GAME SUMMARY

First Posted:

at Beaver Stadium, State College

Purdue`0`14`7`0` —`21

Penn State`14`14`10`7` —`45

Team statistics`Pur`PSU

First downs`14`31

Rushes-yards`20-41`58-289

Passing`223`212

Comp-Att-Int`21-33-1`16-23-1

Return Yards`0`33

Punts-Avg.`3-45.0`0-0.0

Fumbles-Lost`4-2`1-1

Penalties-Yards`5-61`2-15

Time of Possession`23:31`36:29

— Purdue, Hunt 6-22, Freytag 1-14, Cottom 3-11, Anthrop 1-2, Etling 9-(minus 8). PSU, Zwinak 26-149, Belton 19-81, Lynch 9-44, Robinson 1-9, Hackenberg 2-6, Chiappialle 1-0.

— Purdue, Etling 21-33-1-223. PSU, Hackenberg 16-23-1-212.

— Purdue, Posey 6-64, Yancey 4-83, Hunt 3-30, Sinz 3-14, Anthrop 2-21, Knauf 2-9, Bush 1-2. PSU, A.Robinson 8-98, Lewis 3-19, James 2-64, Breneman 2-22, Belton 1-9.

— 96,491.

FIRST QUARTER

— Bill Belton 5-yard run (Sam Ficken kick), 9:11. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:49. Analysis: On the heels of a discouraging effort a week earlier against Minnesota, the Penn State offense gets off to a rare fast start. Bill O’Brien had talked during the week about doing a better job of establishing the run, and that’s exactly what the Nittany Lions do on the opening drive of the game. Belton gets his number called eight times and the Lions run it nine times total on 13 plays, gaining yards despite good penetration by Purdue. When Christian Hackenberg does pass, he converts a pair of third downs on passes to Allen Robinson and Jesse James. Belton continues to look dangerous with some sharp cuts as he finds the end zone.

— Zach Zwinak 1-yard run (Ficken kick), 3:03. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 4:54. Analysis: The Lions continue to grind away on the ground, this time with Zwinak getting in on the action. Penn State’s succecss grinding away at the Boilers forces Purdue to start creeping up in the box, allowing for Robinson to see single coverage. The junior beats his man deep, forcing the Boilers to tackle him for a flag rather than give up the score. It happens again near the goal line as defensive end Ryan Russell somehow gets matched up on Belton in pass coverage and brings him down before the ball arrives to give the Lions first-and-goal. Zwinak punches it in two plays later for his 10th rushing touchdown of the season, the first Penn State player in five years to hit double-digit scores on the ground. PSU 14, PU 0.

SECOND QUARTER

— Justin Sinz 2-yard pass from Danny Etling (Paul Griggs kick), 13:48. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:15. Analysis: Some lingering concern for the Lions defense, as the breakdowns continue against the lowly Boilers. Purdue had gone 42 days in between snaps in the red zone before getting there twice last week against Iowa. A nice misdirection pass gets them in the red area at the end of the first quarter and suddenly Purdue is in the end zone. Etling executes a very nice play-fake on second-and goal, freeing up his tight end Sinz for an easy toss for the score. PSU 14, PU 7.

— Zwinak 1-yard run (Ficken kick), 9:35. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 2:13. Analysis: Penn State fans get a lump in their throat as the Purdue touchdown is followed by another Belton fumble, his third in as many weeks and the 12th lost fumble for the Lions on the season. But the defense gets it right back thanks to a nice play by sophomore cornerback Jordan Lucas, who reads a telegraphed throw from Etling and jumps the route for his third pick of the season, adding a 22-yard return on top of it. Belton spends the drive on the sideline as Zwinak continues to bulldoze defenders, getting five straight carries. On the fifth, he vaults over the pile at the goal just long enough to extend the ball over the plane for his second score of the afternoon. PSU 21, PU 7.

— Adam Breneman 8-yard pass from Christian Hackenberg (Ficken kick), 1:18. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:56. Analysis: Only the Lions’ own fumbling woes can stop them as the offense continues to roll. Redshirt freshman Akeel Lynch makes his first apperance since spraining his knee against Ohio State and gets four carries to keep the sticks moving. Breneman draws the third pass interference flag against Purdue in the half and follows it up with his first career touchdown. It’s a rare true freshman-to-true freshman connection as Breneman reaches over the goal line before his knee hits. Replay review confirms the score. PSU 28, PU 7.

— Raheem Mostert 100-yard kickoff return (Griggs kick), 1:05. Analysis: Well, that’s one way to stay in the game. With Penn State poised to hit halftime with a dominating lead, the kick coverage unit has its first big breakdown of the season as Mostert goes from the corner of his end zone by the front pylon and hits a crease at velocity and squirts through a tackle. Ficken appears to have an angle only to stumble, allowing Mostert to coast the final 50 yards for the score. It’s the first time the Lions have surrendered a 100-yard return for a score since Derrick Mason did it for Michigan State in 1994. PSU 28, PU 14.

THIRD QUARTER

— Etling 11-yard run (Griggs kick), 11:19. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 3:36. Analysis: The Lions defense managed to shut out Minnesota after halftime a week ago. Anemic Purdue takes the opening kick of the second half down the field for a score. Penn State had stacked the line on third-and-short only to have Purdue come out throwing, hitting DeAngelo Yancey behind a surprised secondary for a gain of 45. Two plays later, Etling sells a nice fake out of the shotgun and ends up keeping it himself on a bootleg right, walking into the end zone untouched. PSU 28, PU 21.

— Ficken 29-yard field goal, 8:51. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:22. Analysis: With the game amazingly in doubt at this point, Hackenberg doesn’t allow the Boilers to pick up more momentum with a stop. The freshman does a nice job of scrambling to his right to avoid a sack, throwing on the run to a wide-open Jesse James in the middle of the field. It ends up as a 58-yard reception, a career-long for both the QB and the TE. Purdue’s defense finally holds from there, and The Lions settle for three points. PSU 31, PU 21.

— Zwinak 5-yard run (Ficken kick), 5:21. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:40. Analysis: Not a pretty day for the Lions defense overall, but a second huge play is a welcome sight in a 10-point game. Deion Barnes picks up just his second sack of the season and manages to jar the ball loose from Etling. Austin Johnson pounces on the loose ball for the turnover. Three completions sets up three straight runs for Zwinak, who casually strolls up the middle for his third score of the day, tying a career-best. PSU 38, PU 21.

FOURTH QUARTER

— Hackenberg 4-yard run (Ficken kick), 4:27. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 5:17. Analysis: O’Brien’s mantra of “complementary football” pays off as the defense comes up with a third turnover, which leads to a Lions touchdown for the third time. This time it’s Nyeem Wartman, who returned to the starting lineup in place of the injured Ben Kline, who forces an Etling fumble on his first career sack. Mike Hull comes up with the recovery and the offense proceeds to march right down the field. On second and goal, Hackenberg matches his one-time roommate Etling with an excellent fake handoff to Zwinak, keeping it himself to score an easy touchdown. PSU 45, PU 21.