Penn State made sure to control the game, knowing their chance at a championship was still alive. They were determined to finish the game strong and with the ball in their hands.
Drew Allar threw for 244 yards and a touchdown, ran for another touchdown, and helped the Nittany Lions convert two crucial fourth-down plays late in the game. These plays were key in helping No. 4 Penn State secure a 26-25 victory over Minnesota on Saturday, keeping their College Football Playoff hopes intact.
Tyler Warren caught eight passes for 102 yards. Penn State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) avoided an upset on a day when three other teams in the projected 12-team playoff lost. This win gave Penn State its third straight 10-win season, and the team is undefeated on the road for the first time since 1985.
“Records and stats are one thing, but they’re a physical team, they’re a tough team and they brought their ‘A’ game,” said Nick Dawkins, the Nittany Lions’ center.
Minnesota (6-5, 4-4) closed the gap with 5:48 left when Dragan Kesich kicked his third field goal of the game, cutting the lead to just one point. The Gophers had a first-and-goal from the 7-yard line but couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity. They tried a trick play with a screen pass to left tackle Aireontae Ersery, but it fell incomplete.
Minnesota’s coach, P.J. Fleck, trusted his defense enough to kick the field goal, but Penn State’s Luke Reynolds ran 32 yards on a fake punt, making up for earlier special teams mistakes.
Reynolds’ run set up three crucial fourth-and-1 conversions for Penn State on their final drive. Allar converted one on a keeper from the Minnesota 25 just before the two-minute warning, and he ended the game with an 11-yard pass to Warren for the last conversion.
“I just felt like we needed to be aggressive and end the game on our terms,” said Penn State head coach James Franklin.
Penn State had fallen behind 10-0 and didn’t score until Allar connected with Omari Evans for a 45-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter. Nick Singleton’s 12-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave the Nittany Lions their first lead at 23-22.
“All these times we have been down at halftime, there hasn’t been any pointing fingers or bad attitudes coming back in the locker room,” Warren said. “I think that sets us up really well for the second half.”
Minnesota’s Max Brosmer, who had thrown 206 consecutive passes without an interception, was picked off by Dominic DeLuca in the second quarter. Then, in the fourth quarter, Brosmer lost a fumble on the first play, both of which led to field goals for Penn State.
“I know it happens in football, but I know that I can be way better,” Brosmer said.
Daniel Jackson had six catches for 90 yards, and Marcus Major scored a touchdown for Minnesota.
“There’s a lot of tears in that locker room because of how hard they played, but Penn State found a way to make one more play than we did,” Fleck said. “It was a great football game. Sometimes you’ve got to step out of the head coach role to appreciate a game like that.”
