Minnesota vs. Penn State
Minnesota and Penn State have 17 meetings on file, the first in 1993; Penn State leads the series 11–6 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Penn State 7–3, and Penn State has won the last 2. The winner takes home the Governor’s Victory Bell. Penn State holds it. Share
- Minnesota wins
- 6
- Penn State wins
- 11
- Ties
- 0
- Earliest on file
- 1993
- Longest streak
- 4 Penn State
- Current streak
- 2 Penn State
- Last 10 meetings
- Penn State 7–3
- Most recent
- 2024
The series at a glance
| ’0 | ’1 | ’2 | ’3 | ’4 | ’5 | ’6 | ’7 | ’8 | ’9 | W–L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1–4 | ||||||||||
| 2000s | 3–3 | ||||||||||
| 2010s | 2–2 | ||||||||||
| 2020s | 0–2 |
- Both ranked
- 1 meeting: Minnesota 1, Penn State 0
- Average margin
- 13 points; 7 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
- At Minnesota
- 4–5 Minnesota’s record at home
- At Penn State
- 6–2 Penn State’s record at home
- Shutouts
- 1
Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.
Governor’s Victory Bell
- Played for since
- —
- Held by
- Penn State
Who holds it comes from the games on file: the winner of the latest regular-season meeting (bowl rematches aren’t played for it); a tie leaves it with the holder (the usual rule; the article doesn’t say). From Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games and the rivalry’s article (CC BY-SA). More on the Governor’s Victory Bell.
Games that tell the story
- Minnesota’s biggest win2013: Minnesota 24, Penn State 10by 14 points
- Penn State’s biggest win1994: Penn State 56, Minnesota 3by 53 points
- Upset1999: Minnesota 24, Penn State 23Minnesota had a 18% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
- Ranked showdown2019: Minnesota 31, Penn State 26No. 5 Penn State at No. 13 Minnesota
Coach against coach
| Years | Minnesota | Series | Penn State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–2006 | Glen Mason | 4–4 | Joe Paterno |
| 2019–2024 | P.J. Fleck | 1–2 | James Franklin |
Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Minnesota’s side (Mason 4–4 against Paterno). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.
Both programs through the years
Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.
Stars of the series
Biggest days
| Bryan Cupito Minnesota | 25 of 36, 347 yards, 2 TD | 2006 Passing | |
| Rashod Bateman Minnesota | 7 catches, 203 yards, 1 TD | 2019 Receiving |
Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on).
Every game
| Nov 14, 2026 | Minnesota at Penn State upcoming | at Penn State | ||
| Nov 23, 2024 | 4Penn State 26, Minnesota 25 | at Minnesota | ||
| Oct 22, 2022 | 16Penn State 45, Minnesota 17 | at Penn State | ||
| Nov 9, 2019 | 13Minnesota 31, 5Penn State 26 | at Minnesota | ||
| Oct 1, 2016 | Penn State 29, Minnesota 26 | at Penn State | ||
| Nov 9, 2013 | Minnesota 24, Penn State 10 | at Minnesota | ||
| Oct 23, 2010 | Penn State 33, Minnesota 21 | at Minnesota | ||
| Oct 17, 2009 | 14Penn State 20, Minnesota 0 | at Penn State | ||
| Oct 7, 2006 | Penn State 28, Minnesota 27 | at Minnesota | ||
| Oct 1, 2005 | Penn State 44, 18Minnesota 14 | at Penn State | ||
| Oct 2, 2004 | 18Minnesota 16, Penn State 7 | at Minnesota | ||
| Sep 27, 2003 | 24Minnesota 20, Penn State 14 | at Penn State | ||
| Oct 7, 2000 | Minnesota 25, Penn State 16 | at Minnesota | ||
| Nov 6, 1999 | Minnesota 24, 2Penn State 23 | at Penn State | ||
| Oct 10, 1998 | 13Penn State 27, Minnesota 17 | at Minnesota | ||
| Oct 18, 1997 | 1Penn State 16, Minnesota 15 | at Penn State | ||
| Sep 3, 1994 | 9Penn State 56, Minnesota 3 | at Minnesota | ||
| Sep 4, 1993 | 17Penn State 38, Minnesota 20 | at Penn State |
Every game is listed as played on the field.