Associated Press Photo
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (Sports Network) - Matt McGloin's 5-yard touchdown run was the go-ahead score late in regulation, as Penn State rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to upend No. 24 Northwestern, 39-28, in front of a delirious crowd of 95,769 at Beaver Stadium.
McGloin finished with 282 yards passing on 35-of-51 efficiency and a pair of scores through the air for the Nittany Lions (4-2, 2-0 Big Ten), who won their fourth straight game.
Allen Robinson and Michael Zordich added touchdowns in a 22-point final stanza for Penn State, which has won six in a row over its suburban Chicago foes. Zach Zwinak led all rushers with 121 yards and a TD on 28 carries.
Trevor Siemian was 21-of-36 for 135 yards and one TD for the Wildcats (5-1, 1-1), who failed in their bid to start 6-0 for the first time in 50 years.
Venric Mark totaled 72 yards and a score on 13 carries and contributed a 75- yard punt return for a touchdown, which put Northwestern up 28-17. Kain Colter picked up a score on the ground in defeat.
McGloin found Robinson in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard TD early in the fourth quarter to complete an 82-yard, 18-play drive. Zordich added a conversion run and Penn State closed its gap to 28-25 with 9:49 remaining.
With the ball again, the hosts converted a 4th-and-2 from the 19-yard line as McGloin connected with Brandon Moseby-Felder, setting them up in a 1st-and- goal from the six. Three plays later, McGloin dove for the near pylon for the deciding score with 2:37 left to make it 32-28.
After two incompletions and a rush for eight yards, Siemian fired incomplete on 4th-and-7 from his own 28, and Penn State took over on downs. Three plays in, Zordich crawled across the goal line from the three and it was 39-28.
One final Northwestern drive was ended when Da'Quan Davis recovered a Tony Jones fumble. McGloin took a knee and ran off the remaining seconds.
PSU picked up three points on its second possession of the game, as Sam Ficken connected from 21 yards away.
The Nittany Lions' second full drive of the second quarter proved fruitful, as Zwinak completed a 40-yard march on the eighth play with a 1-yard plunge.
Northwestern finally answered on the ensuing possession, as Mark rolled into the end zone from the right side for a 2-yard score. The drive was set up by a muffed punt, which gave the Wildcats the ball on the host's 17.
The visitors plunged ahead with an 11-yard connection from Siemian to Jones with under a minute to play in the first half.
Penn State used an 80-yard drive to take the lead just after the midway point of the third quarter, as McGloin found Robinson from eight yards out.
But the Wildcats responded on the ensuing series, taking a 21-17 edge when Colter dove across the goal line to punctuate a 10-yard scamper. After holding PSU to a three-and-out, Mark took the ensuing punt 75 yards down the left sideline for a 28-17 contest.