GOPHERS REPLAY

Penn State 29, Gophers 26 (OT)

The recap: Leading 13-3, the Gophers looked like they might cruise, before Penn State hit an 80-yard touchdown on a third-down pass from Trace McSorley to Irvin Charles. It was a seesaw game from there, capped by Saquon Barkley's 25-yard touchdown run in overtime.

What was learned: The Gophers got 204 combined rushing yards from Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks and played good defense until Penn State started hitting big plays in the third quarter. Before the 80-yard touchdown, Penn State was 0-for-8 on third downs.

YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:

• The Gophers had the Governor's Victory Bell since their last meeting with Penn State in 2013, a 24-10 Minnesota victory. This loss leaves the Gophers without any of their four rivalry trophies, although they'll have a chance to reclaim Floyd of Rosedale on Saturday against Iowa, and Paul Bunyan's Axe on Nov. 26 at Wisconsin.

• Penn State players handed the Victory Bell to offensive line coach Matt Limegrover, the former Gophers offensive coordinator. "We were playing for Coach Limegrover and what he's meant to our program since he's come here," McSorley said, according to the Centre Daily Times. "We felt like he might have been wronged a little bit at Minnesota, so we wanted to come and defend him and win this game for him."

• Every team in the Big Ten West has suffered a conference loss, except Nebraska, but Claeys isn't ready to discuss the standings. "It's one game. That's all I'm going to say: It's one game," he said. "We got eight left. We won't be too bad if we win the last eight. It's amazing how everybody thinks the first one is a must-win. Wow. We will be judged on more than one day, which I can live with."

• Claeys said he needed to meet with the medical staff before he'd have updates on linebacker Cody Poock (right shoulder) and safety Duke McGhee (unspecified injury).

UP NEXT: Iowa

11 a.m. Saturday, TCF Bank Stadium

TV: ESPN2. Radio: 100.3-FM

Records: Gophers 3-1, Iowa 3-2

The skinny: Last year's 12-0 regular season was going to be hard to duplicate, but the Hawkeyes have been a disappointment, considering all the talent they returned. Since giving Kirk Ferentz his contract extension, Iowa has lost to North Dakota State, won a seven-point squeaker at Rutgers and lost to Northwestern. In Saturday's loss to the Wildcats, Iowa managed only 79 rushing yards and let C.J. Beathard get sacked six times. Northwestern's Justin Jackson rushed 26 times for 171 yards, which bodes well for Minnesota's duo of Smith and Brooks.

JOE CHRISTENSEN