Penn State head coach James Franklin recaps win against Minnesota: 'Our team overcame adversity and found a way to win on the road'
Penn State didn’t lead until late in the third quarter Saturday at Minnesota, but in the end, the Nittany Lions were able to pull out the win, defeating the Gophers 26-25. Despite going 1 for 11 on third downs, Penn State was able to capitalize on two Minnesota turnovers that led to six points and ultimately played a bit part in James Franklin’s team improving to 10-1 and keeping its College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Highs & Lows: Penn State pulls out all stops, tops Minnesota
“First of all, I think you got to give Minnesota and PJ [Fleck] a ton of credit,” Franklin said. “They had them ready to play. They played really well and made big plays in big moments. We came into this game having a ton of respect for their defense and I thought their defense played really well tonight. I think their quarterback played very well, and their wide receivers, so got to give them credit. They played really well. They made critical plays at big moments in the game. But at the end of the day, our team overcame adversity and found a way to win on the road.”
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Takeaways: PSU overcomes injuries & periods of ineptitude to beat Gophers
Penn State was tested on the road against USC earlier this season and Minnesota gave them a similar scare today, going up 10-0 early in the second quarter. Quarterback Drew Allar and the offense were able to respond with a five-play, 75-yard drive that ended in a 45-yard touchdown to wide receiver Omari Evans. The first of two turnovers then came four plays later, as linebacker Dominic DeLuca intercepted Max Brosmer. Penn State wasn’t able to convert for a touchdown, but they did get a field goal that tied the game. Both teams then traded touchdowns late in the second quarter, but a blocked extra point kept it from being a tie game after Ethan Robinson returned the kick for a two-point conversion, giving Minnesota a 19-16 lead going into halftime.
But as we’ve seen so many times this season, Penn State’s effort in the second half reached a different level. Defensively, they held the Gophers to just six points. They were also able to force a fumble on Minnesota’s penultimate drive that gave the Lions a 26-22 lead. The Gophers rallied to get a field of their own with 5:48 left to play in the game, but that’s when the offense put together a 12-play, 72-yard drive to run out the clock. That drive also featured the play of the game, as freshman tight end Luke Reynolds took a fake punt 32 yards on 4th and 1, switching the field from Penn State’s 34-yard line to Minnesota’s 34-yard line. Two more fourth-down conversions followed to eventually ice the game.
