enjoyed working with Cheek and acknowledged the uncertainty that com

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- As an incoming freshman, Penn State safety Marcus Allen figured his transition to college football would be gradual.Then he lowered his shoulder against bulldozing 240-pound teammate Zach Zwinak in a preseason practice and Penn State coaches realized immediately they could deploy the gutsy rookie as a weapon in the box. A few weeks later, he was creeping to the line to pop Ohio States equally-vicious Ezekiel Elliott.I felt as though if I could hit Zwinak, I could hit anybody. Thats a truckload, said Allen, now a junior. Ezekiel Elliott, one of the best running backs out there. So having good contact with him gave me more confidence that I could play in this league.The Nittany Lions (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) will need more of that from Allen and fellow safety Malik Golden against Minnesota (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) and its two-headed rushing attack as Penn State grasps for momentum in a season thats soured quickly thanks to a long list of injuries.Now without all of its starting linebackers, Penn State has allowed 326 rushing yards or more in two of its last three games, is coming off an embarrassing loss to No. 4 Michigan and faces the conferences fifth-best rushing offense on Saturday.As youngsters in front of them have whiffed again and again, Allen and Golden have combined for 57 tackles. Theyll have their eyes on Minnesotas Rodney Smith and Kobe McCrary whove helped the Gophers rush for just over 228 yards per game.You talk about missing tackles, well, typically your linebackers are the unit that make the majority of your tackles, Penn State coach James Franklin said. And weve lost our three starters.THIRD DOWN WOES: Linebackers Nyeem Wartman-White, Brandon Bell and Jason Cabinda entered the season with 57 combined starts. Wartman-White is out for the season and Bell and Cabinda are out for this game.Their replacements -- Manny Bowen, Jake Cooper and former walk-on Brandon Smith -- have just seven combined. The inexperience has shown on third down where opponents are converting nearly 40 percent of the time.QB RESOLVE: Trace McSorley led his high school team to a 55-5 record so the 49-10 beatdown to Michigan was an unfamiliar feeling for the Penn State quarterback. He gathered the offense for extra film study earlier this week.Meanwhile, Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner is spreading the ball around and taking care of it. Hes hit at least six different receivers in each game and has thrown just one interception in his last 95 attempts dating to last season. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback has also added 135 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries.Hes taking who is open, Minnesota coach Tracy Claeys said. I know as a defensive coach you cant look at one or two guys and take them away and make them go to their third option and beat you. I think that helps you on offense. Im pleased where the offense is at.CORNERBACK CONCERN: Minnesota starting cornerback KiAnte Hardin remains suspended along with three others, including backup cornerback Ray Buford for a violation of team rules. Sophomore Antonio Shenault has slid into the starting lineup next to senior Jalen Myrick, but another reserve cornerback, Coney Durr, is out for this game with an unspecified injury.The defense has been vulnerable at times to long gains, allowing 228.7 yards passing per game, second-most in the Big Ten.LIMEGROVER REUNION: The Gophers will reunite with Matt Limegrover, the well-liked former offensive coordinator and offensive line coach who has assumed the latter role at Penn State. Claeys fired Limegrover after last season and replaced him with Jay Johnson and Bart Miller, respectively, with a desire to re-establish a power running game and a more productive offense overall.Its definitely in the backs of our minds, tight end Nate Wozniak said of facing Limegrovers new team, but were more focused on just getting the (Governors Victory) Bell, or keeping it here, I should say.---AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report. Ryan Zimmerman Jersey . 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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart wants the school to play a leading role in addressing sexual assault after the recent settlement of a Title IX lawsuit filed against the university.The school agreed last month to pay $2.48 million to settle a lawsuit filed in February by eight unidentified women who said the university created a hostile sexual environment through a policy of indifference toward assault complaints against athletes.As part of the settlement, Tennessee is announcing a series of initiatives to improve its Title IX efforts and is appointing an independent commission to review the schools existing programs and make recommendations regarding sexual assault and misconduct.It only enhanced and increased our collective desire to be a national leader in that regard, Hart said while discussing the schools educational and training efforts in an interview with The Associated Press.Hart added that its a national issue and weve taken a collective posture that we think we can make a difference.Under the terms of the settlement, Tennessee agreed to change its rules regarding student disciplinary hearings and use its best efforts to enforce mandatory sexual assault training for school employees reasonably likely to be among the first to learn about potential cases.The school also is adding seven employees to the two offices that deal with sexual assault investigations and support for victims of sexual misconduct and stalking. That includes two wellness coordinators who will work with athletes on sexual assault awareness and other issues such as drugs, alcohol and stress management.The lawsuit was part of a turbulent year for Tennessee that also included the death of former womens basketball coach Pat Summitt and the announcement that chancellor Jimmy Cheek is stepping down to return to a teaching role. Those changes overshadowed the athletic departments improvements in fundraising and academic performance.It was an emotional year, Hart said. I love this university dearly. It was a tough year for everybody.The toughest moment came June 28 with the death of Summitt, who won eight national title and 1,098 games at Tennessee. Summitt had stepped down as Tennessees coach in 2012, one year after announcing she had early-onset dementia, Alzheimers type.The passing of Pat was one of the most emotional moments for me in my career, Hart said. You just dont have many icons. Ive had the pleasure of working with other icons, (and) what separated Pat from the others is what she did noot only for her sport -- she put her sport of womens basketball literally on the map at a very high level -- but what she did for womens athletics and what she did for people young and old.ddddddddddddThere will never be another one like Pat Summitt.Hart, who took over as Tennessees athletic director in 2011, helped get a statue of Summitt built on campus in 2013. The plaza that includes the statue was the site of a candlelight vigil the night after Summitts death.I can look out my window at the Pat Summitt Plaza every day, Hart said. Thank goodness we got that in place. We made that a real priority and I personally wanted it to be done while Pat was very cognizant of it and could appreciate what was happening there and that transpired.Plenty of intrigue surrounds Tennessee as it heads into the 2016-17 school year.On the field, Tennessee is the preseason favorite to capture the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division football title after ending the 2015 season on a six-game winning streak. Off the field, Tennessee has launched a search for its next chancellor after Cheek announced in June he would return to a teaching role. Hart said he has thoroughly enjoyed working with Cheek and acknowledged the uncertainty that comes with a change in chancellors.I think everyones impacted by that certainly, just as you would be in a corporation or business, Hart said. Youre basically getting another CEO.Tennessee has made progress in various aspects since Harts arrival.Football season ticket sales for 2016 already are at their highest level since 2008. Greg Hulen, the athletic departments chief development officer, said the department received $163 million in gifts and pledges during a campaign that ran from July 2013 to June 2016. Hulen said in terms of overall support, that is right up there with the best three-year run weve had.In the classroom, Tennessees Academic Progress Rate for football was low enough in 2013 that it faced the likelihood of penalties if it didnt improve. Tennessee has since upgraded its APR dramatically, and student-athletes overall have posted grade point averages of 3.0 or better for five consecutive semesters.Now that Tennessee has started making those kinds of strides, the 67-year-old Hart says he has no interest in stepping down anytime soon.I still have the same level of energy and work ethic that Ive always had, Hart said. I still love what I do. ' ' '