Grades: Minnesota
QUARTERBACKS: Sean Clifford had the worst half of his career to open the game, completing just 43 precent of his passes and two interceptions. He played better in the second half, but another poor throw on 3rd and 24 with the game on the line was intercepted, sealing it for the Gophers. He finished 23 of 43 with 340 yards, but also had just one touchdown to go along with the interceptions. With that said, give him credit for some clutch throws late.
GRADE: C+
RUNNING BACKS: Journey Brown started strong with two big runs in the 1st quarter, but he managed just 15 yards rushing on the other six carries in the first half. He finished with 124 yards though, so overall, Brown had a pretty good day. Ricky Slade didn’t get a single carry. He also has to cut inside on that two-point conversion.
GRADE: B+
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT END: KJ Hamler and Pat Freiermuth have been great, but Penn State is getting very little from the rest of this group. Hamler and Freiermuth get an A, and Bowers made a nice catch for a score, but that’s the only reason why this is an average grade. Penn State needs more from the rest of this group if they want to take the next step.
GRADE: C
OFFENSIVE LINE: There were a few breakdowns throughout the game, but for the most part, Clifford was given time to throw. Minnesota only had two sacks in the game, and they also opened up a few nice holes for Brown. The offensive line wasn’t as good as Minnesota’s front, but they weren’t the problem.
GRADE: B
DEFENSIVE LINE: It was no secret that Minnesota had a big offensive line, but Penn State’s speed and athleticism was supposed to negate that. It never really did until late in the game. Not only did the defense not register a sack until the fourth quarter, they didn’t even have a tackle for loss until the third. That’s not just on the defensive line, but pressure was nonexistent until late in the game.
GRADE: C-
LINEBACKERS: Micah Parsons and Jan Johnson both had 11 tackles each. Just like we’ve seen most of the season, the linebackers were great against the run but left some gaps when dropping into coverage.
GRADE: B-
DEFENSIVE BACKS: So much went wrong, from start to finish. Tanner Morgan had just two incompletions the entire game, and it’s not like he was throwing short passes all day. The Gophers averaged 18.8 yards per completion.
GRADE: F
SPECIAL TEAMS: Jake Pinegar connected on both of his field goal attempts and Blake Gillikin was great. However, another penalty in the return game forced Penn State to start at its own 13-yard line after the Gophers went up 21-10. Clifford and the offense ended up going three-and-out. The coverage team also interfered with Hamler’s fair catch before the final drive of the game. Penn State was fortunate that Ellis Brooks recovered.
GRADE: C+
COACHING: The first quarter was about Minnesota’s players wanting it more, but there were some questionable decisions as the game progressed. Spiking the ball with 18 seconds left in the half on a 1st and goal wasn’t smart, especially with one timeout remaining. It’s hard enough to score in the red zone. Don't limit yourself to two attempts. Also, throwing multiple fades to Hamler, who’s only 5-foot-9, in crucial moments is questionable, to say the least. However, most importantly, the team wasn’t ready to play coming out of a bye week. This has been an issue for a few seasons now.
GRADE: D
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