Gophers have shown they can compete in the Big Ten. Now, can they finish?

For the second consecutive week, the Gophers went toe-to-toe with a team ranked in the top five of the Associated Press poll. And for the second consecutive week, it was the opponent, not the Gophers, that made plays when it mattered most. A week after their 23-16 overtime loss at defending national champion Indiana, the Gophers imploded late in Saturday’s home loss to UCLA . Minnesota allowed a 17-17 fourth-quarter tie to become a 34-20 Bruins win by allowing back-to-back 75-yard touchdown passes. The Gophers must recover quickly from a double dose of disappointment against the top two teams in the Big Ten standings as they prepare to face Penn State on Saturday (6 p.m. Central, FS1). Players were saying the right things after the UCLA loss. Advertisement “We’ve got a lot of good football ahead of us,” linebacker Joey Gerlach said. But the proof will come when they take the field at Beaver Stadium in front of more than 100,000 fans. The Gophers have lost two straight and are dealing with a losing streak for the first time since falling to Oregon and Northwestern back-to-back last November. In 10 seasons under coach P.J. Fleck, they’ve had a skid of three or more games only three times, a sign of the program’s resilience. They’ll need more of it down the stretch in the tight Big Ten standings. Minnesota (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) sits in a two-way tie for ninth place with Northwestern, one game behind a six-team group tied for third. Minnesota Gophers vs. Penn State: Facts to know Expanded image view The Gophers are aiming to claim the Governor’s Victory Bell for the seventh time in the series vs. Penn State (Marlin Levison/The Minnesota Star Tribune) ( Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune ) The Gophers remain one victory shy of the six needed to gain bowl eligibility. After playing Penn State, they host Northwestern on Nov. 21 and visit Wisconsin on Nov. 27. If there aren’t enough six-win teams to fill all the bowl spots, teams with 5-7 records would be called upon. In the past, teams with the best Academic Progress Rate (APR) were chosen to fill opens spots. That has changed. According to On3.com, a bowl’s conference would pick the replacement and would not use APR scores as the criteria. In addition, if an ESPN-owned bowl is selecting among Group of Six teams, ESPN would make the selection. Minnesota’s defensive line likely will have its depth tested this week. Sophomore tackle Riley Sunram was out of uniform, and his right arm was in a sling in the second half Saturday. Junior tackle Jaylin Hicks was carted off the field in the second half with his left leg in an immobilizing brace. The winner gets the Governor’s Victory Bell, a trophy that the Gophers last won in 2019. Penn State won in 2022 and 2024 and leads the series 11-6. Should the Gophers win, they would have possession of all four of their official rivalry trophies. They beat Wisconsin last year to win Paul Bunyan’s Axe, and beat Michigan (Little Brown Jug) and Iowa (Floyd of Rosedale) this year to secure those trophies . After an 0-4 start to the Big Ten season, Penn State (5-4, 2-4) has won back-to-back games, topping Purdue 31-17 in State College and Washington 28-25 in Seattle. Former Iowa State coach Matt Campbell brought 24 Cyclones with him through the transfer portal. That includes quarterback Rocco Becht, who passed for 240 yards and two TDs against Washington. Receiver Chase Sowell, another ISU transfer, caught four passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Penn State running back Carson Hansen, a senior and former Lakeville South standout , leads Penn State in rushing with 493 yards and six touchdowns on 103 carries. He rushed for 1,780 yards and 19 TDs in three seasons at Iowa State. Minnesota Gophers vs. Penn State betting odds Minnesota is a 7.5-point underdog against Penn State, according to FanDuel. The over/under is 42½ points.