Minnesota
Hidden Gems: Penn State-Minnesota Football 2016
We’re bringing back Hidden Gems! Some of you longtime BSD readers may remember this series where we reflect on the games that we’ve enjoyed over the years that haven’t quite lived on in Penn State lore. We’ll be giving these games their due, as we reflect on a variety of memorable (but not too memorable) games from different Nittany Lions teams over the years.
Next up…Penn State rebounds from a devastating (and controversial) defeat at Michigan by taking care of Illinois on the road.
The 2016 season does not want for notable games. The 24-21 upset of Ohio State. The 38-31 come-from-behind Big Ten Championship over Wisconsin. The 52-49 shootout in the Rose Bowl against USC.
But does any of that season happen without the overtime victory over Minnesota?
The 2016 season was the first with Trace McSorley at the helm, and a new offensive coordinator in Joe Moorhead. With rising star Saquon Barkley, could the Lions find a new gear offensively? How about the defense, which was normally stout, but had key roster turnover. Could the team, still recovering from sanctions, start to make some noise for themselves?
Well, to start the season, no.
The Lions opened with a 33-13 win over Kent State, then went on the field and laid a dud against Pitt, losing 42-39. That game ended with an interception in the Pitt endzone with the Lions trying to come back from an early 28-7 deficit.
A 34-27 nailbiter over Temple a week later did nothing to quell concerns, especially when it was followed by a 49-10 thrashing at the hands of Michigan in week 4.
Sitting at 2-2, 0-1 in Big Ten play, it was a wounded team when Minnesota came to town.
Unlike the Lions, the Golden Gophers were undefeated to start the season, with wins over Oregon State, Indiana State, and Colorado State.
The game was a back-and-forth affair in rainy, blustery conditions, with Minnesota striking first, going up 3-0 near the end of the first quarter.
The Lions tied it at 3 early in the second, but the Gophers executed their ground-and-pound game with startling efficiency. Heading into the half, Penn State trailed 13-3.
Then in the second half, we got to see Penn State’s offensive penchant under Joe Moorhead: explosive offense.
Following a run for no gain by Barkley, and an incomplete pass by McSorley, Irvin Charles broke off an 80-yard catch-and-run, making it 13-10. The Lions would add 10 more points on the next two possessions, capped by a Trace McSorley touchdown run to take a 20-13 lead.
Then on the ensuing kickoff, Joey Julius got leveled by linebacker Jaylen Waters, resulting in the latter’s ejection from the game. Julius had a penchant for big hits on kick returners, and Minnesota was having none of it.
Unfortunately, despite the penalty, the Gophers were able to go 85 yards in just 8 plays, including 6 running plays, to tie the game at 20 early in the fourth quarter.
Things looked most bleak when the offense stalled out (again, as it was wont to do in 2016) for most of the fourth quarter, and with 54 seconds left, Minnesota kicker Emmit Carpenter nailed a 37-yard field goal to take a 23-20 lead.
Not so fast, my friends.
Trace McSorley took the field, and led the team from the 25 yard line to the Minnesota 22 yard line in just 19 seconds of game play, and with 2 seconds to go in the game, Tyler Davis punched a 40-yard field goal through the uprights.
The teams headed to overtime, knotted at 23 apiece.
The defense came alive in overtime as Minnesota first took possession of the ball. A rushing gain of 1 yard followed by an Evan Schwan sack, and then an incomplete pass by Mitch Leidner left the Gophers with a 4th and 13.
Naturally, Emmit Carpenter nailed the 46-yard field goal attempt, putting the Gophers up 26-23.
Then the season turned on a single play.
Saquon Barkley, who had been utterly shut down by Minnesota (just 38 yards on 19 carries, with no touchdowns and -3 receiving yards on a single catch), took the handoff from Trace McSorley. In his signature style, Saquon accelerated quickly through the left side of the line, evading a tackle from defensive lineman Gaelin Elmore, then juking DB Adekunle Ayinde out of his shoes. However the juke let Elmore catch up to Barkley, who sped up quickly once again and used his powerful lower body to escape a diving tackle attempt, and leapt into the endzone to secure the 29-26 win.
The rest, as they say, is history. The Lions would go on to topple Ohio State, upend Iowa, defeat Wisconsin, and claim their first Big Ten Championship in the post-sanction era.
But were it not for the gritty win over Minnesota, the kicking heroics of Tyler Davis, and the explosive overtime run by Saquon Barkley, all may have been for naught.
Minnesota
Boldy, Eriksson Ek help Wild cruise past Stars in Game 1 of Western 1st Round | NHL.com
Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who are the No. 3 seed in the Central Division. Wallstedt made 27 saves in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, and Zuccarello had three assists.
“I was definitely nervous,” said Wallstedt, a rookie. “I think it shows that it means something to you. I like a little bit of nerves. I think it’s something good. There were definitely some nerves throughout the day and then a little bit extra rolling into the game. But after the national anthem was over and the first couple pucks started coming, you’re good.
“I wanted to play and I felt like I have been going good. I was a little surprised (to get the start). But I was very excited as soon as I got the news. I just wanted to make sure I was ready today.”
Jason Robertson scored, and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for the Stars, who are the No. 2 seed in the Central.
“We didn’t deserve to win,” Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen said. “I think two power-play goals for them, two a little-bit bounces for them where we had guys in the right spot. Just even keel. Playoffs are like this. Sometimes you lose a game, you can feel like you’re done. But that’s the mentality you need to have, you’ve got to reset and learn from mistakes.
“First 30 minutes, we didn’t win enough battles. They were just that little bit stronger in the battles and that’s why they were able to make us defend more than we want to. Just got to be stronger.”
Game 2 is here on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+, ESPN, TVAS2, SN360).
“We prepped for a couple days coming into this one. Now, we will gather information from this game and continue to move forward,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “For me, it’s game to game and day to day. We want to continue to get better. We won and they [Dallas] lost. It’s not so much being satisfied where you’re at or that’s what it is. We need to continue to find ways to get better.”
Eriksson Ek gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 5:35 of the first period on the power play. He scored on a one-timer from the left hash marks to finish a tic-tac-toe passing play with Zuccarello and Boldy, who found an open Eriksson Ek with a pass from the goal line.
“I think every team in the playoffs talks about not getting too high or too low. Just enjoy every day and each game and then we will go from there,” Eriksson Ek said. “I think we played pretty good today. The next game is a new game, so we just have to do it over and over every game. We know they are probably not the happiest with that game, so I am sure it’s going to be hard next game.”
Minnesota
ICE agent assault charge marks a ‘milestone’ for Minnesota prosecutors
Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault accusing him of involvement in a February road-rage incident.
Trump administration ends Minnesota immigration operation
Border Czar Tom Homan announced the end of Minnesota’s immigration operation after fatal shootings heightened tension and community backlash.
Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault, saying the agent was involved in a February road-rage incident during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, faces two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to April 16 Hennepin County court records. He has a nationwide warrant for his arrest.
On Feb. 5, prosecutors said Morgan allegedly drove illegally on the shoulder of a congested Minnesota highway in an unmarked SUV and pointed his weapon at two people in another car.
Morgan is the first agent charged in Operation Metro Surge, the controversial Minneapolis-area federal immigration operation that resulted in two American citizens fatally shot by federal officials, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The charges “reflect an important milestone in our efforts to seek accountability for the harms inflicted on our community during Operation Metro Surge,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in an April 16 video statement.
Second-degree assault with a gun has a presumptive sentence of 36 months in prison if convicted, she said.
“Mr. Morgan’s conduct was extremely dangerous,” she said, adding his actions could have led to “another disastrous incident” in the community.
Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to email requests for comment. A cell phone listed for Morgan, identified as a Maryland resident, didn’t immediately respond to a call or text message.
The incident came less than two weeks after two Customs and Border Protection officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, during a protest in Minneapolis. Pretti would be the second American killed during Metro Surge after an ICE agent in early January fatally shot Renee Good, 37, while she drove her SUV in Minneapolis near an immigration operation.
Later in February, the Trump administration drew down Metro Surge, which officials called the largest immigration operation in modern American history.
Investigators said they interviewed Morgan, who identified himself as the driver. Morgan told investigators he and the other ICE employee were returning from a surveillance shift. Morgan said he feared for his life and others’ safety, so he pulled up alongside the vehicle and drew his Glock 19 firearm. He said he identified himself as police.
State investigators said neither Morgan nor the other ICE agent reported the incident to an ICE supervisor.
The April 16 warrant, signed by District Court Judge Paul Scoggin, said there was a “substantial likelihood” Morgan would fail to respond to a summons, and officials couldn’t locate him.
On April 18, Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the county attorney’s office, said there is no knowledge of Morgan being arrested yet.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
Minnesota
Reds Brandon Williamson beats Twins in first Minnesota homecoming
Reds’ Brandon Williamson talks Minnesota homecoming, beating Twins
Cincinnati Reds lefty Brandon Williamson pitched into the sixth inning to beat his home-state Minnesota Twins 2-1 in his first pro start in Minnesota.
MINNEAPOLIS – Brandon Williamson came to this ballpark as a kid, rooted for Joe Mauer and the Twins, maybe even dreamed a little of playing there one day.
“Oh, yeah. Joe Ma,” Williamson said. “That’s my guy.”
By the time that day came, Mauer had a statue outside the stadium, and Williamson had 29 career starts across three big-league seasons for the Cincinnati Reds.
And then the kid from tiny Trimont, Minnesota, came up big enough to beat the Twins in his first professional start in his home state – a 2-1 victory Friday in front of 200 or more personal friends and family from Trimont. And about 31,000 other people.
“It was awesome,” said Williamson, whose personal contingent at the game represented close to one-third of greater Trimont (pop. 705). “It was everything I thought it would be.”
The left-hander didn’t pitch especially deep into the game, getting two batters into the sixth. But on a night made for native Minnesotans, with a game-time temperature of 43 degrees, Williamson looked right at, well, home, pitching to the conditions and setting down the first six batters he faced – and eight of the first nine.
As one local press box wag quipped during the second inning, “These Minnesota boys know how to pitch in the cold.”
A pair of one-out runs in the fourth inning provided the scoring for a Reds team lineup still trying to break free from its early season woes – albeit with the twin obstacles of the weather and All-Star starter Joe Ryan’s presence on the mound for the Twins for the first six innings.
The only two hits off Ryan were doubles in the fourth by Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suárez, sandwiched around a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Kreidler. Suárez’s hit drove in two.
The only run against Williamson scored after he inexplicably followed four strong innings with three consecutive walks to open the fifth, including a four-pitch walk to No. 8 hitter Brooks Lee leading off the inning.
Austin Martin followed the three freebies with a sacrifice fly on a dying liner to the gap in right that Will Benson caught with a slide.
Williamson then rallied to get Luke Keaschall on an inning-ending, 5-4-3 double play started by Suárez, who got the rare start at third base.
“I thought he handled himself really good,” manager Terry Francona said. “He looked like he was having fun pitching. I know he didn’t like walking the bases loaded. But he looked like he was enjoying himself out there. I like that when guys are enjoying competing; then we’re OK.”
Williamson also left the bases loaded in the third after a hit batter and two-out single followed by a walk. He struck out Keaschall on a called third strike that was confirmed after Keaschall challenged.
“I could have kissed whoever was running the ABS,” Williamson said.
The Reds improved to 12-8 and remained tied for first place in the National League Central after their third win in four games – the second in that stretch by a 2-1 score.“That was cool,” said closer Emilio Pagán, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save in his first outing since experiencing hamstring tightness Tuesday.
“I don’t have a team in my home state (of South Carolina),” Pagán said, “so I don’t know what that feels like. But to pitch against probably his favorite team growing up in front of that many friends and family had to be a surreal feeling. And he handled it great.”
-
Cleveland, OH2 minutes agoWinners and Losers From Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Playoffs Game 1
-
Austin, TX8 minutes agoStorms dump small hail throughout Austin area Saturday
-
Alabama14 minutes agoYMCA of South Alabama holds Healthy Kids Day in Spanish Fort
-
Alaska20 minutes ago
Bear injures two US soldiers during military training in Alaska | The Jerusalem Post
-
Arizona26 minutes agoNFL mock draft: 4-round projections for Arizona Cardinals
-
Arkansas32 minutes agoNo. 6 Arkansas ends top-ranked OU’s 31-game home winning streak with 3-2 decision
-
California38 minutes ago
Billionaire Steyer’s spending binge dwarfs rival campaigns in California governor’s race
-
Colorado44 minutes agoLandeskog – April 18 | Colorado Avalanche