Penn State vs. Minnesota 2005 GAME STORY

This was a fun game for Penn State fans. At this point in the 2005 season, each week showed more improvement from the week before from the Nittany Lions. And with an undefeated record, welcoming a quality opponent into Beaver Stadium was the next big test for this squad. It ended up being the first real game of the season where the offense limited the turnovers, and the result was a blowout of Minnesota. The Gophers, by the way, at the time were leading the nation in rushing offense and had one of the more productive offenses in the early season and carried a national ranking of 18th, with them. The defense shut down Lawrence Moroney and the rushing attack while limiting big plays in the passing game. But this contest was more about Penn State's offense and the versatility of Michael Robinson, and then true freshman Derrick Williams. They piled up an insane amount of first downs with their ball control offense, and the points followed suit, naturally. This win was as solid as they come, and it came at the perfect time to instill confidence and momentum for the following week's monster match-up against Ohio State. And of course, during this game fans got to see three Nittany Lions make legendary plays which will live in Lion lore for generations. Penn State's Top Performers: Michael Robinson: 13 of 32, 175 yards .. 18 carries, 112 yards Derrick Williams: 6 carries, 40 yards, 2 TDs .. 4 catches, 32 yards Tony Hunt: 21 carries, 114 yards, 2 TDs Penn State gained a 5-0 record with the win over a ranked opponent. Minnesota suffered its first loss of the year against Penn State, coming in at 4-1 for the season. The Gophers ended 2005 at 7-5 and lost to Virginia in the Music City Bowl.