WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. _ For one half, it was all Penn State could do Saturday to keep up with the quick passing attack of Purdue. But that all changed in the second half, when the defense got tougher and Saquon Barkley ran to a career day.
The 24th-ranked Nittany Lions capitalized on two Purdue turnovers to score a pair of touchdowns just over four minutes apart and touch off a 24-point third quarter that helped them roll to a 62-24 victory over the Boilermakers in a Big Ten game at Ross-Ade Stadium.
The Lions (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) became bowl-eligible for the third straight year under coach James Franklin and broke a seven-game losing streak in true road games.
Before a sedate crowd of 33,157, a major difference from last week's wild "whiteout" upset of Ohio State at Beaver Stadium, Barkley scored two touchdowns, one on an 81-yard run, and rushed for a career-high 207 yards in 18 carries. Quarterback Trace McSorley passed for 228 yards and three touchdowns, two to Chris Godwin.
The Boilermakers (3-5, 1-4) led 14-7 and 17-14 in the first half behind quarterback David Blough, who completed 18 of 27 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown during that time. But Tyler Davis kicked a 33-yard field goal with 2 minutes, 36 seconds left in the half to tie it and the Lions never trailed again.
On the Boilermakers' third play of the second half, Blough threw his 12th interception of the season, a pass that was picked off by linebacker Brandon Smith and returned 22 yards to the Purdue 24. After Barkley rushed for 23 yards on the first three plays, McSorley connected with Godwin on a 1-yard touchdown.
Penn State had to punt at the end of its second possession of the half, but Bilal Marshal muffed the catch and reserve cornerback Jordan Smith recovered for the Lions at the Boilermakers 24. Barkley dashed for 20 yards on the first play and his backup, Andre Robinson, finished the drive on the next play with a 4-yard run.
Davis kicked a 29-yard field goal to end Penn State's next possession, set up by a 42-yard strike from McSorley to Saeed Blacknall. After the Boilermakers scored their only points of the second half on a 62-yard pass from Blough to DeAngelo Yancey, the Nittany Lions answered with a 21-yard pass from McSorley to running back Miles Sanders.
Barkley electrified the small crowd on the first play of Penn State's next possession from its 19, taking a handoff up the middle, bouncing it outside to the right, and outdistancing the Boilermakers for the 81-yard TD that made it 48-24.
The Lions didn't slow down after that, getting a 1-yard run by Mark Allen and Robinson's 19-yard run for touchdowns.
Penn State received the opening kickoff and took immediate advantage with an eight-play, 85-yard drive that included 72 passing yards by McSorley. Barkley caught two passes, including a 37-yard gain that put the ball on the Purdue 3. From there, Barkley went in untouched for the touchdown.
The Boilermakers answered with a 77-yard drive, capitalizing on three consecutive penalties in the red zone against Penn State that led to a 1-yard scoring run by Markell Jones.
Purdue kept the ball moving on its second march, converting three third-down calls and a fourth-down play _ a 7-yard pass from Marshal, a wide receiver playing quarterback in the Wildcat formation, to Jones to the Penn State 26. Six plays later, Blough found Cameron Posey in the right flat with a 1-yard TD pass.
The Nittany Lions struck quickly after that touchdown, with McSorley finding Barkley for 21 yards into Purdue territory at the 47. After a holding penalty against the Boilermakers and a 1-yard loss for Barkley, McSorley found Godwin over the middle on a short pattern, and the rangy junior dashed the rest of the way to complete a 38-yard touchdown play.
Penn State kept Purdue out of the end zone on the ensuing drive, but a pass interference penalty against free safety Marcus Allen on fourth and 9 gave the Boilermakers a first down at the Lions 21, setting up a career-best 42-yard field goal by J.D. Dellinger to put Purdue back in front.
The Nittany Lions took over on their own 13 and recorded four first downs, the last one on a pass interference penalty on the Boilermakers that moved the ball to the Purdue 37. McSorley then hit Godwin for 17 yards, but the drive stalled and Davis tied it again with a 33-yard field goal.
