State College, Pennsylvania: Penn State Hold Off Washington 28-25, and Jack Ham Is Stable After a Medical Emergency in Seattle

SEATTLE, Washington (Orbit Post) Penn State built a 28-6 halftime lead at Husky Stadium on Saturday, scored no points after the break, and still held off Washington 28-25 for its second straight Big Ten win.

The win moved the Nittany Lions to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten, and gave head coach Matt Campbell his first road Big Ten win with the program. Washington also fell to 5-4 and 2-4.

A first half Penn State controlled

Penn State scored seven points in the first quarter and 21 in the second. Rocco Becht threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. Chase Sowell caught four passes for 125 yards, including a 45 yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Cam Wallace, who ran for a career high last week against Purdue, broke a 46 yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Carson Hansen led all players with 119 rushing yards.

Penn State piled up 303 yards of offense in the first half. Washington reached the red zone twice before halftime and came away with two field goals, and the home crowd booed the Huskies off the field at the break.

Washington score 19 straight, and Penn State hang on

Washington changed the game after halftime. Tyler Robles kicked a 47 yard field goal in the third quarter. Demond Williams Jr. then found Baron Naone for a touchdown, and a two point conversion cut the lead to 28-17 late in the third.

Penn State got a needed break early in the fourth quarter when Ibn McDaniels intercepted Williams. The offense still could not score, and Washington drove again. Williams threw a six yard touchdown pass to Dezmen Roebuck with 7:40 left, and another two point conversion made it 28-25.

The last drive saved Penn State. Hansen broke a 36 yard run, Penn State reached fourth and one at the Washington three yard line inside the final two minutes, converted, and ran out the clock in victory formation. The announced crowd was 67,879.

Campbell opens with Jack Ham update

The day began with frightening news for Penn State and for Pittsburgh. Jack Ham, the Penn State and Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame linebacker who works as a Penn State Sports Network analyst, had a medical emergency at Husky Stadium before the game and was taken to the University of Washington Medical Center, Penn State said in a statement before kickoff. The school said at the time that it had no further information.

Campbell opened his postgame news conference with an update. Ham is in stable condition, Campbell told reporters. Campbell credited Ham broadcast partner Steve Jones for what he called heroic efforts with Ham, and he thanked the University of Washington athletic director and emergency team.

Ham, 77, grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He starred at Penn State, then won four Super Bowls with the Steelers, and he is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. He has worked as a Penn State radio analyst since 2000, and Steve Jones called the Washington game solo after Ham was taken to the hospital.

Penn State return home to Beaver Stadium next Saturday, November 14, to host Minnesota. No kickoff time had been set in the reports this run read.