Colton Joseph threw two touchdown passes in the final four minutes as Wisconsin recovered from a late deficit to stun No. 13 Penn State 24-20 on Saturday in University Park, Pa.
In the conference opener for both teams, Penn State (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) held an early 17-0 lead and still led 20-10 with time winding down. However, Wisconsin (3-1, 1-0) rallied behind Joseph, who threw three interceptions and completed just 18 of 38 passes for 235 yards but stepped up in clutch time.
The decisive score was Joseph’s 72-yard TD pass to Jacob Harris with 1:13 left. The third-and-13 pass traveled about 25 yards in the air to the wide-open tight end, who stiff-armed a defender and rumbled to the end zone.
Penn State’s last-minute drive ended at the Wisconsin 33. Rocco Becht (12-of-29, 129 yards, one interception) was sacked on first down before throwing three straight incompletions in the waning seconds.
On the fourth play of the second quarter, Josiah Zayas snagged Joseph’s pass into the flat and sprinted 51 yards the other way for a pick-six, giving the Nittany Lions a 10-0 lead.
On the Badgers’ next trip, Joseph overthrew a receiver on third-and-13. Daryus Dixson intercepted the ball and returned it 24 yards to the Wisconsin 11, setting up Becht’s 3-yard TD run three plays later.
Wisconsin finally dented the scoreboard late in the second quarter, when Joseph ran left for a 7-yard TD run to make it 17-7 with 1:18 to play before halftime.
Early in the third quarter, Becht had a pass was tipped and intercepted by Charles Perkins. Wisconsin’s ensuing drive went nowhere, but the good field position resulted in Gavin Lahm’s 34-yard field goal.
Ryan Barker countered with a field goal of his own – a 37-yarder – as Penn State restored its 10-point lead with 3:53 left in the third quarter.
Joseph was intercepted for a third time midway through the fourth, but the Wisconsin defense held its ground. When the Badgers got the ball back, Joseph made amends with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Eugene Hilton Jr. along the left side of the end zone with 3:31 to play.
