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.
The Portland Trail Blazers tamed the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night, 111-84, in NBA Summer League action. Center Yang Hansen made a heroic return after missing the last game due to an illness, while two-way guard Chris Youngblood turned in a much needed all-around performance to pace Portland. With the Blazers 0-2 in summer league, the team came out with a sense of urgency to put a complete game together and grab their first win in Las Vegas.
After a slow start against Minnesota, Yang really took command in the second half, imposing his will on both ends of the floor. He finished the game with 18 points on 7-8 shooting, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 turnovers (3 in the first half). He still has a ways to go, but when he gets into a comfortable rhythm, good things happen. Youngblood poured in 20 points on an efficient 5-11 shooting, to go with 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Donovan Williams led Minnesota with 21 points. Center Rocco Zikarsky finished with 18 and 6 rebounds. G league point guard Zyon Pullin scored 16 and dished out 10 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. He was the only Minnesota starter with a positive plus/minus.
Yang got off to both a good and bad start, recording 2 points, 2 fouls, 2 turnovers, a rebound, and an assist in the first 3 minutes of the game. That sent him to the bench early. His center counterpart for the T-Wolves, 7’3”, 20-year-old Australian Rocco Zikarsky came out on fire. He scored 10 points in the first quarter, including two shots behind the arc. Youngblood provided a much needed good shooting start, while newly signed former lottery pick point guard Kira Lewis Jr. came off the bench with instant offense – 5 points in 4 minutes. The Blazers ended the first quarter up 24-17.
Youngblood, one of the Blazers on a two-way contract, has a reputation as a sharpshooter. However, coming into tonight’s game he was 1/13 from three through the first two games. He put together another solid run in the second quarter to lead Portland with 17 points, while helping double their lead at the half, 58-44.
The Blazers continued to dominate the third quarter. Yang punished Minnesota when they went to a smaller lineup. When Yang gets comfortable in the flow of a game, his confidence level rises. You can see the wheels turning in real time when he makes plays. He tries to parlay that into as much production as possible. He even impressed with his ability to bring the ball across half court a few times. He feasted in the paint and on the boards, registering 10 points in the third quarter alone. Blazers guard Quincy Olivari heated up with 9 points in the quarter.
The fourth quarter started with the Yang Hansen Show. He made a couple of impressive passes and drove the lane for a rim-rocking dunk! He was gassed after stuffing the stat sheet in the second half. He was subbed out with 6 minutes left and began pounding the Gatorade on the bench. After a tough start, Yang regrouped to play a very disciplined game.
The Blazers (1-2) get a couple days off, then return to action on Thursday when they take on the Denver Nuggets at 7 p.m. PDT. That game will be available Prime Video, BlazerVision and KUNP.
(FOX 9) – Minnesota is joining a legal challenge targeting the largest media merger in history, arguing that it would ultimately be a bad deal for customers.
AG Ellison joins lawsuit to block Warner Bros.-Paramount merger
What we know:
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined a coalition of 11 other attorneys general, filing a lawsuit to stop the $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance Corporation.
The suit alleges the merger would violate antitrust laws by creating a media conglomerate that would control nearly one-third of all U.S.-based theatrical movies.
The combined company would control about 27% of the market for wide-release theatrical films and basic cable channels. Only three distributors would control 75% of wide-release films, and four — including Disney, Universal, and Sony — would control 86%, the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also points out that Warner Bros. is currently the second largest and Paramount the third largest in licensing basic cable channels, and together they would control 27% of that market. The merger would combine two of Hollywood’s five major film distributors and two of the five major basic cable companies, eliminating competition and harming movie theaters, cable distributors and consumers.
What they’re saying:
“Minnesotans deserve a fair and competitive marketplace, not one where a handful of giant corporations control what we watch, what we pay, and what choices we have,” AG Ellison said in a statement. “This would be the largest merger in media and entertainment history. It will raise prices, limit innovation, and reduce the variety of voices in media and entertainment. I’m taking action because this goes too far in consolidating power with a few at the expense of the public.”
What’s next:
The coalition has asked Warner Bros. and Paramount not to close the merger until after the judicial process concludes. If the companies refuse, the attorneys general plan to file a temporary restraining order to halt the deal.
The Source: Information provided in a statement from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
WASHINGTON (7News) — The debate over the National Guard presence in the nation’s capital is intensifying after the Pentagon told 7News the Guard mission connected to President Donald Trump’s crime initiative could continue through Inauguration Day 2029 unless it is ended sooner by the president.
The development comes as one governor has decided to withdraw troops from Washington, while D.C. leaders are urging other states to do the same.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is pulling his state’s National Guard members out of the District earlier than originally planned.
Walz’s office says its mission to support America 250 celebrations has concluded. The decision follows concerns about whether some Guard members were being used beyond the security mission tied to those events.
RELATED | Pentagon to keep National Guard activated in D.C. through Inauguration Day 2029
The D.C. Council is also pressing other states to reconsider their deployments.
All 13 councilmembers signed letters to the governors of Michigan and the U.S. Virgin Islands asking them to withdraw their National Guard troops from the District. Council leaders argue those service members were deployed to support the nation’s 250th anniversary events—not a broader federal public safety mission.
“They’re just doing their job, but it still hurts the city. It hurts our image. It creates resentment,” D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said.
SEE ALSO | 13-year-old boy shot and killed in Northeast DC home
“The letters were sent to two states that we were surprised when they decided to send the guard. Now, they sent the guard, as I understand it, to support the America 250 events. So it would be nice if they just kind of go back home,” Mendelson added.
According to the Joint Task Force overseeing the deployment, more than 5,100 National Guard members are currently assigned to the District, including troops supporting Freedom 250 events and other summer activities.
While Minnesota is ending its deployment, governors in states including Georgia and Mississippi have said their Guard members will remain in Washington to support the president’s mission.
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