Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547542
8 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 6 OPENING SHOT TURNING A CORNER Ever since squandering an early 17-point lead in its Big Ten opener against Wisconsin, Penn State had been on the back foot defensively throughout the conference season, the result be- ing four consecutive losses heading into Purdue's visit to Beaver Stadium on Oct. 31. The Boilermakers had looked entirely capable of prolonging PSU's struggles, but after a back- and-forth first quarter, the Nittany Lions clamped down hard, holding the visitors to 175 total yards and coming up with a pair of interceptions in a 31-17 victory at Beaver Stadium. Purdue ran only 44 plays on the night and had the ball for just 16 minutes, 33 seconds to the home team's 43:27. Penn State didn't have a tackle for loss at half- time but turned up the heat in the second half with pressure and physical play up front. The numbers across the board were down due to the circumstances, but sophomore defensive end Yvan Kemajou (right) kept flashing and finally helped close the door with a sack in the fourth quarter — the first by a PSU defensive lineman since the start of Big Ten play. Kemajou finished with 3 tackles on the night and was flagged for a questionable roughing-the-passer call in the third quarter on a pressure that should have ended another drive. Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Arm- strong Nnodim stepped in early and was active in the backfield on multiple occasions. He finished with 1.5 tackles for loss on the night. The Nittany Lions' secondary was off early; Purdue went at freshman cornerback Josiah Za- yas successfully on its second drive. After that, though, it was lockdown for Penn State. Senior safeties Jamison Patton and Jeremiah Cooper helped seal it with second-half interceptions. Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne hit on 6 of his first 7 passes but was just 4 of 22 after the first quarter. He finished 10 of 29 for 142 yards and a score on the night. It was a dominant stretch over the final three quarters for the Nit- tany Lions' back five, and the end result was a much-needed victory for a team that hadn't had a lot to feel good about in the weeks leading up to the game. "To watch this team be able to get rewarded with a win — and not only a win, but playing its best four quarters of team football together — that part's exciting," head coach Matt Campbell said. "It's great for those guys to earn the right to celebrate tonight." — Sean Fitz PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS