Minnesota overcomes Penn State

Isaac Smolko of Springfield scored a TD for Penn State.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Laurence Maroney ran for 144 yards and a touchdown and No. 18 Minnesota overcame Penn State's scrappy defense to beat the Nittany Lions 16-7 on Saturday night.
The Gophers recorded their second straight 5-0 start since 1940-41 and have won four in a row against Penn State. But Minnesota's offense, which entered the game averaging 44 points, stalled frequently against the Lions.
While Maroney set a school record with his sixth consecutive 100-yard rushing game, the Lions helped limit Minnesota's powerful backfield by holding Marion Barber III to 88 yards on 21 carries and one score. Bryan Cupito went 8-for-18 for 113 yards and an interception for the Gophers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten).
But as well as the Lions' defense played, the offense sputtered, finishing with 21 yards rushing and 271 total.
Mills returns to play
Zack Mills started at quarterback for Penn State after leaving last week's loss to Wisconsin because of a shoulder injury. Mills went 24-for-46 for 250 yards and an interception with several dropped passes.
Penn State (2-3, 0-2) got help from its special teams; the Lions blocked two field goals and an extra point -- Scott Paxson had two of the blocks. The second blocked field goal, a 43-yard attempt by Rhys Lloyd midway through the fourth quarter, gave Penn State the ball at their own 35 trailing 16-7.
Mills guided the Lions to Minnesota's 16, but threw an interception to John Pawielski in the end zone with 3:33 to play. Mills has thrown eight interceptions this season.
Barber had a quiet 19 yards rushing in the first half, but had an impressive 19-yard TD run early in the third quarter to make it 16-0. On first down, Barber cut left, spun away from one tackle and broke two more before Dan Conner dragged him down in the end zone at the 9:16 mark.
Penn State finally scored with 1:05 left in the third quarter on Mills' 6-yard TD pass to Isaac Smolko, a junior tight end from Springfield High (New Middletown, Ohio).
The Lions converted two third downs on the drive, which started at the Penn State 48. Mills hit Tony Hunt for a tough 19-yard pass to Minnesota's 6, which set up Smolko's touchdown to pull Penn State to 16-7.
Minnesota's rushing attack, averaging a Big Ten-best 332 yards per game entering the game, finished with 288 yards and a season-low 143 in the first two quarters -- 64 on them came on one run by Maroney in the first quarter.