For most of Saturday’s game, Penn State looked like the better football team. The No. 13 Nittany Lions were at home, had control of the game and appeared to be on their way to another victory.

Then everything changed in the final four minutes.

Wisconsin scored two late touchdowns, stunning Penn State 24-20 and turning what looked like a Nittany Lions victory into one of the toughest losses of the season.

Penn State didn’t get dominated. It didn’t spend the afternoon trying to climb out of a huge hole.

This one hurts because the Nittany Lions were in position to win.

They simply couldn’t finish.

 

Penn State Controlled the Game

For the majority of the afternoon, Penn State dictated the game.

The Nittany Lions did enough offensively to build a lead, while their defense kept Wisconsin from taking control.

It wasn’t always pretty, but Penn State had the game where it wanted it.

With the home crowd behind them and Wisconsin running out of time, the Nittany Lions appeared to be closing in on an important victory.

But football games aren’t won after 56 minutes. They’re won after 60.

And those final four minutes changed everything.

 

Wisconsin Refuses to Go Away

Wisconsin deserves credit. The Badgers could have folded late on the road against the No. 13 team in the country.

Instead, they kept coming.

Wisconsin found the end zone to cut into Penn State’s advantage and suddenly put all the pressure back on the Nittany Lions.

Penn State needed one more response. One more drive. One more defensive stop. Anything to put the game away.

It never came.

Wisconsin got the football back and struck again, scoring its second touchdown in the final four minutes to complete an improbable comeback.

Just like that, Penn State went from protecting a late lead to trailing 24-20.

 

A Game Penn State Will Want Back

There are losses where you simply get beaten by a better team.

This wasn’t one of those games.

Penn State had opportunities to finish Wisconsin off and couldn’t do it. That’s what will make this one difficult to accept.

When you’re ranked No. 13 in the country, playing at home and controlling the majority of the game, you have to finish. Good teams put those games away.

Instead, Penn State allowed Wisconsin to hang around long enough to make something happen.

And once the momentum shifted late, the Nittany Lions couldn’t get it back.

 

Four Minutes Changed Everything

The final score was 24-20, but the story of this game can really be told in one stretch.

The final four minutes.

Penn State spent most of the game doing enough to win and then watched Wisconsin score 14 points when it mattered most. That’s a brutal way to lose.

Late-game execution becomes even more important when conference play gets tight and every possession matters.

Penn State needed its defense to make one final stand. It couldn’t.

Penn State needed its offense to help close the door. It couldn’t.

Wisconsin took advantage.

 

Credit Wisconsin for Finishing

As disappointing as the loss is for Penn State, Wisconsin earned this one with the way it finished.

Winning on the road against a ranked opponent requires toughness, especially when you’ve spent much of the game playing from behind.

The Badgers didn’t panic. They stayed within striking distance and waited for their opportunity.

When it arrived, they capitalized. Twice.

That’s the difference between winning and losing close games.

Wisconsin made the biggest plays when the game was on the line.

Penn State didn’t.

 

Penn State Has to Learn How to Finish

Penn State will look back at this game and see plenty of moments where it could have been put away before Wisconsin ever had an opportunity to rally.

That’s the lesson.

You can’t allow a team to hang around. You can’t assume controlling most of a game is enough. And when you have a lead at home with four minutes remaining, you have to find a way to close it out.

For nearly the entire afternoon, Penn State was in control.

Then Wisconsin scored twice in the final four minutes.

And in a matter of minutes, everything Penn State had done right was erased.

 

Wisconsin 24. Penn State 20.

A tough home loss for the Nittany Lions—and one they’re going to feel like they let get away.