Nicholas Singleton rushed for a go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter and No. 4 Penn State converted a fake punt late in the fourth, helping it secure a 26-25 victory over Minnesota on Saturday in Big Ten play in Minneapolis.
Penn State’s Drew Allar completed 21 of 28 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown.
Omari Evans reeled in a 45-yard scoring strike and Tyler Warren had eight catches for 102 yards for the Nittany Lions (10-1, 7-1), who overcame two blocked kicks to record their third win in a row.
With Penn State nursing a 26-25 lead and in punt formation, upback Luke Reynolds took the snap and rushed 32 yards on a fourth-and-1 play with 3:38 remaining in the fourth quarter. Allar rushed for 2 yards to convert one fourth-down play and completed an 11-yard pass to Warren on another to seal the win.
Minnesota’s Max Brosmer completed 15 of 23 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown. He also threw one interception.
Marcus Major rushed for a 20-yard score and tight end Jameson Geers reeled in a touchdown pass for the Golden Gophers (6-5, 4-4), who dropped two in a row after a four-game winning streak.
Minnesota followed Derik LeCaptain’s blocked punt by converting on the next play, with Brosmer connecting with Geers on a flea flicker for a 21-yard touchdown pass. The trick play staked the Golden Gophers to a 17-10 lead with 1:03 remaining in the second quarter.
Penn State answered on the ensuing drive as Allar rushed up the middle for a 4-yard touchdown. The Nittany Lions were denied on their bid to tie the score, as Jack Henderson blocked the extra-point attempt and Ethan Robinson scooped up the ball and raced down the field for the conversion to extend Minnesota’s advantage to 19-16.
Dragan Kesich drilled a 42-yard field goal to increase the Golden Gophers’ lead early in the third quarter before Singleton raced 12 yards for a score to give Penn State a 23-22 advantage.
Kesich answered Ryan Barker’s second field goal with his second of the day.
–Field Level Media
