Penn State vs Minnesota Picks and Prediction – 11/23/2024

Huntington Bank Stadium will be rocking on Saturday afternoon, when the Penn State Nittany Lions square off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Make sure you are ready for all the football action with our college football picks. The fourth-ranked Nittany Lions (9-1) suffered their only loss against Ohio State and would be a lock for the College Football Playoff with two more victories. On Saturday, Penn State erupted for 21 points in the third quarter to run away with a 49-10 road victory against Purdue. 

Kaytron Allen and Tyler Warren caught first quarter touchdown passes to give Penn State a 14-0 lead. QB Drew Allar finished the day with more touchdowns (3) than incompletions. Warren led the Nittany Lions in rushing yards (63) and receiving yards (127).

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are a game above .500 in Big Ten Conference play and have already qualified for a bowl. The Golden Gophers (6-4) rank fifth in the conference in total defense and are allowing 17.7 points per game. Last time out, Minnesota was outscored by nine points during the fourth quarter of a 26-19 road loss against Rutgers.

RB Darius Taylor put Minnesota on the scoreboard first with an 18-yard touchdown run. Dragan Kesich missed the ensuing PAT, but nailed field goals of 51 and 30 yards. Jameson Geers caught eight passes for 73 yards in a losing effort for the Golden Gophers. 

Penn State has won 10 of the 16 all-time meetings against Minnesota, including a 45-17 home victory two years ago. The Golden Gophers will look to shorten this contest with their running game and a solid defense. Look for the Nittany Lions to win an ugly game on the road that stays under the total. Final Score Prediction, Penn State Nittany Lions win 24-13.