The No. 17 Minnesota Golden Gophers defended their home field and upset the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions 31-26 in a battle of unbeatens at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday.
Tanner Morgan led the way for the Golden Gophers, throwing more touchdowns (three) than incompletions (two).
The victory provided a major boost to Minnesota's College Football Playoff resume, as it marked the first win against a ranked opponent for P.J. Fleck's squad. Penn State's CFP hopes took a serious blow with the Nittany Lions' first defeat of the season.
Notable Performances
Penn State
QB Sean Clifford: 23/43, 340 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions; 10 carries, 39 yards
RB Journey Brown: 14 carries, 124 yards, two touchdowns
WR KJ Hamler: seven catches, 119 yards
WR Pat Freiermuth: seven catches, 101 yards
Minnesota
QB Tanner Morgan:18/20, 339 yards, three touchdowns
RB Rodney Smith: 18 carries, 51 yards
WR Rashod Bateman: seven catches, 203 yards, one touchdown
WR Tyler Johnson: seven catches, 104 yards, one touchdown
Early Mistakes Doom Nittany Lions
Penn State had rarely trailed this season entering Saturday's showdown.