STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -No. 14 Penn State stifled Minnesota and got a boost from the officials, too.
Navorro Bowman and the Nittany Lions played dominating defense, Evan Royster ran for 137 yards and Derek Moye had a 12-yard TD catch on a play that was overturned after a video review in a 20-0 victory against Minnesota on Saturday.
It was the second review that went Penn State's way on a drive that gave the Nittany Lions (6-1, 2-1 Big Ten) a 13-0 lead late in the first half.
Coach Joe Paterno's offense moved the ball well despite being bogged down by penalties. But Royster and Moye helped give the defense more than enough cushion over the struggling Gophers (4-3, 2-2) in chilly Happy Valley.
"We did move the ball well, but we didn't do a particularly good job when we got in the red zone. I think the penalties hurt us," Paterno said. "Overall, it was a good performance."
Bowman led the way with several big hits, and Penn State held a foe without a first-half touchdown for the seventh straight game. The defense contained Minnesota star receiver Eric Decker, who didn't catch a pass until late in the third quarter.
The Gophers offense finally found traction early in the fourth quarter, driving to the Penn State 1. That didn't go well either after running back Kevin Whaley was stuffed on a sweep left by Bowman and cornerback A.J. Wallace just short of the goal line.
The shutout warmed the homecoming crowd bundled in parkas and winter coats after a storm dumped more than 6 inches of snow the previous day. Penn State said the 37 degrees at kickoff at Beaver Stadium was the coldest on record for homecoming at the school.
The university closed grass lots around the stadium because of the snow, and asked fans to limit tailgating to conserve space.
The blue-and-white faithful celebrated anyway — both outside and inside the stadium.
Daryll Clark overcame a middling start to finish 21 of 32 passing for 287 yards and the touchdown pass to Moyes. He also scored a 1-yard TD run to give Penn State a 20-point lead in the third quarter.
Royster paced the ground game, and Moye made several pretty receptions, including the 12-yard TD catch in which he dragged his feet in the end zone before falling out of bounds. Moye had six receptions for 120 yards.
Adam Weber felt pressure from Penn State's front line most of the day and finished 10 of 22 for 101 yards and an interception. Decker had his second straight subpar game, with just the 42-yard reception after catching three balls for 50 yards the previous week.
Penn State's offense sputtered early, moving the ball well behind Royster but mired by mistakes to lead just 6-0 late in the second quarter before Moye's catch gave them room.
The Nittany Lions D also got star linebacker and team captain Sean Lee back after he missed the previous three games with a sprained left knee. He played mostly on passing downs, and didn't appear to have trouble with the injury.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
