Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Wisconsin Erases 17-Point Deficit, Stuns No. 13 Penn State 24-20
The Badgers scored twice in the final 3:31 and took the lead on Colton Joseph’s 72-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Harris with 1:13 left.
Wisconsin turned a 17-point hole into a 24-20 road win over No. 13 Penn State. The Badgers scored 14 points in the final 3:31, moving ahead when Colton Joseph found Jacob Harris for a 72-yard touchdown with 1:13 remaining.
Wisconsin won despite three Colton Joseph interceptions, one of which Penn State returned for a touchdown. The Badgers’ defense kept the Nittany Lions scoreless in the fourth quarter while Joseph delivered two late touchdown passes.
How Wisconsin flipped the final four minutes
Penn State’s third-quarter 37-yard field goal made it 20-10. Wisconsin cut the lead to three with 3:31 left when Joseph threw an 11-yard touchdown to Eugene Hilton Jr., completing a 10-play, 75-yard drive.
After forcing a punt, Wisconsin started at its own 15 with 2:28 remaining. The winning possession covered 85 yards in six plays, ending with Joseph’s 72-yard touchdown pass to Harris at 1:13. The extra point made it 24-20.
The comeback began after two costly interceptions
Penn State led 17-0 in the second quarter after a field goal, Josiah Zayas’ 51-yard interception return and Rocco Becht’s three-yard touchdown run. The second touchdown followed another Joseph interception that gave Penn State a short field.
Joseph’s seven-yard scoring run cut it to 17-7 before halftime. Charles Perkins’ third-quarter interception set up Gavin Lahm’s 34-yard field goal, reducing the deficit to seven before Penn State answered with its final field goal.
Defense kept the comeback within reach
Wisconsin finished with 355 total yards to Penn State’s 233. Penn State converted seven of 19 third downs, while Wisconsin converted four of 15. Joseph threw three interceptions and Becht one; neither team lost a fumble.
Wisconsin’s defense allowed no fourth-quarter points, including after Joseph’s third interception. Following the go-ahead touchdown, Javan Robinson broke up two passes on Penn State’s final drive, one in the end zone, to help preserve the win.
