Northwestern Wildcats vs Penn State Nittany Lions Box Score on Sep 27, 2014

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 27, 2014

Northwestern 29, Penn State 6: Trevor Siemian threw for 258 yards and ran for three touchdowns as the visiting Wildcats knocked the Nittany Lions from the unbeaten ranks in a Big Ten contest.

Siemian completed 21-of-37 passes and was intercepted once while Dan Vitale registered 113 yards on seven receptions for Northwestern (2-2, 1-0 Big Ten). Freshman linebacker Anthony Walker picked off a pass and returned it 49 yards for a score and Siemian’s 1-yard touchdown run sealed it with 7:22 remaining.

Christian Hackenberg went 22-of-45 through the air for 216 yards – 100 from DaeSean Hamilton on six catches – for Penn State (4-1, 1-1). Northwestern allowed only 60 yards rushing – many of them after the game was decided – and beat the Nittany Lions for the first time since 2004 to snap a six-game losing streak against them.

Northwestern took a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter on a pair of Siemian 1-yard dives and also failed on a fake field-goal attempt deep in Penn State territory. The Nittany Lions settled down and drove 55 yards after a roughing the kicker penalty to set up Sam Ficken’s 42-yard field goal with 5 seconds left to close within 14-3 at halftime.

Ficken’s 36-yard field goal pulled Penn State within 14-6, but Walker stepped in front of a Penn State receiver and rumbled to the end zone for a crushing score on the first play of the fourth quarter. Hackenberg fumbled on the next play from scrimmage to set up Jack Mitchell’s 23-yard field goal for a 23-6 lead with 13:06 remaining.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Wildcats CB Matthew Harris left the field on a stretcher during the third quarter after taking an apparent shot to the head when trying to make a tackle on Hackenberg near the left sideline. … Penn State had not given up a point in the first quarter during its first four contests and was averaging 11 points against overall. … Northwestern WR Tony Jones, who missed the last two games with a leg injury, came back to record three receptions for 31 yards.