UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State football (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten) defeated the Purdue Boilermakers (3-5, 2-3 Big Ten), 31-17, on Halloween night at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium.
The Nittany Lions put on an offensive show in the matchup, led by senior quarterback Rocco Becht, who went 16-for-24 with 175 yards and one touchdown through the air. The team recorded 457 total yards, including 269 rushing yards and 188 passing yards.
Penn State got on the board first when Becht threw a four-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior tight end Andrew Rappleyea, his third of the season. Becht later added a rushing touchdown of his own for Penn State’s second score of the game. Senior running back Carson Hansen grabbed his third touchdown of the season on a one-yard rush to cap off the Nittany Lions’ third scoring drive. Senior kicker Ryan Barker drilled a 44-yard field goal to extend the Penn State lead to 24-14. Redshirt junior running back Cam Wallace added Penn State’s fourth touchdown of the night on a two-yard rush in the middle of the fourth quarter. In the kicking game, Barker went 4-for-4 on extra points in addition to his made field goal.
Wallace spearheaded the running game with a career-high 135 yards on 22 carries, while Hansen chipped in another 96 yards on 17 attempts. Senior tight end Benjamin Brahmer led the receiving corps with 58 yards, while Rappleyea tallied 45 yards in addition to a receiving touchdown.
On defense, Penn State held Purdue to just 33 rushing yards and a 2-for-11 mark on third-down conversions. Freshman cornerback Josiah Zayas led the defense with five tackles, three of them solo, while sophomore cornerback Daryus Dixson and sophomore defensive end Yvan Kemajou each added two of their own. Kemajou also produced his second sack of the season. Senior safety Jamison Patton picked off Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne midway through the third quarter, his first of the season. Browne was intercepted again by redshirt senior safety Jeremiah Cooper with 1:52 left in the fourth quarter, helping to ice the 31-17 result.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Penn State defense did not allow points on Purdue’s first offensive drive of the contest. Hansen’s 42-yard run put the offense in scoring position. On fourth-and-seven on the Boilermakers’ 20-yard line, the Nittany Lions’ kicking unit made an appearance on the field for what would end up being a shovel pass from Nathan Tiyce to Brahmer to convert the first down. Penn State made use of the conversion, completing a four-yard touchdown pass to Rappleyea for the first score of the game to give the Nittany Lions a 7-0 lead at the 5:13 mark in the first frame.
Purdue used two 30-plus-yard plays on its next drive to add points to the board. A 33-yard pass capped off the four-play drive to tie the score at 7-7.
The Nittany Lions responded with a four-play scoring drive of their own. A 48-yard rush from Wallace quickly moved the ball into Purdue territory. Becht completed the sequence with a six-yard dive into the end zone, giving PSU a seven-point advantage heading into the second quarter.
Penn State could not extend its lead after a defensive stop. Tiyce’s ensuing punt was blocked by a Purdue player and returned for a touchdown to knot the score at 14-14 with just under nine minutes remaining in the half.
The Nittany Lions used seven minutes of game clock and 15 plays to take a 21-14 advantage with 1:48 to play in the second stanza. PSU’s defense forced another punt to close out the first half with a seven-point edge.
Both the Penn State and Purdue offenses made quick appearances to open the third frame before each team was forced to punt. The Nittany Lions called on Barker to attempt a 55-yard field goal at the 6:53 mark in the quarter, but Barker’s kick was just shy of the goal post.
Patton came up with a key interception on Penn State’s next defensive stand. After a 15-yard penalty gave Purdue a first down, Armstrong Nnodim produced a five-yard tackle for loss before Patton picked off Browne and returned it 13 yards. The PSU offense returned to the field at Purdue’s 41-yard line. Barker converted a 44-yard field goal to increase Penn State’s advantage to 24-14 with just over two minutes remaining in the third stanza.
The Blue & White defense forced a quick punt for the Boilermakers, allowing the offense to return heading into the final quarter of play. The Nittany Lions extended their lead to 31-14 on a two-yard touchdown run by Wallace, who capped off a 10-play drive that covered 85 yards and took 6:54 off the clock.
Purdue added its final points to the board on its following drive, tacking on three points with a 49-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 31-17. Penn State also tried to add to its lead with a field goal, but Barker could not convert, missing just wide.
The Boilermakers had one final opportunity to decrease the deficit, but Cooper and the defense put a stop to their efforts. Kemajou recorded a sack for a loss of 10 yards to put Purdue on its own 4-yard line, and Cooper intercepted its fourth-and-long attempt to finalize a 31-17 Penn State victory.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and tickets for the 2026 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU, as well as club seating in West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.GoPSUsports.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.