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"They have a tremendously talented tailback. They spread the field on you and create problems. I think they're a lot better team than they showed last week. We will have to play awfully well in order to win on the road. … What happened last week, I don't think it has any bearing on the team that shows up, prepares the best and plays the hardest." The Gophers have a few reasons to be wary even though Penn State is coming off one of the most lopsided losses of the James Franklin era. One potential concern is that they haven't been tested on the road this sea- son. They opened with three consecutive games at TCF Bank Stadium, victories over Oregon State (30-23), Indiana State (58-28) and Colorado State (31-24), and will be making their first road trip of the year when they travel to University Park. The Gophers are using piped-in noise to prepare for what they'll face in Beaver Stadium, but simulations don't fully replicate the game day experience. "I worry about the sound with offense," Claeys said. "Sometimes the center gets the snap off, but the guards and tackles are like popcorn when they get out of their stances and you can't get anything done, so I'm glad we have a great sound system, and the offense will spend a lot of time this week with the crowd noise and things like that blaring. That's my biggest concern going on the road right now. Defensively, it's not a problem. Most of the crowds are quiet on the road when you're playing on defense. You'll get a roar at the end or something else defensively. But I worry about the of- fense and timing of it, with the noise." Franklin said he hopes the crowd will be a factor that helps Penn State. "I think there is a distinct advantage in being at home compared to being on the road," he said. "We're excited about being back in Beaver Stadium in front of our fans and friends and family." Another factor that could work to the Nittany Lions' advantage is that their first-year offensive line coach, Matt Limegrover, was a member of Min- nesota's staff for five years before exiting at the end of last season and subse- quently landing at Penn State. Claeys downplayed Limegrover's im- pact, emphasizing that the game will be decided on the field. "Kids play the game," he said. But Franklin noted that Limegrover does know Minnesota's returning play- ers. "I wouldn't necessarily say it's a sig- nificant advantage," he said, "but it does help you when you have Matt who knows their personnel and their coaches really well, and he can tell you what the strengths and weaknesses are of each player or what their size is. He can give us an idea of what their philosophy is and how they approach things normally, and maybe we gain an advantage there. But I wouldn't necessarily say it's signif- icant." A possibly more significant factor is that one of the Gophers' top young play- makers, freshman defensive end Tai'yon Devers, will miss the game with a leB ankle injury. Devers had three sacks in Minnesota's first three games, all of which resulted in fumbles. He made a few highlight roundups last week when he unloaded on Colorado State's Collin Hill, delivering a hit so forceful that it sent the ball bouncing in one direction and Hill's helmet in another. The Go- phers will be without another defensive starter, as freshman linebacker Carter Coughlin is expected to miss the game with an elbow injury. But even with those factors working against it, Minnesota appears to have the potential to pull off a road victory. It's got the fourth-ranked running game in the Big Ten (229.8 yards per game) and a quarterback in senior Mitch Leidner who can not only carry the ball himself – he holds the school record for QBs with 26 touchdown runs – but also hit play-ac- tion passes when opponents become preoccupied with the ground game. The Gophers and Nittany Lions were on different ends of the emotional spec- trum aBer last week's games, but their approach since then has been similar: Forget the past and focus on the imme- diate future. "ABer the game, there's a midnight rule there," Claeys said. "You enjoy that game or you stay disappointed until midnight, but when you get up the next morning, it doesn't matter whether you won or lost. That damn sun's going to come up every time, and you go back to the office and go towards the next game." NATE BAUER RECORD 4-0 Of course Michigan was going to make Penn State look bad. Top-five teams do that. An undisciplined Minnesota team, at Beaver Stadium, is a more manageable challenge. Explosive plays in the passing game will allow PSU to squeak out a win, as the defense continues to lick its wounds. PENN STATE 31, MINNESOTA 27 PHIL GROSZ RECORD 3-1 This is a must-win situation for Penn State. A loss this week would give the Nit- tany Lions a 2-3 record with games still to come against Ohio State, Iowa and Michi- gan State. On paper, the matchups favor Minnesota, especially the clash between a strong Gopher ground game and a banged-up PSU defense. But stats don't always tell the entire story. A loss to Min- nesota could set the stage for a 5-7 season. Penn State will rise to the occasion and defeat the Gophers. PENN STATE 35, MINNESOTA 28 MATT HERB RECORD 4-0 When in doubt, go with the team that's stronger in the trenches. At the moment, that team appears to be Minnesota. MINNESOTA 31, PENN STATE 27 TIM OWEN RECORD 4-0 With Penn State's injuries at LB con- tributing to the least-effective rush de- fense in the Big Ten, I have a hard time picking against a Minnesota team that can run the ball and is led by a veteran QB. MINNESOTA 28, PENN STATE 27 RYAN SNYDER RECORD 4-0 Penn State should be able to score some points against the Gophers, but can it stop Minnesota's strong rushing attack? This one could go either way. PENN STATE 31, MINNESOTA 28 S E P T E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 6 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 2 BWI'S FORECAST

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