Penn State’s matchup with Minnesota is still set to kick off at 7 p.m. ET Saturday at Beaver Stadium, even with the Golden Gophers arriving in State College far later than planned after Friday’s FAA nationwide ground stop.
Minnesota is expected to land just before noon Saturday after departing Minneapolis on a charter flight at 10:10 a.m. ET, according to Flightaware.
That leaves the Gophers with roughly five hours at their team hotel before heading to the stadium. The delay puts them about 17 hours behind their original travel schedule, and they’ll be dealing with the unusual task of flying on game day for a trip that is scheduled to last about two hours.
The Big Ten said officiating crews were already on site for Friday games, so officials did not have to navigate the same travel mess as airlines worked through cancellations and rescheduling. Penn State had been aiming to preserve the 7 p.m. ET start throughout the process.
The injury report added another layer to the matchup. Penn State listed defensive end Caleb Bacon, safety Jeremiah Cooper and cornerback Jahmir Joseph as questionable on Friday night. All three are important pieces on the defense, and Bacon has been one of the team’s top pass-rush threats in recent weeks.
There was better news up front for Penn State, where starting left tackle Malachi Goodman is probable after missing most of the second half last week against Washington. Penn State coach Matt Campbell singled out Garrett Sexton for his work in relief, especially on Carson Hansen’s 36-yard game-sealing run in the fourth quarter.
"Honestly the big block that happens at Carson’s run at the end of the game is because of Garrett Sexton," Campbell said.
Penn State receiver Koby Howard will miss his seventh straight game. Campbell said earlier this week that Howard’s return from a September injury is on hold and suggested he may not play again during the regular season.
"We’re kind of in a pause state right now on where Koby’s at," Campbell said. "Again, we were trying to beat a timeline coming back, and I think the reality is, as I’ve continued to say, I refuse to put Koby on the field until he’s 100 percent ready to go back on the football field.
Minnesota’s own availability report includes two starting defensive linemen who are out: Riley Sunram and Theorin Randle. Sunram ranks second on the team with 5.5 tackles for loss, and the pair has combined for three sacks. Cornerback John Nestor, who has started all nine games, is questionable, while tight end Pierce Walsh, who has started six games, is probable.
The travel wrinkle and the injury news have pushed the line further toward Penn State. DraftKings listed the Nittany Lions as 12.5-point favorites Saturday morning, up two points from earlier in the week.
Penn State is also -500 on the money line, while Minnesota sits at +380. The over/under is 42.5 points.
FS1 will carry the game for the second straight week, with Dan Hellie and Robert Smith on the call. Hellie and Smith also handled last week’s Penn State-Washington broadcast. The game can also be streamed on FOX One.
On the radio side, Brian Tripp will step in for Jack Ham in the booth alongside Steve Jones on the Penn State Sports Network. Ham, the Penn State football radio analyst since 2000, is still recovering from the medical emergency he experienced last Saturday at Washington. Campbell offered a positive update on Ham’s recovery earlier this week.
In Other News...
Penn State Fans Still Waiting On Minnesota Game As Uncertainty Grows
A nationwide ground stop tied to communications problems at regional air traffic control centers rippled into Penn States Week 11 matchup with Minnesota, leaving the Golden Gophers travel plans in limbo for much of Friday. The Federal Aviation Administration lifted the stop after about four hours, but Minnesota still had not finalized its trip by late Friday evening, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game that was already on the calendar and now had to wait on logistics.
The delay was not isolated to one program, either. Other Big Ten teams, including Purdue and Washington, also felt the effects as flights were delayed or altered, a reminder of how quickly a routine football weekend can get complicated when air travel gets disrupted. For Penn State fans looking ahead to Saturday, the game itself remained the focus, but the buildup had an unusual wrinkle as Minnesotas arrival remained unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Rally Ends In Another Brutal Big Ten Near-Miss
Penn State had a chance to turn a tight road game into a statement result at Yost Ice Arena, and for much of the night it looked like the Nittany Lions might leave with something to show for it. Instead, Michigan found the finishing touch late and pulled away for a 6-3 win, a result that extended Penn States difficult start and kept the Lions searching for their first Big Ten victory.
The frustration was amplified by a pivotal offside review that wiped out what would have been a tying goal, a sequence that left Penn State chasing the game again just when momentum seemed ready to swing. Justin Poirier and Reese Laubach were among the notable contributors in a spirited effort, but the Lions still slipped to 2-8-1 overall and 0-4-1 in conference play, another near-miss in a league that has not given them much margin for error. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Lands An Early In-State Recruiting Test Under Matt Campbell
Penn States early work in the 2028 class already has a notable in-state win, with four-star cornerback Deonte Flemings Jr. committing to the Nittany Lions under head coach Matt Campbell. Ranked as the No. 5 player in Pennsylvania, Flemings has become one of the more important local names in the cycle, and his decision gives Penn State an early foothold with a prospect who knows the program well and has built strong ties with the staff.
Flemings has continued to take other visits, but those relationships have kept him steady in his pledge as he looks ahead to his own development. He has spoken about how much he expects to grow as a player before arriving in Happy Valley, and for Penn State, the bigger picture is just as encouraging: landing a highly regarded in-state defensive back this early gives the program a chance to keep building around a player who already seems invested in what comes next. [Read more 🡒]