State College, Pa. ? No. 25 Penn State scored 20 unanswered points in the third quarter, breaking open a 13-7 halftime lead, as the Nittany Lions posted a 40-7 win over seventh-ranked Nebraska Saturday evening.
The loss dropped the Huskers to 3-1 on the season, while the Nittany Lions improved to 2-0 and avenged a 44-6 loss to the Huskers in the teams? last meeting in the 1983 Kickoff Classic. PSU has won seven of the 12 meetings between the two programs.
After a scoreless first quarter, the hosts stuck first early in the second stanza as Larry Johnson set up the PSU score with a 21-yard reception before later scoring on a seven-yard touchdown run.
The lead would be short lived, as NU mounted its best drive of the evening, going 84 yards on eight plays. Quarterback Jammal Lord led went 3-for-3 on the drive for 41 yards while also gaining 27 yards on a run, setting up Judd Davies? 2-yard scoring run with 10:14 remaining in the half.
Lord rushed for a career-high 111 yards on 14 carries, while also completing 8-of-16 passes for 75 yards, but threw three interceptions in a losing effort.
After a pair of Robbie Gould field goals gave the hosts a 13-7 halftime lead, Penn State, which picked up its first win over a top-10 team since the 1999 season, took control of the game in the third quarter.
Penn State took the second half kickoff and drove 80 yards on 16 plays before Michael Robinson?s 8-yard touchdown run gave PSU a 19-7 lead. On the Huskers? next possession, Lord?s pass was intercepted by Rich Gardner and returned 44 yards for a score to give the hosts a 19-point cushion, thrilling a Beaver Stadium record crowd of 110,753.
The momentum swing was too much for the Huskers to handle, as Penn State added a pair of scores on touchdowns runs by Johnson, who finished with 123 yards on 19 rushes, and Richardson, who raced for 56 yards and a pair of scores on four carries, for the final margin.
Nittany Lion quarterback Zack Mills completed 19-of-31 passes for 259 yards, as PSU amassed 495 yards of total offense.
Husker I-back Dahrran Diedrick rushed for 71 yards on 15 carries, as NU rushed for 235 yards in the loss.
The Huskers are off next weekend before traveling to Ames to face Iowa State with a kickoff time to be determined.
