The Gophers and Penn State spent Oct. 12 in the greater Los Angeles area, with the Nittany Lions facing USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that afternoon and Minnesota taking on UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in the evening.

A week earlier, the Gophers had defeated No. 11 Southern California 24-17 in a thrilling game that ended with fans storming the field at Huntington Bank Stadium, an emotional release after the team started the season with three losses in its first five games. When the Nittany Lions faced USC, they trailed 20-6 at halftime and needed a touchdown in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter to force overtime, in which they prevailed 33-30.

After the Gophers rallied to beat UCLA 21-17, a Minnesota observer pondered the results and thought, "Maybe they'll have a chance against Penn State in November."

That scenario played out Saturday in Minneapolis where the Gophers did have a chance to beat No. 4 Penn State — until they didn't.

The Nittany Lions left Huntington Bank Stadium around 7 p.m. with the Governor's Victory Bell, thanks to a 26-25 triumph built on their ownership of key moments, particularly in the fourth quarter. Penn State overcame a 10-0 second-quarter deficit and a 22-16 disadvantage late in the third in improving to 10-1 and staying in contention for a College Football Playoff berth.

The statistics show that the Gophers checked several boxes needed to upset a team as good as Penn State. Minnesota limited the Nittany Lions' possessions, holding the ball for 34 minutes, 11 seconds to the visitors' 25:49. The Gophers defense was tough on third down, holding Penn State to 1-for-11 in those situations. Minnesota's special teams contributed three field goals, a blocked punt and a blocked extra-point attempt that was returned for two points and a 19-16 halftime lead.

"I thought we had really good game plan," Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said. "I thought we executed it really well on the offense, defense and special team sides."

Penn State, though, negated those statistical edges that the Gophers built. While the Nittany Lions didn't have the ball often in the second half — four possessions total — they hogged it for 8:50 in the fourth quarter. Minnesota held Tyler Warren, Penn State's star tight end/H-back/wildcat QB, largely in check through the game's first 39 minutes, but then he caught three consecutive passes for 30 yards to ignite the Nittany Lions' go-ahead touchdown drive late in the third quarter.

In a game that had only three penalties, Penn State also capitalized fully on a questionable pass interference penalty on Gophers cornerback Ethan Robinson, scoring a touchdown only three plays later.

And that 1-for-11 showing on third downs? The Nittany Lions made that point stat by converting three fourth-down situations on their final drive, which bled the final 5:48 off the clock.

The most important of those three conversions, of course, was the fake punt that Penn State coach James Franklin called with the Nittany Lions clinging to a one-point lead and knowing Gophers kicker Dragan Kesich can connect from the upper-50s.

Facing fourth-and-1 from the Penn State 34, Franklin saw that the Gophers had their return personnel on the field rather than a "safe" grouping of defensive players. Luke Reynolds, a true freshman tight end and five-star recruit, took the direct snap and sprinted 32 yards to the Minnesota 34.

"I just felt like we needed to try to end the game on our terms, with the ball in our hand," Franklin said.

The Gophers have had a season full of tight games, with seven of the 11 they've played decided by eight points or fewer. They're 3-4 in those contests, losing the past two to fall to 6-5 overall. They'll try to end the skid in Friday's regular-season finale at Wisconsin.

"I told our team, 'We're just as good as anybody we've played or lost to,' " Fleck said. "We've just got to do it."