UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State rallied today to defeat Purdue, keeping alive its hopes for a New Year's Day bowl game.

The Nittany Lions scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter for a 26-19 victory on Senior Day at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) bounced back from last week's 20-point loss to Ohio State to close out the home portion of its schedule at 6-1.

The Lions, trailing 16-13 after three quarters, got the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter when receiver Derrick Williams scored on a 12-yard reverse. Penn State botched the extra point, when holder Jeremy Boone mishandled Patrick Weber's snap.

Backup tailback Evan Royster scored on a 26-yard run to seal the victory for Penn State. That play put Royster, a redshirt freshman, over 100 yards for the first time in his career.

Chris Summers of Purdue booted field goals of 50 and 28 yards in the third quarter to give the Boilermakers (7-3, 3-3) a short-lived lead.

Purdue jumped to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter as Dorien Bryant returned the opening kickoff 98 yards.

After a Purdue field goal, Penn State eventually tied the game at

10 when quarterback Anthony Morelli tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Williams on a third-and-4 play from the 5-yard line.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

First Published: November 3, 2007, 7:45 p.m.