Five things we learned in the Gophers' 45-17 loss at No. 16 Penn State

Five things we learned from the Gophers' 45-17 loss at No. 16 Penn State:

1. Minnesota's defense still needs work

What appeared to be a promising start for the Gophers defense, which forced three-and-outs on Penn State's first two possessions, quickly went south. Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford started finding his tight ends, and quickly a 3-0 Gophers lead became a 17-3 deficit when Tyler Warren and Theo Johnson had touchdown catches of 38 and 18 yards, respectively.

2. The Gophers need to pressure the quarterback

For the second consecutive game, the Gophers did not sack the opposing quarterback. They had two hurries on Clifford, both by Jalen Logan-Redding. In Big Ten play, Minnesota has only three sacks for 11 yards. "I felt like today, we weren't far off, but we didn't finish the sacks," Logan-Redding said.

3. Wideouts still have work to do

The Gophers continue to feel the absence of Chris Autman-Bell, their top wide receiver who is lost for the season because of injury. Saturday, Gophers wideouts caught three passes — two by Mike Brown-Stephens for 55 yards, including a 49-yarder, and one by Le'Meke Brockington, on a nice 33-yard gain that set up the Gophers' first touchdown. Missing was Dylan Wright, who didn't make the trip because, coach P.J. Fleck said, "he's gotta do the right things on and off the field."

4. Penn State's freshman backs are good

Nick Singleton was the nation's top-ranked running back in the 2022 recruiting class, and Kaytron Allen was a four-star recruit. Both true freshmen made big impacts, especially after Clifford kept the Gophers defense honest by targeting his tight ends. Singleton rushed 13 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns, while Allen carried 15 times for 77 yards, getting some tough gains inside.

5. The Penn State atmosphere is must-see

Certainly, Gophers fans that made the trip to Penn State were hoping for a different outcome to the game, but experiencing a "White Out" game at Beaver Stadium had to be a highlight. The crowd of nearly 110,000 was electric — the press box was literally swaying at times — and the miles of parking lots and tailgate parties made for a festive atmosphere. Sure, it's spendy and difficult to get to, but if you're a college football afficionado, State College should be on your list.