Northwestern opened the new Ryan Field with a 34-13 victory over Penn State on Saturday.
Caleb Komolafe led the Wildcats with a career-best 188 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Northwestern set season highs with 413 rushing yards and 506 total yards.
Joseph Himon II added 162 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.
Braun Praises Players and Atmosphere
Coach David Braun credited his players and the crowd at the new $875 million stadium, which seats 35,000.
"All the credit to our players," Braun said in a postgame interview on Fox.
"This community? This student section?
I mean, this place is electric right now."
Braun added he could not be prouder to lead the program.
Penn State, ranked No. 18 in the AP preseason poll, fell to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten under new coach Matt Campbell.
"First of all, I want to give Northwestern a ton of credit, because they played the style of game that we, obviously, would like to play," Campbell said.
"They beat us. ...
It was really hard to find a rhythm on both sides of the football."
Campbell expressed frustration over Penn State's performance, citing a lack of the program's usual attitude, effort, and toughness.
Quarterback Rocco Becht completed 26 of 41 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown but threw two interceptions.
Northwestern took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run by Aidan Chiles, set up by Himon's 47-yard run.
Penn State responded with an 8-yard touchdown run by Carson Hansen in the second quarter, but Himon scored twice more for Northwestern on runs of 38 and 11 yards.
Missed opportunities for Penn State included a missed 45-yard field goal by Ryan Barker near halftime.
Northwestern extended its lead to 31-7 with Komolafe's 1-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, following a drive featuring a 15-yard run and 31-yard pass by Chiles.
