EVANSTON, Ill. – The Northwestern Ryan Field debut turned into a rout Friday night as the Wildcats beat Penn State 34-13 behind a season-high 413 rushing yards. Caleb Komolafe ran for a career-high 188 yards and a touchdown as Northwestern improved to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten.
Penn State fell to 3-2 and 0-2 in conference play, its second straight Big Ten loss. We previewed this matchup before kickoff.
Northwestern Ryan Field debut starts fast
Quarterback Aidan Chiles scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter. Joseph Himon II then broke off touchdown runs of 38 and 11 yards in the second quarter, the second coming in the final two minutes, and the Wildcats led 24-7 at halftime.
Penn State missed a 45-yard field goal before the break. Komolafe’s 1-yard touchdown run with 1:13 left in the third quarter made it 31-7, according to The Associated Press.
Wildcats overwhelm Penn State on the ground
Himon finished with 162 yards on 10 carries, and Komolafe carried 25 times. Northwestern totaled 506 yards, another season high, while Penn State managed 291, according to CBS Sports.
Penn State ran for a season-low 48 yards, according to Northwestern’s athletics department. Rocco Becht completed 26 of 41 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown but threw two interceptions, to Robert Fitzgerald and Braydon Brus.
What it means for both teams
Northwestern bounced back from a 29-23 loss at then-No. 6 Indiana. The Wildcats opened the $875 million stadium, built on the site of the old Ryan Field.
Penn State, in Matt Campbell’s first season as head coach, lost 24-20 to Wisconsin after blowing a 17-point lead. The Nittany Lions are still looking for their first conference win.
What’s next
Penn State hosts Southern California on Oct. 10. Northwestern hosts Ball State the same day. More coverage: Northwestern Athletics game recap.
