MADISON, Wis. -- Penn State just keeps cruising through the Big Ten Conference.

The sixth-ranked Nittany Lions steam-rolled Wisconsin, 48-7, last night before 81,524 fans, winning at Camp Randall Stadium for the first time since 2002.

Penn State is off to its first 7-0 start since 1999 and is 3-0 in the conference for only the second time since 2000.

The Lions also are 3-0 on the road and are one of three 3-0 teams in the Big Ten, joining Michigan State and Ohio State.

Penn State is expected to jump to No. 3 in The Associated Press poll today after three top-5 teams -- No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 Missouri and No. 4 LSU -- lost yesterday.

"We really feel like if we can continue to go in, week in and week out, and produce, then we'll be where we need to be at the end of the season," said Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin, who had six tackles, including 3¹/₂ for losses, one sack and two forced fumbles.

Wisconsin (2-4, 0-3) dropped its third consecutive game, and second in a row at home.

"I think Penn State's a very good football team," Badgers coach Bret Bielema said. "Of all the teams we've faced, they've got the most talent."

Penn State returns home to play Michigan (2-4, 1-1) Saturday at Beaver Stadium. The Wolverines have beaten Penn State nine consecutive times, but they lost to lowly Toledo, 13-10, yesterday and have their worst six-game record since 1967, two years before the late Bo Schembechler arrived.

Penn State's Joe Paterno was back in the coaches' box last night for the second consecutive game.

He entered the stadium with aid of a cane and went immediately to the locker room. He did not participate in the Lions' pregame drills, but made his way to the coaches' box before the game.

A sore right leg and hip recently have slowed Paterno, two months shy of his 82nd birthday. He worked the Purdue game from the coaches' box a week ago, as well as the second half of the Temple game a month ago.

Backup quarterback Pat Devlin capped Penn State's scoring with a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Starter Daryll Clark, who completed 16 of 25 passes for 244 yards, scored his second rushing touchdown on a 4-yard run at 12:27 of the third quarter and then hit wide receiver Deon Butler with a 44-yard scoring strike five minutes later. Kevin Kelly added his second field goal, a 30-yarder.

Penn State's defense forced three turnovers and held Wisconsin to 313 yards of total offense and 14 first downs. It was the Badgers' worst home loss since a 51-3 setback to Miami in the 1989 opener.

"I thought our defense played really well," Paterno said.

Leading, 3-0, after the opening period, the Lions outscored Wisconsin, 21-7, in the second, despite finishing the half with only 123 yards of offense.

The Badgers took over at their own 8 with 1:40 to go in the half.

Maybin stripped the ball from quarterback Allan Evridge's hand at the 10 and middle linebacker Josh Hull recovered at the 16.

Clark later scored on a 2-yard keeper at 1:24, pushing the Lions lead to 24-7.

Wisconsin had pulled to within, 17-7, with 4:21 left when Evridge scored on a 4-yard run around left end, sneaking just inside the pylon for a touchdown.

Earlier, Derrick Williams returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown for Penn State at 10:11 and tailback Evan Royster scored on a 2-yard run around right end 35 seconds before that.

Williams, a senior, has five returns for touchdowns in his career -- three on punts and two on kickoffs, both of which came earlier this year against Coastal Carolina and Illinois.

Royster's score was Penn State's first against the Badgers at Camp Randall since 2002, a span of 11 quarters.

Midway through the first quarter, Wisconsin's Brad Nortman shanked a punt off the side of his foot that only went 15 yards, giving Penn State the ball at its own 48.

The Lions settled for Kelly's 50-yard field goal. It was only his third career conversion in 10 tries from 50 yards or longer, but he is 2 for 3 from that distance this season.

NOTES -- Cornerback Lydell Sargeant had both interceptions in the third quarter. ... Outside linebacker Navorro Bowman and free safety Anthony Scirrotto led Penn State with eight tackles apiece. ... Wide receiver Jordan Norwood, who had missed the previous two games with a hamstring injury, had three catches for 59 yards. ... Tight ends Mickey Shuler and Andrew Quarless played despite ankle injuries. ... Defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu had a one sack.