No. 4 Penn State stays on playoff track with narrow 26-25 win over Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Penn State left nothing to chance as they continued their push for a spot in the College Football Playoff. With their championship hopes still alive, the Nittany Lions were determined to take control and finish the game with the ball in their hands.

Drew Allar threw for 244 yards and a touchdown, added a rushing score, and engineered two key fourth-down conversions to help No. 4 Penn State hold off Minnesota 26-25 on Saturday, keeping their playoff dreams on track.

Tyler Warren had a standout performance, catching eight passes for 102 yards. The Nittany Lions (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) narrowly avoided an upset on a day when three other teams in the projected 12-team playoff bracket were defeated, marking their third consecutive 10-win season. This is also Penn State’s first 5-0 record on the road since 1985.

Minnesota (6-5, 4-4) was within one point after Dragan Kesich’s third field goal with 5:48 remaining. The Gophers had first-and-goal from the 7-yard line, but a trick play involving a screen pass to left tackle Aireontae Ersery fell incomplete. With the game on the line, Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck opted for a field goal attempt, but the strategy nearly backfired when Penn State’s Luke Reynolds ran 32 yards on a fake punt, recovering from earlier special teams mistakes.

Reynolds’ run sparked a series of successful fourth-and-1 conversions in the final moments. Allar kept the drive alive with a run from the Minnesota 25-yard line just before the two-minute warning, and then sealed the game with an 11-yard pass to Warren on the third conversion.

Penn State initially trailed 10-0 and didn’t score until Allar connected with Omari Evans for a wide-open 45-yard touchdown pass with 10:48 left in the second quarter. The Nittany Lions took their first lead at 23-22 with a 12-yard touchdown run by Nick Singleton late in the third quarter.

Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer, who had gone 206 passes without an interception, threw an interception to Dominic DeLuca in the second quarter and then lost a fumble on the first play of the fourth quarter. Both turnovers resulted in field goals for Penn State.

Daniel Jackson caught six passes for 90 yards, and Marcus Major added a rushing touchdown for Minnesota.

Looking ahead, Penn State will finish the regular season at home against Maryland next Saturday, while Minnesota will face Wisconsin on Friday for possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe.