Penn State has a chance to keep rolling Saturday, and the path to a third straight win looks pretty clear on paper. The Nittany Lions host Minnesota with momentum on their side, while the Golden Gophers arrive having dropped three of their last four, including losses to Purdue, Indiana and UCLA.
For Penn State, the first order of business is simple: get out in front early. That has been a theme in recent wins.
The Lions put up 21 first-half points against Purdue in a 31-17 victory two weeks ago, then jumped ahead 28-6 at halftime against Washington before surviving for a three-point win. Minnesota’s offense has not been built to chase games, either.
The Gophers are 128th in FBS in offensive yards per game at 307.6, so forcing them to play from behind in the second half would put the pressure squarely where Penn State wants it.
That starts with down-and-distance. Minnesota has converted only 31.5 percent of its third-down chances, and Penn State’s defense has been stingy against the pass, allowing just 144.8 passing yards per game. If the Lions can keep the Gophers in third-and-long, the secondary should have a chance to take control.
Penn State can also attack Minnesota through the air. Wide receiver Chase Sowell has been a big-play threat, averaging 16.7 yards per catch.
Over his last three games, he has piled up 371 yards and two touchdowns. Minnesota’s pass defense was exposed by UCLA, which managed 303 passing yards and three touchdowns on only eight completions.
Sowell could be in line for another productive afternoon.
On the other side, Penn State will need to keep Javon Tracy from becoming Minnesota’s safety valve. The fifth-year receiver has been most dangerous on shorter routes and has 49 catches for 485 yards.
Quarterback Drake Lindsey will likely look his way in long-yardage situations to keep drives alive. Tracy has recorded at least five catches in seven of Minnesota’s nine games, so limiting his impact would go a long way toward shutting down the Gophers’ passing game.
In Other News...
Penn State Wrestling Lineup Just Raised Two Big Questions
Penn States 2026-27 wrestling roster is already loaded on paper, with 28 wrestlers, multiple national champions and senior world medalists giving Cael Sanderson another group that looks built to chase the top of the sport. Sanderson has now confirmed the weight-class assignments, which gives a clearer picture of how the lineup could take shape and where some of the biggest names are expected to land.
The roster also comes with a few moving parts beyond the obvious star power. Sanderson addressed the status and potential of several athletes as the season picture comes into focus, and the roster notes that two wrestlers are away on religious mission trips and will not compete this season. For a program that is used to having answers, those absences leave a couple of key questions hanging as the Nittany Lions sort out just how deep this lineup can be. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces A Bigger Concern Than One Encouraging Injury Update
Penn State got a bit of relief on the injury front this week with offensive lineman Malachi Goodman upgraded to probable for Saturdays game against Minnesota at Beaver Stadium. Wide receiver Koby Howard, meanwhile, is officially out, and the availability report still leaves plenty of uncertainty around the roster as the Nittany Lions continue to sort through who will be ready to go.
Jahmir Joseph, Jeremiah Cooper and Caleb Bacon are all listed as questionable, part of a larger group that includes five players ruled out, among them Howard and four defensive players. The encouraging news on Goodman helps, but the bigger issue for Penn State is how much depth it may have to lean on if those questionable defenders cannot answer the bell by kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Wrestling Opens With A Lineup Twist Fans Need To See
Penn State wrestling opens its 2026 season at Rec Hall against Bloomsburg, bringing back a matchup that was last played in 2011. The Nittany Lions are doing it with a lineup that already has a different look, headlined by Masanosuke Ono making his collegiate debut and Mitchell Mesenbrink moving up to 174 pounds, two moves that give the opener a little extra intrigue beyond the usual early-season tuneup.
Bloomsburg arrives with some momentum of its own after bouncing back from an opening loss to win its next two, and freshman Morgan Schwarz has been one of the early standouts. For Penn State, the bigger question is not just how the lineup settles in for one dual, but how these early wrinkles fit into the larger picture as the season gets rolling at Rec Hall. [Read more 🡒]