5 things that stood out from Gophers' narrow loss to No. 4 Penn State

Despite the result, there was a lot to like from Minnesota on Saturday.

Penn State wide receiver Omari Evans runs after a catch against Minnesota during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Nov. 23, 2024. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Gophers football team put up a valiant effort and had a chance to win the game in the final minutes, but ultimately it couldn't pull off the upset, falling 26-25 to No. 4 Penn State Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

It was Minnesota's final home game of the season, and it was its second straight loss. But there was plenty to like from the Gophers on Saturday, and they gave more than enough reason to believe they can end their season on a high note when they visit Wisconsin for the season finale on Friday in Madison, Wis., though it doesn't make the loss less disappointing.

Here are five things that stood out from Minnesota's narrow defeat to the Nittany Lions:

Play of the game

Dragan Kesich's field goal had just cut the Gophers' deficit to 26-25, and Minnesota's defense was about to get off the field with the Nittany Lions facing fourth-and-1 with just over four minutes remaining in the game. Penn State lined up to punt, but it was just a mirage. The ball was snapped directly to freshman tight end Luke Reynolds, who took off 32 yards down the sideline to the Minnesota 34-yard line. The first down all but sealed the game.

WHAT A CALL!
Penn State fakes it and picks up the first down. pic.twitter.com/n2t8kHrG4T

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) November 23, 2024

The Gophers never got the ball back after that. The Nittany Lions converted on a fourth-and-1 two more times on the drive and were eventually able to run out the clock. It was a great call by James Franklin, and it won Penn State the game.

Costly turnovers

The one thing you can do as an underdog facing one of the best teams in the country is beat yourself. But the Gophers unfortunately had a couple of untimely mistakes Saturday afternoon, which translated into Penn State points.

Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer saw his streak of pass attempts without an interception rise to 207, the longest streak in the country before it was snapped in the second quarter when his ill-advised pass was picked off by linebacker Dominic DeLuca, who returned it 29 yards to set up the Nittany Lions in prime position at the Minnesota 23-yard line.

The Gophers defense held firm, but Ryan Barker's 45-yard field goal knotted the game at 10-10.

After Penn State took the lead in the third quarter on Nicholas Singleton's 12-yard touchdown run, the Gophers started moving down the field until time ran out on the third quarter. But on the first play of the fourth quarter, Brosmer fumbled the ball in the backfield, and the Nittany Lions recovered, taking possession at the Minnesota 41-yard line.

The Gophers defense once again held firm, with Koi Perich's tight coverage in the end zone on star tight end Tyler Warren forcing an incomplete pass on third-and-long. Barker's 32-yarder made it 26-22, keeping hopes alive for the upset.

Defense keeps it close

Those two defensive stands after Gophers turnovers were some of the biggest stops of the day, and that unit played particularly well all day long. The defense forced the Nittany Lions to punt on their first two drives, and on their third, Anthony Smith came up with a big sack of quarterback Drew Allar when Penn State was going for it on fourth-and-4.

The defensive stand after Brosmer's interception in the first half featured a sack from Jack Henderson on second-and-6, resulting in a nine-yard loss, and Allar's attempt on third-and-15 fell incomplete. The Gophers had two sacks overall and held the Nittany Lions to 361 yards of offense, well short of their season average of 454.1 yards per game. The run defense was effective, holding the Nittany Lions to 117 yards on the ground, just 10 of which came in the first half.

A special special-teams performance

Minnesota's special-teams unit put on a show on Saturday. Among the impactful plays was linebacker Derik LeCaptain getting a hand on Riley Thompson's punt from the end zone, which set the Gophers up at the Penn State 21-yard line. The very next play, Brosmer hit tight end Jameson Geers for a 21-yard touchdown pass, giving Minnesota a 17-10 lead.

With just 1 minute, 3 seconds remaining on the clock, the Nittany Lions marched right down the field — getting help from a questionable pass interference penalty on Ethan Robinson — and Allar ran in for a 4-yard score. They needed just an extra point to tie the game, but Henderson made sure they didn't get it, blocking Barker's attempt. Robinson redeemed himself for the penalty, scooping up the ball and returning it all the way for a safety, making it 19-16 at the half.

Dragan Kesich was perfect on his kicks, going 2 for 2 on extra points and 3 for 3 on field goals, including a long of 48 that put the Gophers up 10-0 in the second quarter. Mark Crawford punted three times, averaging 40.3 yards per punt, including one that was downed at the Penn State 3. That set the stage for LeCaptain's blocked punt after a U stop.

Unfortunately for the U, Penn State beat the Gophers at their own game in the final minutes.

Bold calls

If you want to win against the fourth-ranked team in the country, you have to make some bold decisions, and that's exactly how P.J. Fleck approached the game at the start. On Minnesota's first drive of the game, Fleck went for it on fourth-and-1, and Darius Taylor ran 12 yards for a first down. Two plays later, Marcus Major was in the end zone on a 20-yard scamper.

After LeCaptain's blocked punt set the Gophers up in prime scoring position on the Penn State 21-yard line, Greg Harbaugh Jr. drew up a trick play that worked to perfection. It was a double reverse, with Brosmer tossing it to Taylor, who tossed it to receiver Daniel Jackson, who tossed it back to Brosmer. The quarterback delivered a strike to a wide-open Geers for a 21-yard touchdown, which gave Minnesota a 17-10 lead with just over a minute left in the first half.

Trailing 26-22 in the fourth quarter, the Gophers even tried to run a screen pass to left tackle Aireontae Ersery. That play didn't work too well, as Brosmer's pass was off the mark, but it was certainly a fun call. And the Gophers still got points out of the drive, with Kesich making a 26-yarder that cut it to 26-25 with 5 minutes, 48 seconds remaining.