This post was published 5 months 11 days ago so the points made in the article may be outdated.CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -Penn State used a crushing third quarter to bounce back from its loss to Iowa and extend Illinois’ rough season with a 35-17 win Saturday.
The 15th-ranked Nittany Lions led 7-3 at halftime but scored twice in the third quarter, both on 1-yard runs by quarterback Darryl Clark. They outgained Illinois 208-8 in the period.
Penn State (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) kept the ball on the ground on a wet, windy, 50-degree day with great success, rolling up 338 yards rushing on 40 carries.
Running backs Stephfon Green and Evan Royster each topped 100 yards – Green with 120 yards on 13 carries and Royster with 17 rushes for 105. Clark carried the ball seven times for 83 yards of his own and was an efficient 17-of-25 passing for 175 yards.
The Illini (1-3, 0-2) continued a season of offensive struggle.
They managed just 130 yards rushing – 58 of it by quarterback Juice Williams, who was 20-for-36 for 263 yards and his first touchdown pass of the season.
Green gave Penn State its only first-half points on a 52-yard second-quarter touchdown. The sophomore burst through a massive hole behind his left guard and tackle and broke a scoreless tie in a game that had been dominated by rain and wind.
Illinois answered with a 22-yard field goal by Matt Eller with just over seven minutes left before the half, but missed a chance to score again.
After driving the Illini from his own 1-yard line on a series of crisp passes – including three to Arrelious Benn – Williams was flagged for intentional grounding.
The penalty took Illinois from a second down at the Penn State 23 to third-and-30 at the Nittany Lions’ 43. The incomplete pass to Benn and half-ending interception that followed left the Illini behind for good.
Penn State finally pulled away in the third quarter.
On a quarterback draw from his 34, Clark ran 51 yards to the Illini 15. Two players later he dived to the goal line, stretching his arms out to just nudge the football into the end zone with 6:34 left in the third quarter.
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