Players of the Game for Penn State's Win Over Minnesota

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Penn State battled back on Saturday and pulled out an overtime win over Minnesota.

The Nittany Lions faced a must-win game at home on Saturday and was able to pull out the 29-26 victory over Minnesota. Down three points with less than a minute to go, quarterback Trace McSorley led Penn State to a game-tying drive.

Eventually, a 25-yard run in overtime by Saquon Barkley ended the game.

It wasn’t always pretty at times, and there are still plenty of issues, but a win is a win. The Nittany Lions are now 3-2 on the season and 1-1 in the Big Ten.

Below you’ll find Penn State’s players of the game from the win over the Golden Gophers.

Offense – Quarterback Trace McSorley

Trace McSorley had several moments in which he wasn’t on the same page as his receivers. Particularly in the first half, he was unable to connect on passes down the field.

However, when it counted, McSorley was right on. He showed poise under pressure and didn’t panic, even when tasked with leading the team down the field at the end of the game with no timeouts. His 26-yard run to set up the field goal showed the special talent he possesses.

Overall, McSorley finished the day with 335 yards and a touchdown. He lead the team with 73 rushing yards and also scored a touchdown on the ground.

Honorable mention: WR Chris Godwin, RB Saquon Barkley, TE Mike Gesicki

Defense – Safety Marcus Allen

Marcus Allen was all over the field Saturday, and it showed in his stats. He recorded a career-high 22 tackles, including one for a loss. The Golden Gophers found success running the ball and spent much of the day getting to the next level in the Penn State defense.

Inexperience at linebacker and up front has hurt the Nittany Lions all season in the run game. That was the case against Minnesota, hence one of the reasons for Allen’s gaudy stats.

Despite running into the secondary for much of the day, the Gophers only broke big runs a few times. Allen did a good job of defending and bailing out the backend of the Penn State defense.

Honorable mention: LB Cameron Brown, CB Grant Haley

Special teams – Kicker Tyler Davis

Tyler Davis has continued to flourish this season in the role as primary placekicker for the Nittany Lions. He doesn’t have to worry about kicking off, so his sole focus can be on booting the ball through the uprights.

He remained perfect this season by connecting on all three of his attempts against Minnesota.

Although the field was wet and the conditions were tough, Davis didn’t falter. He connected from 19 and 27 yards before lining up for the attempt to tie the game. With the game on the line and all of the pressure squarely on his shoulder, Davis cooly connected from 40 yards.

He passed Sam Sicken during the game for the most consecutive made kicks in school history. Currently, Davis is a perfect 17-for-17.

Honorable mention: P Blake Gillikin, K Joey Julius