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Wisconsin Takes 10-7 Lead Over Unbeaten Penn State at Halftime

The Badgers put together a late scoring drive to grab the first-half advantage over the Nittany Lions.

Mark Wogenrich

Wisconsin Badgers running back Tawee Walker (3) rushes with the football during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Camp Randall Stadium.
Wisconsin Badgers running back Tawee Walker (3) rushes with the football during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Camp Randall Stadium. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
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Penn State has been a third-quarter team this season and will need to be one again to hold off Wisconsin and remain unbeaten. The Badgers lead Penn State 10-7 at halftime at Camp Randall Stadium after putting the Nittany Lions under plenty of duress early.

No. 3 Penn State has outscored opponents 59-3 in its six third quarters this season, allowing only a field goal to USC two weeks ago. The Nittany Lions (6-0) began the game with two dynamic drives, the second of which produced a superb touchdown catch from running back Nicholas Singleton and the other ended in a turnover. After that, though, Penn State managed just 45 yards of offense and watched quarterback Drew Allar limp into the locker room early.

Penn State has 30 minutes to reach 7-0 before hosting Ohio State next week. A look at the first half.

A stressful ending for Penn State's offense

The Nittany Lions' first two drives were sharp in terms of playcalling and ball movement. But for a drop, the first could have produced a touchdown, which the second did. However, Wisconsin's defense dialed up more pressure on quarterback Drew Allar after that, punctuating the half with a key sack that prompted the quarterback into a slight limp that sent him to the locker room early.

Allar, who completed nine of his first 10 passes, looked increasingly more frustrated as the second quarter wore on. And after a first-down sack, he got up with a slight limp and walked off gingerly after two ensuing incompletions. Allar began the third quarter on the sldeline, wearing a knee brace, and Beau Pribula took over at quarterback.

Braedyn Locke finds a groove

After a sluggish, 2-for-7 start, Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke sharpened his throws in the second quarter. He led a 10-play, 73-yard touchdown drive, completing three consecutive passes, including a pair to Will Pauling, before Tawee Walker scored on a 1-yard run 1:23 before halftime. The scoring drive benefited from a critical Penn State mistake: The Nittany Lions had 12 defenders on the field on a third-down stop before Walker's touchdown.

Nicholas Singleton's acrobatic touchdown catch

Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton wasn't the best receiver in his backfield last year. That was fellow tailback Kaytron Allen. But Singleton spent the offseason upgrading that part of his game, with superb results.

Singleton made a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch in the second quarter, corralling a pass Allar floated into tight coverage. The catch was his second of the half; Singleton ended the first quarter by taking an Allar outlet throw 27 yards to get into the red zone. The touchdown catch, though, was an elite receiving play.

Penn State's run game starts silently

The Nittany Lions have not run the ball well for 2-and-a-half games. Singleton and Allen combined for 38 yards in the first half, continuing a theme that began with the doubleheader against the California schools. Penn State averaged more than 250 yards rushing through the first four weeks but combined for just 203 yards against UCLA and USC.

Dropped passes blunt offenses

Wisconsin receivers dropped four first-half passes to stall several drives, including a potential scoring opportunity in the first quarter. One came when Penn State freshman safety Dejuan Lane put a shoulder on Wisconsin's Trech Kekahuna downfield.

Penn State also had a huge drop on its opening series from Julian Fleming, who had been so sure-handed on his last three catches. Fleming, whose fourth-down catches were vital at USC, began the game with a 3rd-and-five conversion. Later in the drive he was wide open with the ball on his fingertips and the end zone in his sight. Fleming turned his head too quickly, though, and dropped the potential touchdown pass. On fourth down, Allar couldn't collect a quick Nick Dawkins snap, and Wisconsin recover the fumble at its 28-yard line.

Wisconsin's quirky opening drive

Locke went 2-for-7 on Wisconsin's first series but a strong throw on 3rd-and-15 to keep alive the drive. Then came one of the savviest plays you''ll see from a punter. Penn State's Jalen Kimber had a free rush to the block, but Wisconsin's Atticus Bertrans calmly tucked the ball, reset to punt again and saw uncovered field. He ran for 15 yards on 4th-and-9 for the improbable conversion.

That set up kicker Nathanial Vakos for a 50-yard field goal, giving the Badgers a 3-0 lead.

More Penn State Football

Penn State's Drew Allar is a "different quarterback" this season, NBC's Todd Blackledge says

What's next for Tyler Warren, Penn State's "one of a kind" tight end?

A huge Gatorade ad featuring Nicholas Singleton debuted in State College this week. Columnist Ben Jones on what it means

Cornerback Jalen Kimber played at Georgia and Florida before transferring to Penn State. He did so intent on "upholding the tradition" of the Nittany Lions' secondary

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.

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