Rocco Becht throws three TDs, Penn State gets bowl eligible with a 42-14 rout of Minnesota
Penn State won its third straight game, as a dominant ground game and some efficient play from Becht got the job done.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State is bowl eligible.
The Nittany Lions defeated Minnesota, 42-14, at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night to maintain possession of the Governor’s Victory Bell. Penn State (6-4, 3-4 Big Ten) has now won three straight matchups against the Golden Gophers (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten).
Tight end Benjamin Brahmer led the way with two touchdowns, his first scores since Week 2 against Temple, and Penn State survived another third-quarter scare to pick up a third straight Big Ten win.
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Another dominant start
Penn State scored four touchdowns on its first five possessions in the first half against Washington last week, taking a 28-6 lead into the half. The Nittany Lions improved on that mark against Minnesota, shutting the Golden Gophers out in the first half while still putting four touchdowns on the board.
They have scored 77 first-half points in their last three games, all of which were conference wins.
Minnesota had just 60 total yards while averaging just 1.9 yards per play going into the break, even though it led in time of possession and had just three fewer first downs.
It was Penn State’s run game that took over once again, while the Nittany Lions also benefited from good field position on a few of their scoring drives. The average starting spot for Penn State in the first half was their own 43-yard line, helped by a Golden Gophers’ fumble and tipped punt.
Quarterback Rocco Becht was tasked with being a game manager on Saturday, as Penn State leaned on the run game. The Nittany Lions ended the first half with 173 rushing yards compared to 41 passing yards.
Penn State has struggled in the second half this year and didn’t score a point in the second half last week against Washington. It was a similar story Saturday despite the Nittany Lions scoring a touchdown on their opening drive after coming out of the locker room.
Minnesota responded with 14 points, as Penn State is now being outscored 56-16 against Big Ten opponents in the third quarter.
Becht threw for 84 yards, his lowest total of the year, but had three touchdowns. Backup Alex Manske took over with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter and threw his first career touchdown pass.
Run game continues hot streak
Starting running back Carson Hansen struggled severely to start the season, and so did Penn State’s run game as a whole. But since the bye week, Hansen has looked like a completely different player, and that held true against Minnesota.
In his last 10 quarters of action, Hansen has 43 carries for 341 yards, good for 7.9 yards per carry. That comes after he tallied just 278 yards in his first seven games of the year.
Hansen had 126 yards and a touchdown at the end of the first half, marking his sixth straight game with a score. The Minnesotan also had rushes of 34 yards, 46 yards, and 22 yards against his in-state program that didn’t offer him out of high school.
The Iowa State transfer didn’t get a chance to add to those numbers, however, after injuring his lower body on a second-and-goal rush from the 1-yard line. Hansen left for the locker room and didn’t return to the game.
Cam Wallace maintained his role as the No. 2 running back and continued to impress with 82 yards and a receiving touchdown, while James Peoples saw his first snaps since Michigan as a result of Hansen’s injury.
Penn State finished the contest with 229 rushing yards.
Up next…
Penn State returns home to face Rutgers (2-8, 1-6) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday for its final home game of 2026. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1.
The Nittany Lions last faced the Scarlet Knights in the last regular-season matchup of 2025, defeating them in a shootout, 40-36.
