UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State welcomes -/RV/- Minnesota on Saturday to West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on FS1. The 2026 Penn State Football season is presented by PSECU.
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State meets Minnesota for the 18th time in program history. The winner is awarded the Governor's Victory Bell, which was introduced in 1993 prior to Penn State's first Big Ten game. The Nittany Lions hold an 11-6 lead in the all-time series, including a 6-2 mark in home games. Three of the last four games have been decided by one score. In 2024, Penn State earned a 26-25 win at Minnesota.
CHASE'ING BIG PLAYS: Chase Sowell continues to be a major weapon in Penn State's passing game. Against Washington, Sowell posted his second 100-yard receiving game this season with four catches for 125 yards and a touchdown. All four of Sowell's catches gained first downs as he made grabs of 12, 45 (TD), 32 and 38 yards. On the season, Sowell has gained a first down on 76 percent of his catches, fourth-best among FBS players with 35+ catches. Sowell owns 17 catches of 15+ yards, 12 catches of 20+ yards and nine catches of 25+ yards (tied-third among Big Ten receivers). In Big Ten play, Sowell is averaging 101.8 yards per game, holding second among Big Ten receivers and 12th among FBS receivers against conference opponents. His 509 receiving yards and 16.97 yards per reception in conference play are fifth among Big Ten receivers.
AC LEADS PASS DEFENSE: Penn State's defense limited Washington to 172 passing yards, marking its seventh opponent throwing for under 200 yards this season. Penn State holds third in the FBS in passing defense (144.8), fourth in passing efficiency defense (102.44) and three-and-out percentage (30.39) and fifth in third down conversion defense (28.2). A big reason for that is the play of Audavion Collins. He is tied for fifth in the country with 10 pass breakups and is allowing a 26.1 completion percentage (6-of-23), lowest among FBS cornerbacks with 190+ coverage snaps this season. Collins is giving up just 6.5 yards per reception, good for third-lowest among FBS cornerbacks with 190+ coverage snaps this year.
THE OPPOSITION: Minnesota is 5-4 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten play after falling 34-20 against No. 5/5/8 UCLA last Saturday. The Gophers were tied 17-17 with 12:50 remaining, but UCLA sandwiched a pair of 75-yard touchdown passes around a 36-yard Minnesota field goal, to break the game open. Minnesota gained 296 total yards, including 205 yards and a touchdown by Drake Lindsey. The Gophers tallied four tackles for loss and forced two takeaways.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
100 - With two passing touchdowns against Washington, Rocco Becht now has 100 career touchdowns responsible for (79 passing, 21 rushing).
7:40 - Penn State closed out its win at Washington with a 14-play, 70-yard drive that consumed the final 7:40 of the game.
5 - With a 12-yard rushing touchdown at Washington, Carson Hansen has a rushing score in each of the last five games.
4 - All four of Chase Sowell's catches gained first downs on Saturday. On the season, 29 of Sowell's 38 catches have gained first downs (76 percent).
1/7 - After securing a solo tackle for loss against Washington, Tony Rojas is now one of seven Big Ten linebackers, since 1956, to post 25+ tackles for loss and 6+ interceptions in their career.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MINNESOTA
- Penn State meets Minnesota for the 18th time in program history.
- The Nittany Lions hold an 11-6 lead in the all-time series, including a 6-2 mark in home games.
- Three of the last four games have been decided by one score.
- Penn State earned a 26-25 win at Minnesota in 2024.
- The Nittany Lions took the lead, 23-22, late in the third quarter on a 12-yard rushing touchdown by Nicholas Singleton and extended their lead to 26-22 on a 32-yard field goal by Ryan Barker in the fourth quarter.
- With 3:47 left in the fourth quarter, Penn State converted a key fourth down conversion when Luke Reynolds rushed for 32 yards on a fake punt from the PSU 34.
- Drew Allar threw for 244 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for a 4-yard touchdown.
- Tyler Warren caught eight passes for 102 yards.
- Dominic DeLuca intercepted a pass and returned it 29 yards.
- Penn State tallied nine tackles for loss, including 2.5 by Zane Durant.
RING THE BELL
- The Governor's Victory Bell is awarded to the victor of the Penn State-Minnesota contest.
- Instituted in 1993 by Governor Robert Casey of Pennsylvania and Governor Arne Carlson of Minnesota when the Nittany Lions began Big Ten play, the Bell is joined by the Land Grant Trophy (Michigan State) as Penn State's two trophy contests.
- Minnesota provided the opposition for Penn State's first Big Ten game on Sept. 4, 1993.
- Then-acting Governor Mark Singel of Pennsylvania and Carlson presented an artist's conception of the Governor's Victory Bell on that day prior to kickoff.
WASHINGTON NOTES
- Penn State leads 5-0 in the all-time series, including 3-0 in regular season matchups and 2-0 in road matchups.
- PSU closed out the game with a 14-play, 70-yard drive covering the final 7:40 of the game.
- The Nittany Lions tallied 303 yards in the first half (193 passing, 110 rushing). PSU last went over 300 yards in a half against a Big Ten opponent against Rutgers in 2025 (311, first half).
- QB Rocco Becht tallied his 100th career touchdown responsible for.
- RB Carson Hansen rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, good for 8.5 yards per carry and his first 100-yard rushing game as a Nittany Lion.
- WR Chase Sowell caught four passes for 125 yards and one touchdown in his seventh career 100-yard receiving game.
- CB Ibn McDaniels picked off a pass in the fourth quarter.
MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICANS
- A trio of Nittany Lions have been selected to midseason All-America teams.
- LB Tony Rojas was tabbed a second-team midseason All-American by the Associated Press and Sports Illustrated and first-team by On3.
- He is also a semifinalist for the Butkus Award.
- Rojas leads Penn State this season with 66 tackles, 35 solo tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and two interceptions.
- He is the only player in the FBS with 11+ tackles for loss and 2+ interceptions this season.
- CB Audavion Collins was named a midseason first-team All-American by Sports Illustrated.
- Collins sits fifth in the FBS with 10 pass breakups this season.
- According to PFF, Collins has allowed just six completions on 23 targets this season. Collins' 26.1 completion percentage allowed is the lowest among FBS cornerbacks with at least 190 coverage snaps this season.
- He has allowed just 6.5 yards per reception, third-lowest among FBS cornerbacks with at least 190 coverage snaps in 2026.
- CB Josiah Zayas was tabbed a first-team midseason True Freshman All-American by On3.
- After starting PSU's season opener as a true freshman, Zayas has posted 25 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
- Zayas recorded two tackles for loss against Marshall and recovered a fumble against Northwestern.
- He picked off a pass against Wisconsin and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown and made an interception on a one-handed grab at Michigan.