Oct. 7, 2006

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -Tony Hunt rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns, the last in overtime, and Kevin Kelly made the extra point to lift Penn State to a 28-27 victory over Minnesota on Saturday.

The Nittany Lions (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) took advantage of a missed extra point by Gophers kicker Jason Giannini and a pass interference call in overtime to get their first road victory of the season.

Bryan Cupito threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns, the last one a 25-yarder to Eric Decker that gave the Gophers (2-4, 0-3) a 27-21 lead in overtime. But Giannini, who missed eight extra-point attempts last season and already had one blocked this year, hit the left upright with his kick.

The Gophers still appeared to be in good shape with Penn State facing a fourth-and-9 from the 24. But Trumaine Banks was called for pass interference after breaking up Anthony Morelli's throw to Deon Butler, giving the Lions a first down at the 12.

Derrick Williams rushed 10 yards to the 2, and Hunt capped a workhorse day with a tough run to tie the game. Kelly then drilled the extra point to allow the Lions to escape with the win.

Morelli threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns, the last giving Penn State at 21-14 lead with 5:30 to play.

Penn State still held that lead when the Gophers took the ball at their own 14 with 2:33 to go, but Cupito drove Minnesota 86 yards in 1:31 to tie the game. He hit Logan Payne with a 43-yard pass on fourth-and-3, then connected with Matt Spaeth on a 30-yarder to set up Amir Pinnix's 1-yard TD run that tied the game with just over a minute to go.

Pinnix rushed for 76 yards and two scores for Minnesota, which couldn't take advantage of several Penn State mistakes and remains winless in the Big Ten.

Penn State missed one field goal, had a botched hold on another that resulted in an interception, fumbled after a long pass play had them deep in Gopher territory and was stuffed on a fourth-and-1 at the Minnesota 10.

But Hunt carried them for most of the game, and it was fitting that he won it in overtime.

Hunt carried the ball 31 times and became the first Penn State back to top 100 yards in four straight games since Larry Johnson did it in 2002. While nowhere near as flashy as Johnson, the bruising Hunt pounded the Gophers all day long, including on a marathon 13-play drive in the fourth quarter that chewed up 7:25.

With the game tied at 14, Hunt carried eight times for 47 yards during the 13-play, 82-yard drive. With all eyes on Hunt on third-and-goal from the Minnesota 7, Morelli faked the handoff to him and hit a wide-open Matt Hahn in the flat for a 21-14 lead with 5:30 to play.