STATE COLLEGE – There were lots of questions surrounding Penn State coming into this week’s “White Out” game with Minnesota. Could the Nittany Lions team handle adversity for the first time this year? Would the Penn State Defense be able to handle a physical Big Ten opponent? Could the Offense bounce back after a sub-par performance? The answers were all YES. Penn State (6-1) started slow but poured it on in the quarter two and three to send Minnesota (4-3) packing 45-17 Saturday evening.
Sean Clifford played arguably his best game of the year. Sean was 23-35 for 295 yards and four TDs. The strong passing attack opened up the ground game for the Nittany Lions’ two-headed monster of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Singleton did have TDs of 16 and 30 yards. Curtis Jacobs had 14 tackles to lead the defense. For Minnesota, running back, Mohamid Ibrahim was a workhorse and ran for 102 yards.
Coach James Franklin credited the huge “White Out” crowd as a factor in the game. Coach felt the crowd got the Golden Gophers out of synch early causing five false start penalties. Coach Franklin also felt winning third down was huge on both sides of the ball on Saturday.
@PennStateFball Head Coach James Franklin credits the “White Out” crowd with 5 false start penalties and a factor that kept the @GopherFootball offense out of synch. PSU came out on top 45-17 @PremiunSports @bigten pic.twitter.com/EdoyyfG24M
— EasternPAFootball (@EPAFootball) October 23, 2022
In the first quarter, both teams had difficulty moving the ball. Matt Trickett’s 35-yard field goal for the Gophers.
@GopherFootball Justin Walley with this stellar interception in quarter one set up the first score https://t.co/XaZ8w0b6ej pic.twitter.com/XPaykBdVLf
— EasternPAFootball (@EPAFootball) October 23, 2022
Jake Pinnegar tied it up at three early in quarter two.
Here is Jake’s Field Goal that tied the score at 3 in quarter two. @PremiunSports @bigten https://t.co/nnxnYasQJf pic.twitter.com/0HYYfCa0ma
— EasternPAFootball (@EPAFootball) October 23, 2022
Sean Clifford and the air attack got into high gear in quarter two. Sean hit Tyler Warren and then Theo Johnson for scores on consecutive drives to get the score to 17-3 over Minnesota.
@PennStateFball Tyler Warren splits the @GopherFootball defense for this quarter two TD. https://t.co/otb7xNX8su pic.twitter.com/RWbkUBakek
— EasternPAFootball (@EPAFootball) October 23, 2022
Here is the video of Theo Johnson 2nd quarter TD for @PennStateFball today https://t.co/kWNK8bdDZN pic.twitter.com/iSaSwsK9G2
— EasternPAFootball (@EPAFootball) October 23, 2022
There was no quit in Minnesota. The Gophers pulled to within seven of Penn State, making it 17-10 at the break.
We had a ballgame at halftime of today’s @PennStateFball win over @GopherFootball https://t.co/N0p1wswVaC pic.twitter.com/KHfOJ28b6O
— EasternPAFootball (@EPAFootball) October 23, 2022
This Clifford to Parker Washington TD pass put the momentum of the game back on the Penn State sideline early in quarter three.
Watch this grab by Washington for a third quarter @PennStateFball score today @PremiunSports https://t.co/yhsgrp2a6d pic.twitter.com/PV1YuJCLu7
— EasternPAFootball (@EPAFootball) October 23, 2022
Nick Singleton scored this third quarter TD, and the rout was on.
Check out @PennStateFball Nick Singletons first TD today over @GopherFootball https://t.co/5zwV2j0qD3 pic.twitter.com/wJgBO9nmFP
— EasternPAFootball (@EPAFootball) October 23, 2022
Mitchell Tinsley and Nick Singleton scored fourth-quarter TDs for Penn State. As time was running down, Minnesota scored a TD pass. The final was Penn State 45 Minnesota 17. Penn State has a high noon showdown with Ohio State at Beaver Stadium next week. Minnesota hosts Rutgers.
