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Gameday Coverage: Penn State vs. Minnesota

 

Welcome back to Beaver Stadium, folks.

After a successful stress test in Seattle, Penn State football hosts Minnesota for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Saturday night.

Both squads are 5-4 and have shown inconsistent play, suffering close losses to top Big Ten teams. Will it be the Nittany Lions or the Golden Gophers to not only hoist the Governor’s Victory Bell Trophy, but also secure bowl eligibility after Saturday’s squabble?

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the matchup.

Television

Fox Sports 1 will broadcast the game, with Dan Hellie on play-by-play and Robert Smith on color commentary.

Radio

Penn State Sports Network — Steve Jones, Brian Tripp, Cailey Thalman

Local: 99.5 FM, 103.7 FM, 1450 AM, SiriusXM: 85, 266, 976, XM App

Weather

Winter appears to be moving into Happy Valley. It will be 36 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff, with a RealFeel of 23, according to AccuWeather. Cloud cover sits at 90%, with wind gusts up to 27 mph.

The probability of precipitation is 42%, setting Matt Campbell up for his first snow game at Penn State.

Injuries

Receiver Koby Howard hasn’t played since Week 3 and will not return against Minnesota. After being listed as questionable throughout the last two weeks of practice, Howard was ruled out on Tuesday’s Big Ten availability report. Campbell said Howard’s return is in a “pause state”, suggesting a possible setback in his recovery.

Defensive end Caleb Bacon and defensive backs Jahmir Joseph and Jeremiah Cooper were added to Thursday’s injury report as questionable.

Offensive lineman Malachi Goodman is listed as probable heading into the matchup. Goodman was questionable leading up to the Washington game and played just 35 of Penn State’s 65 offensive plays.

Kicker Cristiano Rosa was removed from the injury report after being listed as probable Wednesday.

Also ruled out with Howard are defensive end Max Granville, linebacker Alex Tatsch, cornerback Tyler Armstead, and defensive tackle Alijah Carnell.

Series History

The Nittany Lions hold an 11-6 all-time series record over Minnesota and have outscored the Golden Gophers 458-325 across all 17 matchups.

Penn State took the first-ever meeting 38-20 in State College back in 1993. The most recent matchup also went to Penn State, after Drew Allar threw for 244 and scored two total touchdowns to secure a 26-25 win in 2024.

The Golden Gophers’ most recent victory dates back to 2019, when it upset No. 4 Penn State 31-26 in Minneapolis.

Betting Lines

The Nittany Lions are 9.5-point favorites against Minnesota, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 42.5 points.

Media Coverage

Onward State will have you covered throughout the game. Find big plays, analysis, photos, and more on our main Twitter account @OnwardState, as well as play-by-play commentary from @OnwardStSports.

Football writers Jamie Lynch (@jamielynchpsu), Cadyn Gill (@cgill214), and Oscar Orellana (@__oscarorellana) will provide you with coverage from inside the press box.

Photographers Ericka Apolskis (@ericka_apolskis) and Ella Wehmeyer (@ellawehm) will provide visual updates from the field.

Onward State



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About the Author

Cadyn Gill

Cadyn is a fourth-year broadcast journalism major at Penn State. Hailing from the great state of Texas, he is a die hard Dallas sports fan. You'll often see him voicing his opinions on music and sports on X/Twitter @cgill214. Contact him at [email protected].

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