UNIVERSITY PARK — Two running backs — both wearing No. 28 — made history Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

But it was Zach Zwinak, who began his sophomore season buried on the Penn State depth chart and finished it as a 1,000-yard rusher and Penn State’s most punishing offensive weapon, who upstaged Wisconsin’s Monte Ball in Penn State’s 24-21 overtime win against the Badgers.

“It means a lot, coming in especially not expecting it,” Zwinak said of reaching the 1,000-yard mark. “It was the last thing on my mind coming into the last two weeks. It was all about running the plays that (Coach Bill O’Brien) called.”

While Ball set the NCAA career touchdown record with his 97th touchdown on a 17-yard run in the first quarter, Zwinak pounded the Big Ten’s best run defense down after down to rack up 179 rushing yards to Ball’s 111.

Wisconsin had only allowed opposing offenses to run for 106 yards per game coming into Saturday’s contest.

Zwinak did most of his damage in the second half, when the Nittany Lions, who trailed until early in the fourth quarter, needed him the most. With his physical, always-fall-forward running style, Zwinak posted 17 carries for 87 yards in the second half and overtime.

Meanwhile, the Penn State defense shut Ball down over the second half, limiting the Badger senior to just 27 second-half yards on 14 carries.

In overtime, it looked like Zwinak might not get a shot at getting to 1,000 yards. He went down with an injury during Penn State’s first overtime possession and was on his back for a few seconds as trainers tended to him. Six yards away from 1,000, Zwinak was able to get up and walk off on his own. He’d later call the injury “just cramps.”

One play later, he was back in and bulled ahead for a six-yard gain that helped set up Sam Ficken’s game-winning 37-yard field goal.

“He’s just a real physical back, just like Ball is,” Penn State linebacker Glenn Carson said of Zwinak. “I’ve seen him break kids’ facemasks. He’s a really tough runner and lowers his shoulder. I love watching him play because that’s my kind of style of football.”

Zwinak, who began spring practice behind Silas Redd, Bill Belton, Curtis Dukes, Michael Zordich and Derek Day on the team’s depth chart, finished the season with six 100-plus-yard rushing games, 177 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns.

Pretty good for a player who didn’t get a substantial workload until the fourth game of the season.

Zwinak’s stat line three weeks into the season? Three carries for two yards. All of those came against Virginia.

“It was rough. We had a lot of issues in that game” Zwinak said. “We sorted it out.”

He finished Saturday’s game with a few aches and pains, bandages on both hands and no telling what other wraps, cuts or bruises on his arms and legs that were covered by a gray Penn State track suit.

“I’m a little beat up today,” Zwinak said. “I’ll know more tomorrow or Monday about how my body’s holding up.”

The Wisconsin defense, which had only allowed one 100-plus yard rusher in its last four games, couldn’t hold up against Zwinak’s relentless running.

The Penn State sophomore rumbled ahead for gains of six or more yards 12 times and turned in runs of 15 and 24 yards with the 24-yarder kicking off Penn State’s third-quarter scoring drive that would eventually bring them within a point of the Badgers.

Oftentimes it took more than one Badger to take him down and when they did, Zwinak always fell forward for an extra yard at the end.

“Don’t ever fall backwards,” Zwinak said. “That’s in my head and I always want to fall forward.”

Most likely, he’ll get more chances to fall forward as his career progresses. Toward the end of his chat with reporters, Zwinak reminded his interrogators he’s sticking with Penn State for the rest of his career.

“We go with the hot back,” O’Brien said. “You rush for (179) yards against Wisconsin’s defense you’re doing something good because Wisconsin has a very stout defense.”

And Penn State has another stout, 1,000-yard rushers to add to its history books.

Follow Travis Johnson on Twitter @traviswjohnson_.