Final: Northwestern 34, Penn State 13. In the October 2 opener at new Ryan Field, Northwestern controlled the ground game and handed Penn State its second consecutive conference loss. Penn State is 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten. The Penn State recap and Northwestern recap agree on the final and the decisive rushing margin.
The Ground-Game Gap
Northwestern rushed for 413 yards; Penn State managed 48 yards on 22 carries. Caleb Komolafe gained 188 yards with a touchdown, and Joseph Himon II added 162 yards and two scores. Aidan Chiles also ran for a touchdown. This was not a single late breakdown: Northwestern’s rushing production shaped the game throughout.
Rocco Becht completed 26 of 41 passes for 243 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Penn State scored both a rushing and a receiving touchdown: Carson Hansen ran eight yards for one, and Chase Sowell caught the other. Sowell finished with five receptions for 68 yards.
Key Performances and Lineup Questions
| Player or unit | Against Northwestern | Next question |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Rojas, linebacker | 12 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack | One productive game does not settle every front-seven package. |
| Chase Sowell, receiver | Five catches, 68 yards and a touchdown | His recent production is clear; a permanent target hierarchy is not. |
| Josiah Zayas, defensive back | Fumble recovery | Turnover production does not establish a fixed cornerback rotation. |
| Penn State run defense | 413 rushing yards allowed | USC-week health and front-seven rotations will matter. |
Penn State’s official game account supplies the player statistics. See the defensive depth chart and WR/TE depth chart for the current position groups.
Availability Before the USC Week
The October 2 availability report listed 12 Penn State players out, including edge players LaVar Arrington II, Max Granville, Mason Robinson and Dayshaun Burnett; defensive backs Joshua Johnson, Tyler Armstead and Christian Askew; receiver Koby Howard; and linebacker Cam Smith. These are Northwestern game-day statuses, not confirmed USC designations. Daryus Dixson was a game-time decision; that report alone does not prove how many snaps he played.
The absences are relevant context for evaluating the rotation, but they do not establish that any one injury caused 413 rushing yards. Next week’s practice and availability information will be more useful for projecting the USC lineup than extrapolating from this list.
The same caution applies to the offense. Becht’s 41 attempts reflect this particular game script; they are not a declaration that Penn State will abandon its backs. Hansen’s touchdown shows a red-zone contribution, but the team’s 48 rushing yards leave the broader committee question unsettled. The RB tracker preserves the earlier Wisconsin and nonconference samples alongside this latest result.
Next: USC White Out
Penn State hosts USC on Saturday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET for the White Out on NBC and Peacock. Read the USC viewing and depth-chart guide for the confirmed logistics and the questions that remain open. The 2026 schedule carries the updated Northwestern result.