STATE COLLEGE – Most in the largest crowd ever to attend a game at Beaver Stadium were hoping to see Penn State’s first win over Ohio State in eight years.
They left disappointed Saturday. Again.
The fourth-ranked Buckeyes stopped the third-ranked Nittany Lions four times from inside the 3-yard line in the fourth quarter and held on for a 20-13 win before 111,030 fans.
Ohio State (4-1 Big Ten, 7-1) kept the Penn State offense out of the end zone and put itself back in control of its destiny for a berth in the conference title game.
It was another frustrating loss to the Buckeyes for the Lions and coach James Franklin, who fell to 1-10 against Ohio State and 1-13 against top-five opponents.
Former Downingtown West star Will Howard threw two touchdown passes for the Buckeyes and Quinshon Judkins rushed for 95 yards.
Penn State threatened to send the game to overtime. Drew Allar connected with Tyler Warren for a 31-yard completion and then Warren took a direct snap 33 yards to the Ohio State 3.
But Kaytron Allen netted 2 yards on three carries into the middle of the line and Allar’s fourth-down pass to Khalil Dinkins fell incomplete with 5:13 left.
The Buckeyes held the football the rest of the game and sealed their eighth straight win over Penn State.
The Lions thought they had forced a turnover earlier in the fourth quarter. Judkins appeared to catch a pass out of the backfield before cornerback Cam Miller knocked the ball loose. Penn State corner A.J. Harris recovered and returned it into Ohio State territory.
The officials reviewed it and ruled that Judkins did not have control of the ball. Several plays later, Jayden Fielding kicked a 39-yard field goal to make it 20-13.
Allar completed 12-of-20 passes for 146 yards and an end-zone interception late in the first half. Warren rushed three times for 47 yards and caught four passes for 47 yards. Running back Nick Singleton caught six passes for 54 yards.
The Nittany Lions’ last win over a top-five team was a 24-21 win in 2016 against No. 2 Ohio State.
The teams traded field goals in the third quarter after Ohio State had taken a 14-10 halftime lead. Fielding drilled a 46-yard field goal for the Buckeyes, and Ryan Barker made a 44-yarder for the Lions.
A series of big plays highlighted the first half.
Penn State had an impressive drive to open the game, using patience to pick up a first down at the Ohio State 12 after Allar’s 20-yard pass to Singleton. But after Sal Wormley was flagged for being an ineligible man downfield, the Lions had to settle for Barker’s 29-yard field goal.
Moments later, cornerback Zion Tracy intercepted Howard’s pass and returned it 31 yards to give Penn State a 10-0 lead, its first 10-point lead over the Buckeyes in six years.
Ohio State answered quickly with a 74-yard drive. Judkins ran for 22 yards after taking an option pitch and Howard found wide-open Emeka Egbuka for a 25-yard score.
After Penn State punted, the Buckeyes took advantage of an offside penalty on Abdul Carter and an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Elliot Washington II after a third-down stop. TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 20 yards before Howard connected with Brandon Inniss on a 21-yard touchdown for a 14-10 lead.
After the Lions had another three-and-out and a poor punt by Riley Thompson, Ohio State drove to the Penn State 13. Then Howard ran off the left side for the corner of the end zone. Zakee Wheatley knocked the ball loose before Howard reached the goal line, stopping the Buckeyes.
Late in the second quarter, the Lions started from the Ohio State 49 and picked up a first down at the 3 on Allar’s 21-yard pass to Harrison Wallace III.
But on the next play, Allar tried to hit Wallace again in the corner of the end zone. Cornerback Davison Igbinosun took the ball from Wallace as he fell out of bounds for an interception with 11 seconds left in the half.
It was one of several close calls Saturday for Penn State.
