Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1528325
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 4 19 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M FIVE YEARS AGO, 2019 Fourth-ranked Penn State had been expecting No. 17 Minnesota to try un- leashing its potent rushing attack in a high-stakes battle of unbeatens on Nov. 9 in Minneapolis. Instead, the Gophers turned loose their receivers, scoring first-half touchdowns on throws of 66, 21 and 38 yards. The hosts built a 24-13 halftime lead and held on for a 31-26 upset win, their first victory in 20 years over a top-five opponent. PSU running back Journey Brown rushed for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns, while tight end Pat Freiermuth caught 7 passes for 101 yards, but those efforts weren't enough to overcome a 339-yard passing performance by Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan, who com- pleted all but two of his 20 attempts. Penn State's Sean Clifford countered by throwing for 340 yards, but he also tossed 3 interceptions, the last of which ended the Lions' final possession of the game. Morgan's assured performance im- pressed Penn State's defenders, who said afterward that he seemed to know exactly where to go with the ball. "He was reading us very well," line- backer Jan Johnson said. "He knew what we were in and what they could do to expose us. They hit their plays. He made the throws." Coach James Franklin was impressed, too. He was so impressed, in fact, that when Penn State found itself in need of a new offensive coordinator following the regular season, he hired the man who had formulated Minnesota's game plan that day, Kirk Ciarrocca. 10 YEARS AGO, 2014 Penn State had gotten a reprieve in September, with the NCAA lopping two years off the four-year bowl ban it had imposed in 2012. Following a 20- 19 loss to visiting Maryland — PSU's first defeat in the series since 1961 — it was looking as though Franklin's team might not be able to take advantage of that opportunity. The Lions regrouped, though, earning a 13-7 victory at Indi- ana and following it with a 30-13 win over Temple at Beaver Stadium. The win against the Owls on Nov. 15 gave Penn State six for the year and made the team bowl-eligible for the first time since the 2011 season. The Nittany Lions rushed for a season-high 254 yards, including 130 by Akeel Lynch on just 18 carries (7.2 yards per attempt). In addition, the defense forced 5 Temple turnovers, with cornerback Grant Haley returning an interception 30 yards for a score, the first defensive touchdown by a Penn State true freshman since line- backer Paul Posluszny scored against Indiana in 2003. 25 YEARS AGO, 1999 Penn State was ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press poll and needed only to win its last three games against Min- nesota, Michigan and Michigan State to assure itself a spot in the national championship game. The Wolverines and Spartans were both Top 25 teams, but it was the unranked Gophers who spoiled everything. In one of the most shocking finishes of the Joe Paterno coaching era, Minne- sota hit a 32-yard field goal on the final play of the game to deal the Nittany Li- ons a 24-23 defeat on Nov. 6. Pe n n S ta te h a d m i sse d seve ra l chances to finish off the Gophers, who had gone into the game as 14-point un- derdogs. The last of those chances came on a fourth-and-16 play from the PSU 40-yard line with 1:22 left. The Lions had seemed to be in position to break up Minnesota's deep pass down the left sideline, but receiver Arland Bruce scooped up a ball that had been batted backward by its intended target, secur- ing it just before it hit the turf. All of a sudden, Minnesota was at the 12-yard line. Freshman kicker Dan Nys- trom gave the Gophers their shocking win moments later, sending the Lions into a tailspin that included losses to the Tom Brady-led Wolverines and Nick Saban-coached Spartans. Penn State went on to defeat Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl, but some would say that it took years for the pro- gram to recover from the shock and disappointment of its loss to Minne- sota. From that afternoon to the end of the 2004 season, Penn State compiled a 27-36 record, the longest period of sustained mediocrity — really, the only period of sustained mediocrity — of the Paterno era. — Matt Herb This Month In Penn State Athletics History Journey Brown rushed for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns against Minnesota in 2019, but it wasn't enough to hold off the Gophers. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL