The Phanatic Magazine
Rodney Kinlaw rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown as Penn State ended a tumultuous week with a 38-7 thumping of 19th-ranked Wisconsin on homecoming at Happy Valley.
Nittany Lions running back Austin Scott was suspended from the team earlier in the week and then charged with a litany of felonies on Friday, including rape, sexual assault and two counts of aggravated indecent assault. Also, at least two Penn State players were cited for underage drinking last weekend, and to top it off, head coach Joe Paterno was reportedly involved in a road rage incident.
Beleaguered quarterback Anthony Morelli completed 16-of-28 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown for the Nittany Lions (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten), who capitalized on a P.J. Hill fumble on Wisconsin's first play from scrimmage and never looked back.
Freshman standout Evan Royster rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown while Deon Butler caught seven passes for 93 yards and a score. Linebackers Sean Lee and Dan Connor each ended with 12 tackles.
Hill finished with 75 yards on the ground and a touchdown while Kyle Jefferson caught six passes for 124 yards for Wisconsin (5-2, 2-2), which has dropped two in a row following a 14-game winning streak.
Quarterback Tyler Donovan threw two interceptions for the third straight game, completing 16-of-29 passes for 220 yards with no touchdowns. The Badgers were without wideout Luke Swan, who was lost for the year with a hamstring injury.
Wisconsin got off to a bad start to the game, as Penn State stripped Hill on the Badgers' first play from scrimmage and the Nittany Lions recovered on the 12-yard line. Three plays later, fullback Matt Hahn scored from a yard out to quickly put Penn State up 7-0.
The Nittany Lions forced Wisconsin to punt on its next possession and Morelli led Penn State into Badgers' territory. However, the drive stalled on the Wisconsin 13 and Kevin Kelly's 30-yard field goal made it 10-0.
Sparked by a 32-yard catch by Jefferson, the Badgers answered with a score on their following possession. Donovan's long completion to Jefferson gave Wisconsin a first down on the Penn State 34-yard line.
On 3rd-and-4 on the 18-yard line, Donovan found Travis Beckum for a first down to the Nittany Lions' one-yard line. Hill finished off the 10-play, 77-yard drive to bring Wisconsin within 10-7 with just under three minutes left in the opening quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Donovan threw a pass over the middle that deflected off of David Gilreath's hand and into the waiting arms of Lydell Sargeant at midfield. Three plays later, Morelli faked to his left and then found a wide open Butler in the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown.
Penn State appeared to turn the ball over a few minutes later when Derrick Williams fumbled a punt, but Wisconsin was whistled for interference to nullify the turnover.
The Nittany Lions responded with an eight-play, 62-yard scoring drive that culminated when Royster ran untouched to the end zone from 19-yards out to make it 24-7 with 6:35 remaining in the first half.
Penn State picked off Donovan for the second time, but Kelly missed wide left on a 42-yard attempt.
Wisconsin recovered a muffed Williams' punt return with 1:46 remaining at the Penn State 38-yard line, but the Nittany Lions defense came up big and forced the Badgers to punt.
Penn State effectively put the game away early in the third quarter on Kinlaw's two-yard touchdown run that ended an 11-play, 74-yard drive to open the second half.
Donovan led the Badgers to the Penn State 13-yard line early in the fourth quarter, but Penn State forced Wisconsin backwards from there and Taylor Mehlhaff pushed a 42-yard field goal attempt wide right.
Daryll Clark relieved Morelli later in the fourth quarter and took it in himself from a yard out with just under five minutes to play to make it a 31 point game.
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