Sports

No. 13 Minnesota tops No. 5 PSU 31-26 in match of unbeatens

Defensive lineman Esezi Otomewo #9 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers sacks quarterback Sean Clifford #14 of the Penn State Nittany Lions during the third quarter at TCFBank Stadium on November 09, 2019 (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota's Jordan Howden picked off Sean Clifford in the end zone with 1:01 left, the third interception thrown by Penn State's quarterback, and the 13th-ranked Gophers held on for a 31-26 victory on Saturday afternoon over the fifth-ranked Nittany Lions for their first win over a top-five team in 20 years.

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Tanner Morgan passed for 339 yards and three touchdowns to direct a dismantling of Penn State's staunch defense, as Minnesota (9-0, 6-0, No. 17 CFP) not only remained undefeated but stayed on track for its first trip to the Big Ten championship game.

The first sellout crowd for the Gophers at home in four years swarmed the field after the clock ran out, reveling in the biggest step forward yet under coach P.J. Fleck in his third season. The Gophers scrambled the College Football Playoff picture, too, after Penn State (8-1, 5-1, No. 4 CFP) emerged with a top-four spot in the first edition of the rankings.

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