Penn State football: Best wins over 2024 opponents – Purdue

Penn State football battles Purdue on Saturday as the Nittany Lions continue their quest for a playoff spot. This year’s Boilermakers squad is at the bottom of the Big Ten barrel. But that has not always been the case when it comes to Purdue.

There are a few options when choosing the Nittany Lions’ best win versus the Boilermakers. In the late 1990s through 2000, Purdue had Drew Brees at quarterback. Penn State entered West Lafayette in late October 1999 as the No. 2 team in the country, while Purdue was ranked No. 16. The Nittany Lions were victorious, 31-25, in a sloppy game by both sides.

The following year was a down season for Penn State, entering the late September matchup with the Boilermakers as a 1-4 team. Purdue was ranked No. 22 with a 3-1 record. But the Nittany Lions took advantage of Purdue special teams errors to win 22-20. The future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback ended his career 0-3 against Penn State.

Penn State has a lopsided advantage in the all-time series, leading 16-3-1. However, the last meeting between the two programs was about as tight a matchup as we’ve witnessed in this series.

The start of a special season in Penn State football history

Penn State football and Purdue opened the 2022 season facing off on a Thursday night in West Lafayette—not an easy place to play. In 2021, the Boilermakers upset No. 2 Iowa and No. 3 Michigan State at home. Purdue also declared the game a “Blackout.” Despite both teams being unranked, it felt like a big game. The winner would get a jump on conference play.

The game started with a slow feeling-out period in the first quarter, typical of a season opener. At the end of 15 minutes, the Boilermakers led 3-0.

Things started to pick up in the second quarter. Sean Clifford found Mitchell Tinsley to provide the game’s first touchdown. Purdue answered immediately with a touchdown of its own.

After the teams traded punts, the Nittany Lions benefited from a short field. Clifford eventually punched it in from two yards out.

With less than two minutes before halftime, the Boilermakers drove deep into Penn State territory. However, safety Zakee Wheatley forced a fumble, recovered by standout cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Penn State football had only 30 seconds remaining in the half. But that didn’t prevent the Nittany Lions from going downfield. Clifford’s 67-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brenton Strange gave the Nittany Lions a 21-10 lead going into the break.

A masterful final drive from Sean Clifford

The 11-point halftime lead evaporated quickly as the Boilermakers opened the second half with a touchdown drive. Dealing with cramps, Clifford did not emerge from the locker room at halftime, and the Penn State football faithful got its first look at former five-star quarterback Drew Allar.

The teams traded punts before Purdue took the lead on a late third-quarter touchdown drive. However, with just under 11 minutes to go in the game, Penn State regained the lead on Clifford’s third touchdown pass of the night.

But shortly after that, Clifford made his biggest mistake of the night. A ball intended for Tinsley sailed high into the waiting arms of safety Chris Jefferson, who returned it 72 yards for a score.

Penn State was now staring down a conference loss in the season opener. The defense did its job on the next series to give the Nittany Lions offense one last shot.

With a little more than two minutes to go, Penn State started a drive at its own 20-yard line. What followed was an eight-play, 80-yard masterclass drive, capped off with a 10-yard touchdown toss to running back Keyvone Lee.

It was Clifford’s fourth passing score of the night and an atonement for his earlier mistake. Purdue had one last chance, but Penn State’s defense preserved the victory.

It was a hard-fought victory for the Nittany Lions, yet both teams had successful seasons. Purdue finished 8-4 in the regular season. The Boilermakers won the Big Ten West, earning their first trip to the Big Ten Championship Game.

Despite losing to usual suspects Michigan and Ohio State, the Nittany Lions finished the regular season 10-2. With the Wolverines and Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff, Penn State football became the Big Ten representative in the Rose Bowl. The Nittany Lions defeated Utah 35-21, earning James Franklin his third New Year’s Six victory.

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