Minnesota Loses 28-27 Overtime Heartbreaker to Penn State

The University of Minnesota football team lost a heartbreaker today in front of 45,227 fans at the HHH Metrodome, falling 28-27 in overtime to Penn State to fall to 0-3 in the Big Ten (2-4 overall). The Golden Gophers rallied from a 21-14 deficit to score with 1:02 remaining, forcing the extra session. The Maroon and Gold scored on the first possession of overtime on an Eric Decker 25-yard touchdown reception, but kicker Jason Giannini missed the extra point, giving Minnesota a 27-21 lead. The Nittany Lions (4-2, 2-1) scored on a 2-yard touchdown run by Tony Hunt with kicker Kevin Kelly giving PSU the win with the extra point.

With the win, Penn State retained the Governor's Victory Bell for the second consecutive season and took a 6-4 all-time series lead.

After forcing Penn State to a 3-and-out on its first possession, the Golden Gophers wasted little time in taking the game's first lead. Using only 1:42 of the clock, Minnesota went 52 yards, capped by a Matt Spaeth 30-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Bryan Cupito to take the 7-0 lead. The touchdown was Spaeth's second of the season. With the catch, Spaeth became the second Gopher tight end to surpass 1,000 career receiving yards. He stands in second place in career receiving yards by a tight end with 1,077, behind Ben Utecht's 1,211 yards from 2000-03.

The Nittany Lions struck back late in the first quarter, recovering a fumbled punt return by Dominic Jones at the 9-yard line and scoring two plays later. Running back Tony Hunt notched his sixth touchdown of the season with a 6-yard run up the middle to knot the game at 7-7.

After five scoreless drives, Penn State threatened late in the second quarter after a 56-yard catch by Derrick Williams set up a 32-yard Kevin Kelly field goal attempt. The Lions botched the snap, however, with John Shevlin picking off holder Kevin Suhey's pass to give Minnesota the ball at its own 12.

The Golden Gopher offense stalled, going 3-and-out to give PSU the ball at the Minnesota 39-yard line. Two plays and 20 seconds later, the Nittany Lions gained their first lead of the game on a 15-yard Anthony Morelli touchdown pass to Hunt. The two teams went into the locker room with Penn State owning a 14-7 advantage on the scoreboard.

Offense was at a premium in the third quarter as Minnesota punted twice and Penn State once. The Nittany Lions failed to capitalize on a scoring chance late in the quarter with Kevin Kelly missing a 42-yard field goal attempt wide right.

On the ensuing Minnesota possession, the Golden Gophers drove 75 yards in 10 plays to tie the game at 14-14 early in the fourth quarter. Amir Pinnix capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run – his third rushing TD of the season. During the drive, Spaeth became the school's all-time leader in career receptions by a tight end with 87, passing Utecht's 83.

The Nittany Lions responded on their next drive, going 82 yards in 13 plays, capped by a 7-yard touchdown pass from Morelli to fullback Matt Hahn to take a 21-14 lead. The drive of 7:25 was Penn State's longest of the season, while Hahn's touchdown catch was the first of his career.

Minnesota took over with 5:20 to go in the quarter, but was forced to punt when its drive stalled at its own 39-yard line. The Lions' next drive went nowhere, giving the Golden Gophers the ball at their 14 with 2:33 to go.

The Maroon and Gold's first three plays netted only seven yards before Cupito found Logan Payne on fourth down for a 43-yard reception to get Minnesota to the PSU 36-yard line. After a 5-yard catch by Ernie Wheelwright, Spaeth moved the Golden Gophers to the 1-yard line with a 30-yard reception down the middle of the field. Pinnix punched it in from there for his second touchdown of the game, knotting the game at 21-21. Minnesota's drive of seven plays went 86 yards in 1:31.

Penn State gained the ball with 52 seconds left in the game, but went only five yards and elected to take the game into overtime.

The Golden Gophers owned the extra session's first possession. After two pass attempts gained no yards, Cupito found Eric Decker in the corner of the end zone for the redshirt freshman's second touchdown of the season. Kicker Jason Giannini's extra point attempt hit the uprights, however, giving Minnesota a 27-21 lead. The missed extra point was Giannini's second of the season.

On Penn State's possession, the Golden Gophers forced a 4th-and-9, and appeared to have won the game when cornerback Trumaine Banks knocked away Morelli's pass to Deon Butler. The officials whistled Banks for pass interference, however, giving the Lions a first down at the 12-yard line. After a 10-yard run by Williams, Hunt tied the game at 27-27 with a 2-yard run. Kelly clinched the win for Penn State with his succesful extra point.

Cupito led the Golden Gopher effort, passing for 347 yards and two touchdowns on a 25-for-36 showing. Spaeth led all receivers with six catches for 99 yards and one TD. Payne caught six passed for 94 yards, while Decker had four catches for 66 yards. Pinnix ran for 76 yards and recorded his first two-touchdown contest of the season.

Minnesota heads on the road next Saturday to take on rival Wisconsin at 11 a.m., in a battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe.

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