Penn State Beats Minnesota, Becomes Bowl Eligible

Penn State built a 28-0 halftime advantage and went on to beat Minnesota 42-14 on a cold, wet and windy night at Beaver Stadium. The win lifted the Nittany Lions to 6-4 and made them eligible for a bowl game. They scored on three of their first four possessions, then added another touchdown before halftime. Minnesota arrived in State College hours behind schedule after a travel delay.

Quarterback Rocco Becht connected with tight end Ben Brahmer for two touchdowns. Brahmer’s earlier apparent score was overturned. Running back Carson Hansen gained 126 yards on 12 first-half carries, including a 46-yard touchdown, but left late in the half with an injury and did not return. Coach Matt Campbell said Hansen sat out the second half as a precaution. Hansen has scored in six straight games.

Minnesota answered with two touchdowns by Javon Tracy in the third quarter, trimming the lead to 35-14. Penn State has now been outscored 56-16 in the third quarter of its Big Ten games, including Saturday’s 14-7 margin. The Nittany Lions had scored on their first drive of the second half, but struggled after Hansen’s departure. Backup quarterback Alex Manske threw a fourth-quarter touchdown to James Peoles to complete the scoring.

Penn State’s defense recorded two sacks of Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey and six tackles resulting in lost yardage before halftime. The announced attendance was 105,291, though fewer fans were in the stadium as rain and wind persisted. Broadcaster Jack Ham, 77, was home in Pittsburgh after spending nearly a week in a Seattle hospital following a medical emergency before Penn State’s November 7 game at Washington.