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Northwestern shocks Penn State, 29-6

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - After four games of feeling good about a new head coach, building up some momentum, and generating hope that a bowl bid would soon be possible, Penn State wiped out that optimism in a dismal performance Saturday.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - After four games of feeling good about a new head coach, building up some momentum, and generating hope that a bowl bid would soon be possible, Penn State wiped out that optimism in a dismal performance Saturday.

A sun-splashed crowd of 102,910 homecoming attendees at Beaver Stadium watched in disbelief as the Northwestern defense completely dominated the overmatched offensive line of the Nittany Lions and handed James Franklin his first loss in Happy Valley, a stunning, 29-6 defeat.

Penn State (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) failed to score a touchdown for the first time since losing, 24-3, at Iowa in 2010, a span of 51 games. The Nittany Lions had gone 10 years without failing to post a touchdown at home. That last happened when they lost to Iowa, 6-4, in 2004.

"I take full responsibility," Franklin said. "We weren't ready to play today. On offense and defense, I thought we could've played a lot better. We made a lot of mistakes. We're having the same issue that keeps popping up - that's consistently running the ball and being able to protect the quarterback.

"We will get this fixed. I promise you and guarantee you we will get it fixed."

After showing promise in the running game with 228 yards a week ago against lowly Massachusetts, Penn State took two steps back Saturday with 50 yards on 25 carries. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg ran the ball a team-high 11 times, most of them on scrambles as he ran from the fired-up defensive line of the Wildcats (2-2, 1-0).

Hackenberg, who was sacked four times, completed 24 of 45 passes for 216 yards - less than 5 yards per attempt.

"We definitely had enough chances," Hackenberg said. "I think it just comes down to execution. We didn't execute all of our plays. Our offensive staff gave us enough opportunities and put us in situations where we could execute, and we just didn't do it at times."

Even the usually stout Penn State defense had problems in the first quarter. Wildcats quarterback Trevor Siemian, who had three 1-yard rushing touchdowns, scored two before the game was little more than 10 minutes old. Northwestern also left points on the field with a missed field goal and a fake field goal that was stopped.

"It wasn't what we were expecting to happen, but you can't change the past," said linebacker Mike Hull, who had a career-high 16 tackles. "We have to learn from our mistakes and regroup."

The defense settled in, and the Nittany Lions drew to within eight early in the third quarter after two field goals by Sam Ficken made it 14-6. But the offense was punchless - the Lions called 16 consecutive pass plays in the third quarter - and Franklin was out of answers.

"We were trying to run the ball early in the game," Franklin said. "We weren't able to effectively do that, so we started to depend on the pass more."

Hackenberg turned the ball over on his first two snaps of the fourth quarter - a 49-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Anthony Walker and a fumble that set up a field goal.

It was a crushing setback for an offensive line that began the season with four new starters. After five games, any progress has been difficult to detect, but Franklin has been positive.

"I love those kids," he said. "We have to get it fixed. We have to help them out. That's going back to fundamentals and those types of things. Nobody cares more than they do. They want to play well, and we have to help them."

If there was ever a good time for a bye week for the Lions, this is it.