Strong second half propels Penn State past Minnesota in White Out game
Emotions ran high at Beaver Stadium Saturday night, as Penn State celebrated two timeless traditions: Homecoming and the White Out game.
Last week's debacle against Michigan felt like a distant memory as the Nittany Lions routed the Golden Gophers 45-17
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Penn State’s offense failed to match the energy of the raucous crowd on its first three possessions, which ended in a pair of punts and an interception by Minnesota defensive back Justin Walley
After the turnover, the Golden Gophers took advantage of the excellent field position to take a 3-0 lead on the road.
On the ensuing drive, the Nittany Lions woke up and pushed the ball downfield thanks to a pair of pretty balls from Sean Clifford to his tight ends. The possession ended in a short game-tying field goal for Jake Pinegar.
Penn State’s deep tight end room was far from finished in the second quarter. The next drive, Clifford found a wide-open Tyler Warren for a 38-yard score, lifting the blue and white to a 10-3 advantage.
Minnesota gave the Nittany Lions plenty of time to find their footing, as well. An already run-first offense became obnoxiously so without starting quarterback Tanner Morgan, and Manny Diaz’s defense was ready.
Save for a few nice chunks, Penn State’s front seven stepped up against the run and played much better than it did against Michigan.
While the defense held down the fort, Mike Yurcich’s offense kept humming and continued to exploit the middle of the field with its tight ends. Theo Johnson hauled an 18-yard score to give Penn State a 17-3 lead with four minutes to go in the first half.
The Golden Gophers then engineered a crucial drive at the end of the half, as freshman quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis looked comfortable for the first time all night. Ibrahim capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 17-10 going into halftime.
The blue and white opened the second half with a bang, as receiver Parker Washington made an acrobatic touchdown catch on a jump-ball. The 35-yard toss was Clifford’s third of the day and gave Penn State a 24-10 lead.
Minnesota mounted a drive its next time out, but an interception by safety Ji’Ayir Brown halted the scoring threat. On the ensuing possession, running back Nick Singleton waltzed into the end zone from 16 yards out to give Penn State a commanding lead.
The Nittany Lions added another 3rd-quarter score to effectively ice the game. Receiver Mitchell Tinsley was left uncovered along the sideline, boosting the home team to a 38-10 lead.
The Gophers didn't back down, as it embarked on a long touchdown march capped by a short touchdown catch from tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford with eight minutes to go
Singleton put the nail in the coffin with a 30-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth, sealing a one-sided victory for Penn State.
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