Minnesota

Penn State Vs. Minnesota: Keys to the Game

Published

1 year ago

November 23, 2024

Penn State Vs. Minnesota: Keys to the Game

Penn State is entering its penultimate game of the 2024 regular season, a final away matchup at Minnesota to face P.J. Fleck’s Golden Gophers. Minnesota (6-4) stands in the way of a potential 11-1 finish for the Nittany Lions. And while Fleck’s squad is unranked and a 12-point underdog, according to DraftKings, it has enough talent to cause fits for Penn State.

The Nittany Lions (9-1) have excelled this season when favored to win, avoiding letdowns against unranked opponents. A 33-30 overtime victory over USC is the closest call that James Franklin’s group has had. To maintain that success, Penn State will need some strong execution against a rested and well-prepared Minnesota squad.

Penn State vs. Minnesota predictions

Protecting the ball

Minnesota’s defense feasts on turnovers. While they’ve mostly come through 16 interceptions, the Golden Gophers also have forced seven fumbles, recovering four. Ball security, of course, is key in every game but will become especially important for Penn State when facing an opportunistic defense that tends to end up with the ball one way or another.

“They do have some ball hawks in their secondary, but they make plays when the plays come to them,” Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said. “I can’t just give them opportunities, because they’ll capitalize on it. And you know, a decent amount of their picks have actually been forced by their D-line, whether it’s like, a tipped pass that just falls into a linebacker or the quarterback getting hit and the ball … just finds a way to their hands.”

One mistake from Allar or Beau Pribula through the air could easily become a wasted possession for Penn State. With the Nittany Lions ranked fourth in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, they can’t afford to give Minnesota’s offense extra scoring chances and find fuel for a potential home upset. The turnover battle could wind up telling the story of Saturday’s game, especially if it happens to swing in Minnesota’s favor.

“We’ve always preached about ball security, no matter what, who we’re going against, and it’s definitely a talking point for us every week, so we’re going to take great pride in that,” Allar said. “Obviously, with a team like this, the way they’re built, they’re similar to us in the fact that they want to control the ball and they want to force turnovers. So we’re just going to have to be disciplined and stick to our game plan.”

An efficient offensive ground game

Going back to its success in favorable matchups, Penn State is 66-3 against unranked teams since 2016, when factoring out the 2020 season. For as much criticism as Franklin and the Nittany Lions faced for losing to Ohio State a few weeks ago, and for losses against other top-5 opponents in past seasons, they almost always take care of business when they’re “supposed” to win. And one key in avoiding potential upsets is keeping the opposing team’s offense off the field.

Against unranked, but certainly capable opponents in West Virginia, USC, Wisconsin and Washington, running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen racked up a combined 494 rushing yards on 99 attempts, nearly 5 yards per carry. As Penn State faces a similar opponent this week, controlling the clock and letting two of the top backs in the Big Ten go to work can help the Nittany Lions diminish any momentum Minnesota finds.

With Fleck’s secondary also being one of the conference’s best, Penn State would be wise to avoid risking any big-shot throws and attack the defense where it’s most vulnerable. The Golden Gophers allow 119.8 rushing yards per game — and in each of its conference losses to Iowa, Michigan and Rutgers, Minnesota allowed at least 109 rushing yards.

“I would say where we need to get better at is just being able to strain a little bit more in the run game, and get more finishes and more movement against teams to create more running lanes for Nick [Singleton] and Kaytron [Allen],” offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh said Wednesday. “I feel like going into [practice] and going into this game, we’re going to have a really good plan to be able to combat [Minnesota’s takeaways].”

Andy Kotelnicki brings his Minnesota roots to Penn State’s offense

Make Darius Taylor’s day a rough one

Minnesota starting back Darius Taylor has three games this season with at least 120 rushing yards. Minnesota won each game, including a 25-17 victory over ranked Illinois. In the Golden Gophers’ three conference losses, Taylor managed just 32.7 rushing yards per game and ran for 3.0 yards per carry.

Taylor adds some complexity as a strong receiving back (312 receiving yards), but when he’s running well out of the backfield, Minnesota’s offense has clicked much more. Quarterback Max Brosmer, completing 67.1 percent of his passes this season, is also at his best when he has a strong ground game to lean on, focusing on his efficiency and avoiding turnovers rather than having to do the heavy lifting offensively.

In 2022, Penn State successfully slowed Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis in a blowout win. But when the Golden Gophers pulled off a 31-26 upset in 2019, the Nittany Lions’ defense let quarterback Tanner Morgan do whatever he wanted, racking up 339 yards and three touchdowns on 18-for-20 passing. That type of production from Brosmer would be disastrous this time around. But should the Nittany Lions handle Taylor and Minnesota’s run game well, containing the Golden Gophers’ senior quarterback should become simpler.

“[Brosmer] I think is playing really well. … In the last three or four games he’s done a really good job of protecting the football. Their running back, No. 1, Darius Taylor, is a big back and has been playing really well for the last two years,” Franklin said. “… We’re going to have to go and play well to find a way to get a win on the road here in the Big Ten.”

The Nittany Lions will take on Minnesota at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on CBS.

More Penn State Football

Is Penn State’s defense getting overlooked this season?

For James Franklin, another pivotal moment at Minnesota

James Franklin weighs in on the Big Ten, SEC and the College Football Playoff

Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_ or Instagram @dmadersports.

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Minnesota

Woman found dead in Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota, sheriff’s office says

Published

5 hours ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

Woman found dead in Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota, sheriff’s office says

A woman was found dead at a complex on the Mississippi River in Winona County, Minnesota, on Wednesday morning.

Officials in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, called Winona County Dispatch around 7:45 about a report of a body, later identified as the woman, in the water at U.S. Lock and Dam 6, according to the Winona County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded after learning the location of the woman was within Winona County.

“Due to the difficult location, Winona firefighters rappelled down the dam and were able to safely secure the body,” the sheriff’s office said.

The woman has been taken to the Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s Office in Rochester, Minnesota, for an autopsy, according to officials. Her identification will be released at a later time.

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Minnesota

Amy Klobuchar’s campaign raises $4.8M for Minnesota governor bid

Published

17 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

Amy Klobuchar’s campaign raises .8M for Minnesota governor bid

Michelle Griffith
| Minnesota Reformer

Sen. Amy Klobuchar has raised $4.8 million for her Minnesota gubernatorial campaign in just over two months.
Her fundraising total is more than six times that of her leading Republican opponent, House Speaker Lisa Demuth.
Over 90% of donations to Klobuchar’s campaign were under $100, and she currently has $3.4 million in cash on hand.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar has raised $4.8 million for her campaign since she launched her bid for Minnesota governor at the end of January, her campaign announced Wednesday.

Klobuchar’s total, amassed in just 62 days, suggests she’ll have a staggering cash advantage from now until November, compounded by outside spending by the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and well-funded allies like Alliance for a Better Minnesota.

Over 90% of donors have given Klobuchar’s governor campaign less than $100, which means she can keep asking them for more as the contest heats up, and she has $3.4 million cash on hand. Klobuchar’s campaign said her haul is the most raised by any candidate for governor in its first two months. In 2022, Gov. Tim Walz raised just over $1 million in the first quarter of that year, according to Minnesota campaign finance data.

“(Klobuchar’s) grassroots donor base knows that she fights for people no matter the odds, and they stepped up the moment she announced her campaign for governor,” said Joe Radosevich, her campaign manager, in a statement.

Klobuchar, Minnesota’s senior senator and the state’s most accomplished vote-getter, has raised over six times as much as GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who is a leading GOP candidate for governor. Demuth has raised over $730,000 since she launched her campaign in November, Demuth’s campaign said. Demuth raised about $226,000 in the first quarter.

Kendall Qualls, an army veteran and former health care executive, has raised $700,000 since he launched his campaign for governor last summer, Qualls’ campaign said. In the first quarter of 2026, Qualls raised about $123,000, according to his campaign.

Since launching her campaign on Jan. 29, Klobuchar has held no campaign rallies and has largely refrained from campaigning on social media, unlike her Republican opponents.

Klobuchar hopped into the race after Walz ended his campaign for a third term after intensifying scrutiny of fraud in safety net programs. Walz reportedly met with Klobuchar and urged her to run.

Other Democrats have stayed out of the race since then, no doubt deterred by Klobuchar’s electoral record, top-flight political operation and fundraising prowess.

Klobuchar is a heavy favorite to win in November against a field of Republicans who are unknown to most Minnesotans, aside from MyPillow mogul Mike Lindell. Republican candidates include Demuth, Qualls, and state Rep. Kristin Robbins.

The DFL Party and the Republican Party of Minnesota will hold their endorsing conventions next month.

Klobuchar has spent two decades in the U.S. Senate, where lawmakers primarily send out press releases, take lots of votes and manage constituent services.

The governor of Minnesota oversees an enterprise with more than 36,000 employees, an annual general fund budget of $33 billion and billions more in Medicaid and other federal dollars now under considerable scrutiny following the discovery of hundreds of millions in fraud in recent years.

As the Republican Party of Minnesota has noted, since she launched her campaign, Klobuchar’s campaign website lists no priorities, top issues or even a description of her. She also hasn’t conducted any interviews with Minnesota media outlets.

Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

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Minnesota

Jarren Duran directs obscene gesture toward fan at Minnesota and says fan told him to kill himself

Published

1 day ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

Jarren Duran directs obscene gesture toward fan at Minnesota and says fan told him to kill himself

MINNEAPOLIS — Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran directed an obscene gesture toward a fan at Target Field as he returned to the dugout after a fifth-inning groundout in Boston’s 6-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

Duran, who has spoken about his past struggles with mental health, said a fan made a personal comment that crossed the line.

“Somebody just told me to kill myself,” Duran said. “I’m used to it at this point, you know? I mean, (expletive) happens. I mean, I’m gonna flip somebody off if they say something to me, but it is what it is. I shouldn’t react like that, but that kind of stuff is still kind of triggering.”

Duran discussed bouts with severe depression and a suicide attempt in a Netflix series that debuted last year.

“Honestly, it’s my fault for talking about my mental health because I kind of brought in the haters. So I’ve just got to get used to it,” Duran said. “I was just trying to hold it in and not really bring that up to the team. I mean, we’re trying to win a game. I shouldn’t even bring that up to anybody. … It just happens.”

Boston manager Alex Cora said he didn’t witness the incident and hadn’t reviewed video of it.

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