No. 4 Penn State at Minnesota: Game Preview

On By Littum

Penn State prepares for its final road game of the regular season as it seeks its 10th win while keeping its playoff hopes alive.

No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1) vs. Minnesota (6-4, 4-3)

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m., Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN

Line of action: Penn State -13

TV: CBS, 3:30 p.m., Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), Jenny Dell (sideline)

Weather: The high will be 38 with temperatures dropping into the low 30s. The wind will be light with little chance of precipitation.

COACH:

James Franklin:

PENN STATE RECORD: 97-40, 11th year

OVERALL RECORD: 121-55, 14th year

vs. MINNESOTA: 2-1

PJ Fleck:

MINNESOTA RECORD: 56-38, 8th grade

OVERALL RECORD: 86-60, 12th grade

vs. PENN STATE: 1-1

FUN FACTS

The Nittany Lions have won their first four road games to start the season for the first time since 2011…Penn State has allowed just 49 second-half points all season, good for second in the nation…The Nittany Lions are 16 -10 all-time Minnesota, but is 0-2 in Huntington Bank Stadium…Penn State is 6-6 in games played on Nov. 23, including a 12-0 win over Dickinson in 1901 and a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Bucknell in 1935.

MINNESOTA OFFENSE VS. PENN STATE’S DEFENSE

The Minnesota offense may be completely different than what you expect based on the previous two decades of Gophers football. PJ Fleck has turned to a more pass-heavy approach after a stretch that included program greats like Mo Ibrahim, Laurence Marony, Marion Barber and Rodney Smith. To illustrate this point, let’s look at quarterback Max Brosmer’s pass attempts in six of seven Big Ten games this season — 37, 40, 37, 33, 37 and 45. By comparison, Drew Allar’s season-high for attempts is 43 against USC , and has not had more than 28 attempts in any other game.

Brosmer has been one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the Big Ten, completing 67.1% of his passes with 14 touchdowns (18 total) and 4 interceptions. Brosmer has been extra careful with the ball lately, with no interceptions in his last five games, the last pick coming against Michigan on Sept. 28. Brosmer is in his first year with the Gophers after spending four seasons at New Hampshire, where he was one of the leading passers in the FCS in ’22 and ’23.

Brosmer has several strong targets with fifth-year senior Daniel Jackson leading the way. Jackson is a fourth-year starter and knows how to find soft spots in a defense. He already has a career-high 63 receptions this season for 712 yards and three scores. Another senior with plenty of time in the Gophers offense, Elijah Spencer is a more physical presence at 6-2, 200 lbs. Minnesota’s passing game also leans heavily on running backs out of the backfield with the ball, with starter Darius Taylor second on the team with 45 catches. Backup running back Marcus Major also plays heavily into the passing attack when he’s on the field. Tight end James Geers is typically targeted a few times a game, and is coming off a season-high eight receptions for 73 yards against Rutgers.

Minnesota’s offensive line has struggled in pass protection, allowing 23 sacks on the year. This includes giving up five each against North Carolina and Michigan, and four in their boring loss to Rutgers. They’ve also struggled to open holes for Taylor, as the Gophers are 121st in the nation in rushing at just over 100 yards per carry. fight on the ground.

This will make it even more important for Brosmer to get the ball out of his hands quickly. Penn State’s ferocious pass rush continues to improve with Dani Dennis-Sutton becoming more available as he recovers from injury and Abdul Carter wreaking havoc as he appears to be fully acclimated on the defensive end in his first season in that position. Opponents have proven to be able to move the ball at Penn State with quick, accurate throws. However, the time in the pocket will be minimal.

James Franklin noted in his postgame press conference that Carter should have had “three or four more sacks or holding penalties” after several apparent (to put it mildly) team misses on Carter. We’ll see if the Big Ten takes notice and pays more attention to #11 seemingly being held on every rush.

PENN STATE OFFENSE VS. MINNESOTA DEFENSE

Minnesota also does a good job of hiding coverages to create confusion and bad throws into the secondary. Four different Gophers defenders have multiple interceptions this season, and their 16 total picks rank fourth nationally. True freshman Koi Perch leads the way with five and looks to be on his way to All-American status during his time in Minneapolis.

Fifth-year senior Cody Lindberg can make plays all over the field to the point that it sometimes seems like there is more than one #45 on the field at once. He leads the team with 76 tackles — 27 more than any other Gopher — along with three TFLs, a sack, an interception, six pass breakups and two hurries. Bucknell transfer Ethan Robinson has also been part of a disruptive secondary. He is excellent in coverage but physical enough to make plays at the line of scrimmage or brought off the edge.

Minnesota doesn’t get to the quarterback as much as you’d expect from a defense of its caliber. However, they have five players with multiple sacks, and they can bring pressure from different areas.

Between the low temps and the stingy pass defense, Penn State can lean into the run game on Saturday. Nicholas Singleton has shown more explosiveness over the last two weeks in limited snaps after battling nagging injuries all season. We may see him in his usual role if he’s ready, and don’t be surprised if true freshman Corey Smith gets some meaningful carries after impressing in the second half against Washington and Purdue.

Let’s also state the obvious – tight end Tyler will catch the ball, run the ball and even pass the ball. He has proven to be one of the best and most versatile weapons in the nation and the offense is much better when #44 has the ball in his hands.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Minnesota kicker Dragan Kesich has hit three field goals of 50 or more yards this season, going 15-of-21 overall. Fifth-year senior punter Mark Crawford is averaging a career-best 43.4 yards per carry. punt with a long of 58 yards. He has a punt of 51 or more yards in five games this season.

FORECAST

Penn State-28, Minnesota-13

This game will definitely be a test for the Nittany Lions. Minnesota is a well-coached team with a stingy defense and an effective quarterback. They will fight like hell to upset the #4 team in the nation and reward their fans with their biggest win of the season. However, Penn State has proven too motivated to let this game slip away and will outlast the Gophers to move to 10-1.

It could be a scary first half for the Nittany Lions, and could even find themselves down at halftime. However, the offense will be able to generate enough big plays to pull away, while the defensive front wears down the Gophers in the trenches to stop their offense in the second half. Penn State begins to pull away in the third quarter as Penn State fans breathe a sigh of relief before rejoicing in another road win against a tough opponent.