The Penn State Nittany Lions recorded a win against upset Minnesota. Here are your takeaways.

1: A whole bunch of mistakes.

Two blocked punts – a punt and an extra point, missed receivers, you name it. The first half of this game was reminiscent of the USC game earlier in the season, where everything that could go wrong went wrong.

Penn State’s own mistakes kept Minnesota in the game. A blocked punt and then a blocked extra point turned what might have been a 17-10 halftime lead into a 16-19 hole in the Gophers’ favor.

Only this start felt worse. Maybe it was the implication of a potential loss, but it felt like every little missed opportunity was magnified tenfold.

2: Defense had a bad day

It was an up and down day for the defense as they were on their heels the entire game. The Gophers were able to move the ball with relative ease, and on plays where a Penn State defender could have botched a play, Minnesota continued to find ways to turn negatives into positives.

Although they played better in the second half, Penn State still had trouble stopping the Gophers between the 20s. At least they pulled through when it counted.

3: No redux for 2019!

They had to work for it. They won by the narrowest of margins, but Penn State took every Minnesota hay pusher, but Penn State only had one hook left in them.

On to Maryland!

BONUS; What about that fake punt!

A certain “best since sliced ​​bread” coach out West should be taking notes.