MINNEAPOLIS — It was only fitting that the Minnesota Marching Band played to the tune of a circus theme during Saturday's intermission.

Because the first half of Minnesota's 25-16 victory had all the makings of a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey three-ring spectacular. Not that it was entertaining. In fact, it was quite humdrum.

The referees tossed flags as if they were Drew Brees running the Purdue offense. And Minnesota, the one team that was moving the ball, was fighting like Evander Holyfield — there were plenty of blows, but no knockout punch.

Three times the Golden Gophers marched into Penn State's red zone, only to end the drives with the same result: A Dan Nystrom field goal.

But in the second half, the circus would come to a close. The Golden Gophers were all business as they emerged from the locker room and raced onto the Hubert H. Humphrey turf with a 9-3 advantage, determined to add to that lead.

"We just wanted to show that we are not going to die off," wide receiver Ron Johnson said, "and that we just wanted to play."

Minnesota began its drive on the 20-yard line after Penn State's David Kimball booted the second half's opening kick-off into the end zone and things began slowly for the Gophers.

Defensive end Michael Haynes penetrated through the massive offensive line and dropped quarterback Travis Cole for a 10-yard loss on the drive's opening play. But Cole would not falter.

He handed it off to tailback Tellis Redmon who would carry Minnesota downfield. Redmon rushed for 16 tough yards on the next play. He fought for eight tough yards on the next, guiding his team to the first of four times the Gophers would move the chains on that drive.

Cole tried to open up the pass attack, but Haynes thwarted his attempt to Johnson. Redmon attempted to perpetuate that drive on a carry, but linebacker Shamar Finney and cornerback Yaacov Yisrael stopped the sophomore for no gain. On a third-and- long, Cole came through and found Elvin Jones for an 11-yard pickup that perpetuated the drive to midfield.

"We really showed our composure in this game," center Ben Hamilton said. "When Penn Sate was fighting back and bringing the score real close, we had the composure. We have a mature offense."

And a mature quarterback. Three plays later, Cole barked the signals six yards from the third down marker before he found Johnson for seven yards on his second of four third-down conversions and moved Minnesota into the Nittany Lions' turf.

It was a sign of things to come. On the next play, Cole took the snap from Hamilton, stepped back into the pocket and lofted a pass over cornerback Bruce Branch's head and into Ron Johnson's hands for a 37-yard gain.

"We had a long drive and we converted on third down and that is what we have to do," Cole said. "We have to execute and come up with big plays. You know, like when Ron came up with the big catch."

That play put Minnesota at the seven-yard line. The Gophers would not falter as they did in the first half and punched it into the end zone. To little surprise, it came on third down and to even less astonishment, it was Johnson who made the three-yard touchdown catch.

It was a catch that gave Minnesota a 15-3 lead, but more importantly, the confidence that the Gophers would not relinquish their advantage and persevere for their second straight win — in the conference and against Penn State.

"The first drive in the second half was critical," coach Glen Mason said. "I thought we showed a lot of maturity on that drive."