Game within the game: Minnesota's Aireontae Ersery vs. Penn State's Abdul Carter

It's a battle of two elite Big Ten players: Aireontae Ersery and Abdul Carter.

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter (11) celebrates after a defensive stop Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, during the NCAA football game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Penn State Nittany Lions won 49-10. / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Gophers will host No. 4 Penn State this Saturday and one of the biggest tests for Minnesota will be stopping one of the best defensive players in college football, edge rusher Abdul Carter.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 259 pounds, Carter will likely match up with Minnesota's star left tackle Aireontae Ersery for much of the game. As a true junior, Carter has generated a quarterback pressure on 16% of his 225 pass-rush snaps this season. He wears the same No. 11 jersey that Micah Parsons did in his Penn State career.

"They're very good. Extremely active up front. Obviously, 11 (Abdul Carter) is an incredible player, he'll probably be a top-five pick. He's a guy you got to know where they are, where he is at all times," Minnesota offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. said. "You have to know where 33 (Dani Dennis-Sutton) is. I think 41 (Kobe King), 0 (Dominic Deluca) and 13 (Tony Rojas) — the linebackers — are very, very talented. They do a great job of just understanding their keys."

Penn State's defense is highlighted by Carter, but they're deep all over the field. They've allowed 13.6 points per game this season, which ranks sixth-best in college football, and 272.6 total yards per game, which ranks fourth in the nation.

On paper, the Nittany Lions are arguably the most talented team that Minnesota has faced this season, but undoubtedly the most talent they've faced since Week 6 against USC.

Carter against Ersery is just one matchup on a field with 22 players, but it will be two of the most talented players in the sport going head-to-head on national TV.