Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Position Grades

Penn State vs. Minnesota Position Grades

Oct 1, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tackle Andrew Nelson (59) rings the victory bell following the conclusion of the overtime game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Minnesota 29-26 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O /

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Oct 1, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Jordan Smith (12) is congratulated by safety Marcus Allen (2) and linebacker Cam Brown (31) after intercepting the ball during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Minnesota 29-26 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren- USA TODAY Sports /

Secondary

The secondary did a pretty good job of limiting Minnesota and came up with a huge play late in the game that without it, Penn State wouldn’t have won.

First off, Christian Campbell went down in the first half and didn’t return. It was another injury absorbed by the defense. Grant Haley came back in his first action since the Pitt game.

Wow, Marcus Allen. 22 tackles and one for loss is unreal. This is partially a result of the banged up front seven. Getting called for a facemask late in the game nearly cost the Lions, but luckily it did not.

The play of the day for this group though was cornerback Jordan’s Smith end zone interception that ended a Gopher drive that could have resulted in points. That was huge.

Grade: B-

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