Penn State rebounds after loss with big win over Minnesota in White Out. Next up, Ohio State
Penn State responded to last week’s loss with a big win Saturday night, blowing out the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 45-17, in the annual White Out.
The Nittany Lions and Golden Gophers — without quarterback Tanner Morgan — struggled to start the game on offense, with Minnesota getting on the board first with the help of an interception thrown by Penn State starting quarterback Sean Clifford. The Gophers took a 3-0 lead on a field goal and Penn State responded with a flurry of scores.
Clifford began to involve the team’s tight ends heavily, hitting them in the middle of the field and allowing them to work from there as the team scored the next 17 points in the game.
Jake Pinegar opened the Nittany Lions’ scoring with a field goal before the offense took over. Tyler Warren was the first tight end to get involved, finding himself wide open for a 38-yard touchdown reception to make it a 10-3.
The defense continued stifling the Gophers, getting the ball back to Clifford and the offense. The redshirt senior quarterback hit another open tight end, this time Theo Johnson, on an 18-yard pass to make it a 17-3 game.
The Gophers had an answer, however, going 90 yards in 1:25 of game time to score their first touchdown. Running back Mo Ibrahim had 30 rushing yards on the drive, including a three-yard score, to make it 17-10 Penn State before the half.
Penn State once again gained control from there, however, with Parker Washington stepping up to haul in his first touchdown of the season. Clifford backpedaled away from the defense and threw the ball up for grabs, giving Washington the opportunity to go up and get it for the 35-yard touchdown.
Nick Singleton was the next Nittany Lion to score, this time with no Golden Gophers in sight as he cleared the left edge of the offensive line and waltzed in for a touchdown to make it 31-10.
The Nittany Lions added another touchdown in the third quarter with a 20-yard pass from Clifford to Mitch Tinsley to extend the lead to 28.
They cruised from there, defeating the Golden Gophers, 45-17.
Player of the game
Penn State wide receiver Parker Washington: The Nittany Lions haven’t had a true No. 1 receiver step up this season, but the group has collectively done its job more often than not. This week, it was Washington who stepped up when it mattered. He hauled in his first touchdown of the season on a jump ball where he out-leaped the Minnesota defensive back to snag the ball and score. He was consistently open and made plays happen for the Nittany Lions to help extend drives when the offense was struggling. Washington’s play was an important part of the Nittany Lions’ win Saturday night.
What the win means
The Nittany Lions got a much needed victory after last week’s debacle in Ann Arbor against Michigan. They had the built in advantage of having the White Out this week, and they made it worth the fans’ while. This is a season that very much hung in the balance with the result of Saturday night’s game against Minnesota and Penn State evened out the momentum. Four losses were possible had the team not gotten back on track, but it did and now they still have a great chance of earning double-digit wins for the first time since 2019. Next up, a home matchup with Ohio State.
This story was originally published October 22, 2022 at 11:04 PM.
