Minnesota 31, Penn State 26: What happened and what we thought
Follow along as Centre Daily Times reporters Josh Moyer and Jon Sauber provide live updates and instant analysis of Penn State’s “Battle of the Unbeatens” against Minnesota. Check back after the game for reaction from players and coaches.
The No. 17 Golden Gophers upset the No. 4 Nittany Lions and flood the field in celebration.
Here’s what happened:
FINAL: Minnesota 31, Penn State 26.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
The crowd has rushed the rules. HUGE win for the Gophers. pic.twitter.com/205S9KrDzf
Clifford throws his third pick of the day and that will do it. #PSUvsMINN
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
Penn State WR Daniel George gets called for OPI, and that'll move PSU back 15 yards. Would've been at the 2-yard line otherwise.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
The No. 3 WR for PSU has been a liability this game, no matter who it's been.
Sean Clifford is limping as he walks upfield. He's clearly not 100 percent -- but he just tossed a 49-yard pass to Jahah Dotson. Wow.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Huge recovery by Ellis Brooks there. A Minnesota recovery would've essentially ended the game. #PSUvsMINN
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
Penn State has been consistently outplayed this game. But, for all its warts, it still has a chance to win.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
And, as that punt return showed, there were quite a few of those warts today ...
It's a one-score game.@PennStateFball makes it 31-26 late in the 4Q. pic.twitter.com/hr0FCEnEHm
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 9, 2019
Sean Clifford is hurt but walks off the field under his own power.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Also: PSU apparently scored its TD when the play-clock expired. Officials missed it.
Minnesota 31-26 w/ 3:49 left in 3Q. PSU has 2 timeouts left.
First and goal from the 9 on a drive in which you've moved down the field through the air. Next four plays:
— Mike Persak (@MikeDPersak) November 9, 2019
- Devyn Ford rush for 2 yards.
- Devyn Ford rush for 3 yards.
- Sean Clifford rush for -1 yard.
- Fade route incomplete to 5-9 receiver.
No. 17 Minnesota just shut down No. 4 Penn State on 4th and goal pic.twitter.com/K1UOko7OIB
— ESPN (@espn) November 9, 2019
KJ Hamler didn't really have a chance at this one. Huge fourth-down stop by Minnesota; that might've done it.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
That's a terrible play call on fourth-and-goal. Penn State might not have enough time left to make up the 12-point deficit. #PSUvsMINN
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
Penn State hasn't allowed 30+ points since Nov. 30, 2018, in a 42-7 loss to Michigan.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Minnesota leads 31-19 w/ 14:00 left in the 4Q. Before today, Penn State had allowed more than 20 points just once this season.
Touchdown Minnesota.
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) November 9, 2019
The Golden Gophers lead 31-19 with 14:11 to go in the game.
Tanner Morgan: 17-of-19, 328 passing yards, 3 TDs. https://t.co/K3t1HhCPZ0
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Minnesota will start the fourth quarter with a 24-19 lead and a first and goal. Rashod Bateman has shredded the Penn State secondary for 203 receiving yards. #PSUvsMINN
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
Rashod Bateman converts on third-and-10 with a 36-yard catch, as Minnesota is now just 4 yards from the end zone.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Critical play. PSU might not be able to come back after that one; CB Tariq Castro-Fields just look like he got beat.
There has been more miscommunication in the Penn State secondary than I can remember. On the Bateman pass, Castro-Fields covered him initially, then appeared to pass him on to Sutherland, but Sutherland late coming over, another clean catch.
— Joe Juliano (@JoeJulesinq) November 9, 2019
Nick Bowers is a Penn State legend
— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) November 9, 2019
Penn State went for 2, after cutting it to 24-19.@GopherFootball was having none of it. pic.twitter.com/XgeyfZg3Rd
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 9, 2019
Good pass by Clifford there. Not so good by Ricky Slade on the 2-point try. Blocking was there, but he tried to get outside instead of inside. 24-19, Minnesota. #PSUvsMINN
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
Sean Clifford tosses a 10-yard TD pass to TE Nick Bowers ... but PSU then fails to hit the 2-point conversion. That was a ... uh ... unique decision to go for 2.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Minnesota 24-19 with 4:05 left in 3Q
Justin Shorter with ANOTHER drop on the day. Sure touchdown.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
He's been targeted at least three times because he has two drops and Antoine Winfield grabbed the INT on another target.
That play is exactly what Penn State needed. CB Keaton Ellis forced the fumble, and Shaka Toney recovered.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
We'll see if Sean Clifford can turn it around here. It's been the Freiermuth and Hamler show so far; the two have 8 of Clifford's 9 completions.
So Minnesota starts off the second half with a 6-minute drive and Penn State responds by ... going backward and getting a 3-and-out.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Minnesota loves to control the clock in situations like these -- James Franklin said as much -- so PSU won't have a lot of chances left.
Enormous turnover for Penn State. Looked like the combo of Lamont Wade getting the arm and Keaton Ellis putting a hit near the ball knocked it loose. #PSUvsMINN
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
B1G play.@PennStateFball forces the fumble and recovers it iat midfield. pic.twitter.com/zFltubpFNZ
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 9, 2019
Let’s go @psufootball best 2 quarters of our season right here!
— Allen Robinson II (@AllenRobinson) November 9, 2019
Penn State has allowed just one 300-yard passer this season in Pitt's Kenny Pickett, who threw 51 times.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Minnesota's Tanner Morgan has 240 passing yards at halftime. He's 10-of-12.
Minnesota stops Penn State and the Nittany Lions settle for a field goal. The Golden Gophers lead at the half, 24-13. #PSUvsMINN
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
Halftime stats: pic.twitter.com/dE3KT6Bw1S
— Blue White Illustrated (@BWIonRivals) November 9, 2019
That spike
— Adam Taliaferro (@Tali43) November 9, 2019
Penn State dodged a bullet on that missed pass by Tanner Morgan. Would've been an easy touchdown and a three possession lead for Minnesota. Instead, 24-10 Golden Gophers. #PSUvsMINN
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
Penn State's top-10 defense so far:
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Sacks: 0
Tackles for loss: 0
QB hurries: 0
Turnovers: 0
Minnesota 24-10, 3:41 left in 2Q
CB Keaton Ellis was on the coverage there, but Minnesota WR Tyler Johnson made a great one-handed grab on the 38-yard TD pass.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Minnesota up 21-10 with 7:18 left in the 2Q.
Tanner Morgan has now thrown for more yards (213) than 4 of Penn State's opponents did the entire game.
I don't know why Minnesota would run the ball at this point. Receivers are getting wide open and they're making tremendous plays when they're not. 21-10, Minnesota. #PSUvsMINN
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
(Can you spot the intended receiver) pic.twitter.com/Fbn0KI7ZDl
— Farmer Jones (@thefarmerjones) November 9, 2019
Antoine Winfield Jr. just snagged his second INT of the game. Very uncharacteristic start for Penn State QB Sean Clifford, who is 5-of-13 passing with two picks now.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Antoine Winfield Jr. with another interception. Clifford completely misread the safety and hung the ball up for him.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
RB Journey Brown is still in the game. No other back has been in yet, which is a clear departure from past games with the 4-RB rotation.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Then again, Brown does have 5 carries for 95 yards already. No need to fix what ain't broken ...
Key stat comparison after the 1Q in #PSUvsMINN
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Clifford: 2-of-8 passing, 43 yards, 1 INT
Morgan: 6-of-6 passing, 153 yards, 2 TDs
Clifford with a rough start in this one. He's consistently missing open wide receivers short and it's cost Penn State at least 4 points so far, if not 11. The Nittany Lions trail Minnesota, 14-10, with 2:12 left in the first quarter. #PSUvsMINN
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan is 5-of-5 passing for 148 yards and 2 TDs.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
That's already more passing yards than PSU has allowed 3 opponents. And it's more passing TDs than PSU has allowed in a game all year.
We're still in the first quarter ...
Golden Gophers doing a good job of using Penn State's aggressiveness to their advantage on that touchdown. Minnesota is back up, 14-7. #PSUvsMINN
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
Penn State's defense is elite, but Minnesota is making the Nittany Lions look absolutely silly.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Minnesota 14-7, 4:29 left in 1Q.
Penn State's DBs look a little confused out there. Minnesota's receivers are WIDE open, as open as I've seen any of PSU's opponents all season.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Parsons also back in the game after his "behavior modification," AKA sitting out the first series of the game.
Great job by Journey Brown of getting outside of Pat Freiermuth's block to break that one for a 44-yard touchdown. #PSUvsMINN
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) November 9, 2019
Lots of early fireworks in the Penn State-Minnesota game.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
We've already seen a 66-yard Rashod Bateman TD catch and a 45-yard Journey Brown TD run. And we're 4:09 into the game.
All tied up at 7-7.
It's 7-0 early in Minneapolis.@R_bateman2 | @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/SXWMmVRwWV
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 9, 2019
Minnesota strikes fast; safety Garrett Taylor couldn't get over in time and Rashod Bateman went 66 yards for a way-too-easy TD.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
What a start by the Gophers. First TD Penn State allowed in the first quarter this season.
And Minnesota DB Antoine Winfield Jr. -- who James Franklin said he had a "man-crush" on earlier this week -- grabs his sixth INT of the season on a pass intended for WR Justin Shorter.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Minnesota will take over at the Penn State 5 after Sean Clifford's 4th pick of the year.
LB Micah Parsons is not starting, according to ABC. and RB Journey Brown got the nod today.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
We'll see how much of a factor Noah Cain might be ...
Today’s view from the office for #PSUvsMINN. Game kicks off shortly pic.twitter.com/xBSq9cOTO3
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
Time to make another statement.
— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) November 9, 2019
Let's see your last-minute predictions. pic.twitter.com/YAJrIo9kxP
Josh Moyer breaks down what to look for in Penn State vs. Minnesota, live from TCF Bank Stadium.
— Centre Daily Times (@centredaily) November 9, 2019
Here's 5 things to watch: https://t.co/ocebaLfShI pic.twitter.com/si9pOh5Mow
Penn State RB Noah Cain looks OK practicing before the #PSUvsMINN game. James Franklin said earlier this week he expected the true freshman, who was injured vs. MSU, to be good to go. pic.twitter.com/imHokF4kIA
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
It’s about 35 degrees right now at TCF Bank Stadium, with a high of 43 on this sunny day.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
One player shouted, “I thought y’all said it was going to be cold!” pic.twitter.com/dh6aPYv0LA
Some pregame reading before #PSUvsMINN
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) November 9, 2019
5 things to watch: https://t.co/5t9EfOK6uI
DT Mustipher: https://t.co/qAxeT0bitt
Key matchups: https://t.co/uagrinGEWF
What Fleck said about PSU: https://t.co/qjbB49KmZ2
Podcast: https://t.co/NM6Hyx1I7O
Other stories worth your time:
Why Penn State doesn’t expect a drop-off with DT PJ Mustipher expected to make his first start
How can Minnesota upset Penn State football? Here are Saturday afternoon’s 2 key matchups
Success of Penn State freshmen Marquis Wilson, Keaton Ellis offering a glimpse at future of CBs
Kickoff time, TV channel announced for Penn State vs. Ohio State game on Nov. 23
College Football Playoff rankings are in: What do they mean for the Penn State Nittany Lions?
Why those who best know Penn State RB Noah Cain aren’t surprised by his immediate success
What Penn State’s James Franklin said about speculation surrounding other job openings, and more
What Minnesota coach PJ Fleck said about Penn State ahead of Saturday’s game
Did Penn State football move at all in the AP top-25 rankings after the bye week?
This story was originally published November 9, 2019 at 11:53 AM.
Related Stories from Centre Daily Times
Why Penn State doesn’t expect a drop-off with DT PJ Mustipher poised to make his first start
5 things to watch in Saturday’s Penn State vs. Minnesota game, the ‘Battle of the Unbeatens’
