Gophers fall just short of another upset of Penn State

Penn State entered Saturday’s game against the Gophers at No. 4 in the College Football Playoff Ratings and a team that’s lost only to No. 2 Ohio State this season. The Nittany Lions boast a defense that was allowing only 13.6 points per game and an offense scoring 33.0.

In the end, though, it was the Nittany Lions special teams that prevented the Gophers from springing the upset at Huntington Bank Stadium as Penn State emerged with a 26-25 victory

Facing fourth-and-1 from their 34 with 3:47 left in the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions sent their punting unit on the field. Instead of kicking the ball away, freshman tight end Luke Reynolds took the snap and raced 32 yards to the Gophers 34. Penn State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) then got a 2-yard run from quarterback Drew Allar on a fourth-and-1 keeper and fourth-down pass from Allar to tight end Tyler Warren to drain the clock.

The Gophers (6-5, 4-4) led 10-0 early in the second quarter, 19-16 at halftime and 22-16 in the third quarter before Penn State took control.

Max Brosmer completed 15 of 23 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown for the Gophers, but he also threw an interception and lost a fumble that Penn State converted into two field goals. Daniel Jackson caught six passes for 90 yards, and Darius Taylor rushed 17 times for 58 yards.

Minnesota also got a blocked punt from Derik LeCaptain and a two-point defensive conversion when Jack Henderson blocked a PAT and Ethan Robinson returned it 89 yards.

For Penn State, Allar was 21-for-28 for 244 yards and a TD. Warren caught eight passes for 102 yards, and Nicholas Singleton rushed for 63 yards and a TD.

Why it happened: Penn State owned the key moments down the stretch and found the end zone after halftime when the Gophers had to settle for two of Dragan Kesich’s two field goals.

Minnesota also came up short on its last possession. Brosmer hit Jackson for 23 yards and Elijah Spencer for 30 to the Penn State 7. The drive stalled on a 2-yard loss by Marcus Major, an incomplete throwback to tackle eligible Aireontae Ersery and an incompletion intended for Spencer. Kesich’s 26-yard field goal with 5:48 to play cut the Penn State lead to 26-25, but the Gophers needed more.

What it means: The Gophers are 6-5 and need a victory at Wisconsin on Friday to avoid falling to .500 after a 5-7 regular season in 2023.

Play of the game: There are several candidates, but the one that gave the Gophers a 17-10 lead with 1:03 left in the first half will work. Minnesota pulled off a double-reverse flea flicker with Brosmer pitching to Taylor, Taylor pitching to Daniel Jackson, Jackson pitching back to Brosmer and the QB finding a wide-open Jameson Geers for a 21-yard TD and 17-10 lead with 1:03 left in the half.

Turning point: Trailing 22-16 in the third quarter, the Nittany Lions drove 57 yards in five plays covering only 1:58, taking a 23-22 lead on Nicholas Singleton’s 12-yard TD run. Warren had three catches for 30 yards on the march.

0 Turnovers by Penn State, while the Gophers had two.

Drew Allar, Penn State

The quarterback went 21-for-28 for 244 yards and one touchdown, but more importantly, he didn’t commit a turnover.

Gophers at Wisconsin, 11 a.m. Friday, Camp Randall Stadium, CBS, 100.3-FM

The Gophers finish their regular season with a Black Friday game at Wisconsin, which still needs a sixth victory for bowl eligibility. This will be the 134th meeting between the Gophers and Badgers, and Wisconsin leads the series 63-62-8, winning 28-24 last year in Minneapolis. In the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe, Wisconsin leads 46-27-3. Minnesota last won in Madison in 2022, a 23-16 triumph.