With 10th victory within reach, Penn State hopes to maintain momentum vs. Minnesota

Slow starts have been a recurring theme this season for Penn State.

The first case of a sluggish beginning came in Week 2 against Bowling Green, with the Nittany Lions needing to dig themselves out of a halftime hole against a Mid-American Conference foe.

From there, Penn State navigated through a tough Big Ten opener vs. Illinois on Sept. 28, an alarmingly bad beginning on the road at USC two weeks later and another halftime deficit the following week at Wisconsin.

Granted, all of those games were wins for Penn State, the No. 4 team in the College Football Playoff rankings.

But in the aftermath of those games, having failed to put together a complete effort prompted some “self-scouting,” as coach James Franklin put it.

“What are our tendencies in those areas? How can we break those tendencies? Then making sure that the coaches are doing everything in terms of dotting I’s and crossing T’s and that we’re practicing that way, as well,” Franklin told reporters in State College this week.

Heading into Saturday’s game at Minnesota, the Nittany Lions ride back-to-back solid performances, having beaten Washington and Purdue in their last two contests.

To be sure, dispatching the woebegone Boilermakers is hardly an accomplishment deserving of excessive celebration, but the 49-10 final score in favor of Penn State and 539 yards of total offense are indicative of an acceptable performance.

The prior week, Penn State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) beat up on Washington, going up 28-0 at halftime before winning 35-6, in the process slicing up a Huskies pass defense that arrived at Beaver Stadium ranked No. 2 nationally.

AP

Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula (9) celebrates with offensive lineman Eagan Boyer (64) and running back Corey Smith (24) after a touchdown against Purdue during the second half of an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

So did the team prepare any differently for those two games as opposed to Southern Cal, Ohio State or Wisconsin?

“I wouldn’t say anything dramatically changed,” Franklin said. “Just making sure that, again, we’re as detail-oriented as we can possibly be. … More just about our process and maybe a little bit more self-scout.”

Compared to several of its other games this year, Penn State’s Nov. 2 loss to Ohio State was unique.

The Nittany Lions couldn’t have asked for a hotter start, having taken a 10-0 lead over the Buckeyes thanks, in part, to a pick-6 by the defense.

But that would be the only touchdown of the day for the Nittany Lions, as their offense stagnated while the defense bent just enough to allow Ohio State to walk away with a 20-13 win.

That defeat was undoubtedly bitter for Franklin and his players, who again fell short against their most hated rival.

But in the aftermath, Franklin challenged his team not to let its first loss of the season turn into a streak.

In other words, limit the damage to one week and get right back in the win column the following Saturday.

In that regard, Penn State has responded effectively.

Minnesota (6-4, 4-3) presents new challenges to a Nittany Lions team that looks to finish the regular season strong.

The Golden Gophers’ offense has been pedestrian, but defensively, they rank 11th nationally in total yards allowed per game with 296.4.

Minnesota also has a highly opportunistic defensive 11, evidenced by 16 interceptions that are tied for second most in the FBS.

Penn State’s offense soon will meet Minnesota’s defense Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

As kickoff approaches, Franklin appreciates the recent play of his team, hoping it translates to win No. 10 on the year.

“I think it shows maturity,” Franklin said. “I think it shows growth. Also, at a place that I think is challenging to do it, I think they do a really good job of tuning all the outside noise out.

“… Being able to stay focused and tune out all the other things, I think comes with maturity and growth, and I think this team’s doing a really good job of managing.”