Penn State is carrying a little momentum into Saturday night’s matchup with Minnesota, and the timing matters.
The Lions have won back-to-back Big Ten games for the first time this season, taking care of Purdue and Washington over the last two weeks. Now they return to Beaver Stadium to face a Minnesota team that comes in with the same 5-4 record.
It’s the 18th meeting between the programs, and a win would put Penn State in position to qualify for a bowl game. But the Lions know the job is not just about starting fast or finishing strong - it’s about cleaning up what happened in the middle last week.
Penn State coach Matt Campbell pointed to the third quarter as the area that has to change.
“My bigger concern isn't the fourth quarter. If you really do your research, if the games are a one-score game, 92% of those games, you go back and you study, and we had this study because we lived in this world for my entire career the last 10 years, that if you win the third quarter, you're going to win the game, in a one-score game.
That is probably my biggest frustration. That is an area we have been very good, and we have not been so far. I think it's 42-9 right now in Big Ten games that in the third quarter we're getting outscored.
Why is that? What is that? Believe me, there is an elite sense of urgency from the head
football coach, our staff, then, obviously, our players understand it's not okay. It's an area that we have to demand a pathway forward. “
Minnesota and Penn State kick off Saturday at 7 p.m. on FS1.
In Other News...
Penn State Wrestling Suddenly Has A Braeden Davis Problem
Braeden Davis is suddenly missing from Penn States wrestling roster just as the season is about to get underway, and the timing makes the situation hard to ignore. A wrestler who has already carved out a significant place in the program, Davis won a Big Ten title and earned All-American honors during his time in Happy Valley, making his absence a notable development for a team that usually enters the year with championship expectations.
What remains unclear is whether this is a short-term change or something more lasting, and Penn State officials have not commented on his status. Davis also dealt with legal issues in 2025, adding another layer to a situation that now leaves more questions than answers for a program that rarely has to deal with uncertainty this close to the start of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces A Big Concern In A Tricky Minnesota Test
Penn State heads into a tricky Big Ten road test against Minnesota with both teams coming off a demanding stretch, and the matchup looks like it could be decided in the trenches. The Gophers have already been tested by quality opponents, and the Nittany Lions know they will need clean work from both lines, steady special teams play and sharp execution from their skill players to avoid letting a physical game drift into a grind.
Injuries and recent player developments only add to the uncertainty around this one, with both sides carrying some fresh questions into kickoff. For Penn State, the concern is less about one isolated area than the overall balance of the matchup, because Minnesota has enough across the board to make this a difficult afternoon if the Lions are even a little off in any phase. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces One Brutal Reality In Its Quarterback Search
The quarterback market in college football has moved into a different stratosphere, and Penn State is staring at that reality as it tries to sort out its next starter. According to a report by On3, top-tier quarterbacks are now expected to command between $4 million and $7 million a season through NIL deals, a range that underscores how expensive the position has become for programs trying to reload quickly.
For Penn State, the timing makes the challenge even sharper. Rocco Becht is set to depart, leaving Alex Manske as an unproven option, and the Nittany Lions have to navigate a search in a market where Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor is reportedly finalizing a deal worth up to $9 million with incentives. The concern is not just finding the right fit on the field, but whether Penn State can keep pace financially with the schools chasing the same elite quarterbacks. [Read more 🡒]