Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan out against Penn State, per report
Minnesota starting quarterback Tanner Morgan will be out tonight with a concussion as the Gophers take on Penn State in Happy Valley, per Randy Johnson of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Morgan took the field for pregame warmups in a jersey with no pads and sweatpants, the clearest indication that the quarterback is not healthy enough after sustaining a concussion last weekend. In his place, Minnesota will start Athan Kaliakmanis at quarterback.
Kaliakmanis, a second year player for the Gophers, has appeared in five games this season and only attempted 11 passes. He has five completions for 84 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. He doesn’t present much rushing threat, but has scored a touchdown on the ground.
Morgan is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football with 48 appearances under his belt. He’s been a key cog in the Minnesota offense during the P.J. Fleck era.
Without him, and going against the whiteout crowd at Beaver Stadium and a Penn State team stung from last weeks drubbing at the hands of Michigan, things are looking bleak for the Gophers before kickoff.
Eli Manning was on scene for the whiteout
Chad Powers, er… Eli Manning was on hand for one of the best scenes college football has to offer: a whiteout night game at Penn State.
While the former Ole Miss and New York Giants quarterback might not have a direct tie to the school, he did pose as walk-on quarterback “Chad Powers” with the Penn State program and went through tryouts.
In a video tweeted by the Penn State football account with a simple caption.
And despite the dark jacket, Manning clearly got the message with the white quarter zip. He’ll have some fantastic views as the Nittany Lions and Minnesota duke it out in front of the raucous crowd.