The Gophers football team flirted with one of the sweetest doses of deja vu on Saturday.
But instead of duplicating a home upset of a fourth-ranked Penn State team like they did in unforgettable fashion in 2017, Minnesota gave up the lead in the third quarter and lost 26-25 at Huntington Bank Stadium.
With an upset brewing as an 11-point underdog, the defeat will go down like a bitter pill for the U.
Minnesota had a chance to score a go-ahead touchdown with six minutes left in the game. On second and goal, Gopher coaches called a trick play — a throwback to left tackle Aireontae Ersery. It fell incomplete, but Penn State wasn’t fooled. Its best player, defensive end Abdul Carter, was right there to make a play if the offensive lineman caught the pass.
After an incompletion to receiver Elijah Spencer on third down, Minnesota kicked a 26-yard field goal to make it 26-25.
On the next drive, Penn State was stopped but ran a fake punt on fourth and one. With that 32-yard gain and two more first downs, they put the game away.
Gophers fell to 6-5, 4-4 Big Ten, while Penn State (10-1, 7-1) stayed alive for a good spot in the expanded College Football Playoff race.
Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer had not turned the ball over since September, but he threw his first interception in 206 attempts in the first half. It led to a Penn State field goal.
In the second half, Brosmer fumbled while attempting a pitch and it led to another Penn State field goal and a 26-22 hole.
The combined six points of turnovers loomed large in the close defeat.
Trailing 22-16 in the third quarter, Nittany Lions fed the ball to its best player — tight end Tyler Warren — with three receptions to jumpstart a touchdown drive to take its first lead at 23-22 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
A wild final 72 seconds of the first half led to Minnesota taking a 19-16 at the break.
Tied 10-10, senior special teams player Derik LeCaptain deflected a punt in Penn State’s own end zone and Minnesota took over at the Nittany Lions’ 21.
With the great field position, offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh didn’t sit back and dialed up a double reverse pass from Max Brosmer to a wide open tight end Jameson Geers for a 21-yard touchdown to take a 17-10 lead.
On the next drive, Penn State benefitted from a questionable pass interference call after marginal contact from cornerback Ethan Robinson. Minnesota coaches were lobbying for it to be deemed uncatchable. Nittany Lions completed a 28-yard pass on the next play and scored two plays after that.
Instead of an extra point tying the game again at 17-17, Minnesota went up three points. Jack Henderson blocked the extra point attempt and Robinson returned down the left sideline for two points. It was the U’s first score off a PAT attempt since Mario Reese’s interception return against Wisconsin in 2006.
On the opening three defensive drives, the Gophers produced a trio of big stops. Cody Lindenberg had tackles on the first two third-and-short situations, followed by Anthony Smith’s sack off Drew Allar on fourth down.
Minnesota was sound defensively until its secondary suffered a huge coverage bust that allowed Omari Evans to get wide open on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Allar.
The Gophers produced a statement start with a nine-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-0 lead. It was kept alive with a fourth-down conversion out of a jumbo formation and capped by Marcus Major’s 20-yard touchdown run. It was the Gophers’ third touchdown across the last four games.
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