Penn State 28, Washington 25: a 28-6 halftime lead survives a Husky rally

Penn State won this game in the second quarter and spent the second half protecting it. The Nittany Lions scored three touchdowns in the period, went to the locker room up 28-6, and then held on as Washington cut the gap to three with 7:40 left. Final at Husky Stadium: Penn State 28, Washington 25.

The difference in a three-point game came down to the ball and the chains. Penn State had no turnovers and converted 7 of 15 on third down. Washington threw one interception and went 4 of 12.

How it was won

Washington scored first on a 29-yard Tyler Robles field goal at 8:13 of the first quarter. Penn State answered at 4:35 with a 12-yard Carson Hansen run.

Then came the stretch that decided it. Rocco Becht hit Zay Robinson for 24 yards at 14:43 of the second quarter, and found Chase Sowell for 45 yards at 10:03 to make it 21-3. Robles added a 31-yard field goal, but Cam Wallace broke a 46-yard run at 2:44 for a 28-6 half. Ryan Barker made all four extra points.

Penn State did not score again. Robles hit from 47 yards midway through the third quarter, and Demond Williams Jr. threw a 4-yard touchdown to Baron Naone at 3:55, then passed to Rashid Williams for two. That made it 28-17. In the fourth, Williams found Dezmen Roebuck from 6 yards and hit Naone on another two-point conversion to get within 28-25. Washington did not score again.

Penn State outgained Washington 414 to 306 and had 21 first downs to 15. Becht finished 16 of 27 for 240 yards and two touchdowns. Sowell caught four passes for 125 yards. Hansen ran 14 times for 119 yards, and Wallace added 56 on seven carries. Benjamin Brahmer had four catches for 36 yards. The Nittany Lions held the ball for 31:14.

Williams went 19 of 33 for 172 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, and ran five times for 43 yards. Jayden Limar ran nine times for 66 yards. Chris Lawson caught five passes for 89 yards, and Roebuck had four for 30.

Against the number

Washington closed as a 2.5-point favorite, so Penn State covered and won outright. The Nittany Lions closed at +114 on the moneyline, with Washington at -135.

The total closed at 46.5, and 53 points went over. The game sat at 45 through three quarters; the Roebuck touchdown in the fourth pushed it past the number. Full closing prices are on the game page.

What's next

Penn State is 5-4 and has won two straight after a four-game losing run that included losses to Wisconsin, Northwestern, USC and Michigan. The Nittany Lions host Minnesota on Saturday, November 14.

Washington is also 5-4. The loss ended a two-game winning streak built on road wins at Purdue and Nebraska, and it was the Huskies' third home loss in conference play, after Minnesota and Iowa. Washington visits Michigan State on Saturday, November 14, on BTN.