Penn State’s defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed Friday night.

There really isn’t a nicer way to put it.

Northwestern didn’t trick Penn State. The Wildcats didn’t need some complicated offensive game plan or a bunch of spectacular throws down the field. They lined up, ran the football and bullied the Nittany Lions.

Northwestern rolled up 506 yards of total offense, including an unbelievable 413 yards rushing, in a 34-13 beatdown of Penn State at Ryan Field. The Wildcats averaged 7.3 yards per play and controlled the football for more than 36 minutes.

And nobody enjoyed the night more than Caleb Komolafe.

Komolafe was outstanding, carrying the ball 26 times for 190 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.3 yards per carry. His one-yard touchdown late in the third quarter pushed Northwestern’s lead to 31-7 and essentially put the game away.

But Komolafe wasn’t alone.

Joseph Himon II absolutely shredded Penn State, rushing for 162 yards and two touchdowns on only 10 carries. Between Komolafe and Himon, Northwestern had two backs combine for 352 rushing yards.

Think about that.

Two running backs. 352 yards. Against Penn State.

By halftime, it was already obvious what kind of night this was going to be. Northwestern had rushed for 237 yards on 25 attempts in the first half alone, averaging 9.5 yards per carry while building a 24-7 advantage.

Penn State knew Northwestern wanted to run. It still couldn’t stop it. That might be the most concerning part.

The Wildcats consistently created running lanes at the line of scrimmage. Penn State’s front seven was pushed around, tackles were missed and Northwestern runners repeatedly reached the second level with room to operate.

This wasn’t one busted assignment that resulted in a huge statistical night.

It was domination. Northwestern ran the football 55 times and Penn State never found an answer.

Meanwhile, Penn State’s offense wasn’t nearly good enough to compensate.

Rocco Becht finished 26-of-41 for 243 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Penn State managed just 291 total yards, including only 48 on the ground.

Northwestern had 413 rushing yards by itself. Penn State had 291 yards as an entire offense.

That tells the story.

Chase Sowell caught a 16-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, but by then Penn State was simply trying to make the final score look a little more respectable.

The damage had already been done.

And for Komolafe, there was something fitting about delivering another big moment against Penn State.

Last season, it was Komolafe who scored Northwestern’s go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter of a 22-21 victory at Beaver Stadium.

This time, there was no need for late-game drama. Northwestern beat Penn State from the beginning.

Physically. Convincingly. And embarrassingly.

Penn State can talk about assignments, technique, missed tackles and whatever else comes with breaking down the film.

But sometimes football isn’t complicated.

Northwestern lined up and punched Penn State in the mouth. Then it did it again. And again. And again.

By the time it was over, Northwestern had 34 points, 506 yards of offense and 413 rushing yards. Penn State had another loss — and a defense that looked completely helpless trying to stop the run.

Final: Northwestern 34, Penn State 13.