Penn State tops Northwestern after wild first half
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Penn State's Silas Redd breaks a tackle by Northwestern's Jordan Mabin Saturday. Redd finshed with 164 yards -- his fourth consecutive 100-yard game in the Nittany Lions' 34-24 win.
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Penn State's usually reliable defense was gouged for 24 points Saturday night in the first half at Ryan Field.
But the Nittany Lions pitched a shutout in the second half en route to a 34-24 victory that kept them unbeaten atop the Leaders Division of the Big Ten Conference.
Weak-side linebacker Gerald Hodges, who had a career-high 14 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks, set up the only score of the second half -- a 19-yard touchdown run by Silas Redd -- with a 63-yard interception return early in the third quarter. The pass was tipped by defensive tackle Jordan Hill.
Penn State's defense did allow a season-high 406 yards, but the Lions also registered a season-high seven sacks and knocked out Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa from the game in the fourth with an apparent ankle injury.
The Lions (7-1, 4-0) won their sixth consecutive game while handing the Wildcats (2-5, 0-4) their fifth consecutive loss.
Coach Joe Paterno, who was in the coaches booth the entire game, tied Eddie Robinson for career victories among all NCAA divisions with win No. 408.
"I'm happy to be part of another big win for coach Paterno," quarterback Matt McGloin said.
McGloin came off the bench in relief of Bolden a year ago to pass for four touchdowns in Penn State's 35-21 victory against Northwestern at Beaver Stadium to give Paterno his 400th win.
McGloin made his first start of the season Saturday against the Wildcats, replacing Rob Bolden, and played the entire game. He completed 17 of 26 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns -- a 45-yarder to wide receiver Devon Smith and a 4-yarder to Justin Brown, both in the first quarter.
Smith finished with a team-high six catches for 110 yards and Penn State had 381 yards overall.
"I thought we played a good, solid football game," said Paterno, who improved to 4-0 against Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald. "We're getting better, but we've still got a ways to go."
Redd went over 100 yards for the fourth consecutive game, finishing with a career-high 164 yards on 18 carries -- a 9.1 average -- against the Wildcats. He also scored his sixth rushing touchdown of the season.
"The offensive line did a great job of opening some holes for me, especially on the touchdown," Redd said. "That's four games in a row now for me and the line. Hopefully, we can keep it going.
First Published October 23, 2011 12:00 am
