those runs resulted in touchdowns on quarterback sneaks behind a surging offensive line. Junior superback Dan Vitale was a favorite target of Siemian's, hauling in seven receptions for a career-high 113 yards, the second 100-yard receiving game of Vitale's career and the first by a Wildcat this season.
Northwestern showed signs of the offensive success to come on the opening drive, using an up-tempo offense and a 28-yard completion to Vitale to move deep into Nittany Lions territory. But a personal foul penalty backed the Wildcats up and prompted a 44-yard field goal try by Jack Mitchell, but the attempt missed wide right.
After a three-and-out by the PSU offense, Miles Shuler provided a spark in his first Big Ten contest with a nifty 42-yard punt return to the 31-yard line. It was the longest punt return by a Wildcat since Venric Mark's 75-yard punt return touchdown against the Nittany Lions in Beaver Stadium on Oct. 6, 2012.
Three plays later, Siemian fired a 28-yard laser on third down to wideout Mike McHugh that took the Wildcats to the 1-yard line and gave McHugh his first career reception. Siemian snuck it in from there -- his first rushing touchdown since the 2013 Gator Bowl -- to provide the visitors a 7-0 advantage. The points marked the first allowed by Penn State in a first quarter this season.
DE Dean Lowry forced Penn State into a second straight three-and-out when he batted down a third-down pass attempt by Christian Hackenberg at the line of scrimmage. Following the PSU punt, Siemian again went to the air to bring Northwestern inside the 5-yard line, this time finding Tony Jones in the senior's return after missing two games with an injury. Just like on the first drive, the Northwestern O-Line provided the surge at the goal line that allowed Siemian to sneak it in for NU's second touchdown of the game.
Penn State's ensuing series ended after just three plays, the last of which was another sack by NU sophomore Ifeadi Odenigbo, and a poor punt gave Northwestern the ball in prime position inside the 30-yard line. Siemian then threaded a pass to superback Mark Szott down to the 7-yard line, but the Wildcats were kept off the scoreboard when a fake field goal rush by Christian Salem was denied short of the goal line by the Penn State defense.
Penn State finally mustered its initial first down of the game on the final play of the opening quarter, a period in which the Wildcats outgained their hosts, 166-31.
Northwestern kept a zero in the Penn State scoring column thanks to a blocked field goal by C.J. Robbins, the second in as many games and the fourth overall blocked kick this season by NU.
Later in the period, Northwestern appeared to have added to its lead when cornerback Matthew Harris ripped and stripped the ball from a Penn State wide receiver and scooped it on his way to the end zone. But following a review, the referees determined the receiver did not have complete possession, and the pass was ruled incomplete. The Nittany Lions used their second life to drive in Northwestern territory and convert a Sam Ficken field goal, sending the teams to the locker room with NU in front, 14-3.
Penn State scored the only points of the third quarter with a field goal that cut it to a one-score game, but that all changed with Walker's 49-yard INT return for a touchdown. On Penn State's next play from scrimmage, another young Wildcat, true freshman Xavier Washington, came free to drill Hackenberg and force a fumble that was recovered by Connor Mahoney.
Mitchell would come on to convert a 23-yard field goal to extend NU's lead to 17, and the Northwestern defense came up with yet another stand when Greg Kuhar stuffed Bill Belton on a fourth-and-1 rush attempt, returning the ball to the Wildcats in excellent field position.
The next drive resulted in Siemian punching it in for his third rushing touchdown of the game to ice the contest, 29-6, midway through the fourth quarter. From there, NU stopped another Penn State fourth-down attempt in Nittany Lion territory and effectively burned up the clock on the ground to seal the victory.
Northwestern's challenging start to Big Ten play continues with a return to Ryan Field, where the Wildcats will host No. 19/17 Wisconsin at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday. Tickets are available at NUsports.com's online ticket office or by calling 888-GO-PURPLE. for 11 a.m. CT with live television coverage provided by the Big Ten Network.
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