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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Nearly three years ago, James Franklin was charged with lifting a roster full of Bill OBrien holdovers and dotted with veterans from the Joe Paterno era out of the darkest period in Penn State history.It was a motley group of players, cobbled together with a handful of scholarships and a bunch of walk-on tryouts that took on added significance in the wake of harsh NCAA sanctions following the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. Plenty of them were skeptical about the programs future considering the penalties and that theyd be taking cues from their fourth head coach in four years.Linebacker Brandon Bell, an OBrien recruit in 2012, admitted last week that when he committed, he didnt believe hed be playing for a team that would be able to ascend the national rankings.That uncertainty has faded in Happy Valley, where No. 20 Penn State will try to win its fifth-straight Big Ten game for the first time since Paternos final season against Iowa on Saturday. The Nittany Lions (6-2, 4-1) will do so with everyone on the same page, a quality that eluded them in Franklins first two seasons.You have to have trust in any successful football team, Franklin said Tuesday. You have to have love for one another. You have to have belief. We have that right now.The Nittany Lions had to learn to do all three, especially after a pair of 7-6 seasons in which Franklins teams went 6-10 in the Big Ten.I think Coach Franklin, all the coaches, they really were working on that the past couple years, the whole family and trust thing, offensive tackle Brendan Mahon said. It took a little while for everyone to buy in, to be honest.Once they did, the bonds began to show up on the field. They helped Penn States young offense develop quicker than many outside the program thought and helped a shorthanded defense ride out a storm of injuries earlier this season.It began in the summer when players like Bell and Mahon -- two of 22 players recruited or signed in OBriens two years as coach -- began to be more vocal. Bell, who had done most of his talking with his shoulder pads to that point, notoriously got on teammates for lagging on a sprint, failing to touch a line during conditioning drills.He said, `No, if we want to be the team we want to be, we have to run this extra one, make up for it, running back Andre Robinson said.That kind of accountability is now commonplace and Penn State players are looking out for each other more on the field.Many of his teammates were in awe of Trace McSorleys actions immediately after he tossed a game-sealing interception against Pittsburgh. Instead of sulking, McSorley ran over to the bench and threw an arm around receiver DaeSean Hamilton, who had dropped a potential game-winning touchdown pass just moments before.The love between teammates showed up against Minnesota when kicker Joey Julius was felled with a cheap shot by a Minnesota player. As Julius lay motionless on the field, teammate Von Walker -- also an OBrien piece -- immediately had to be restrained as he gave the offending Gopher an earful. The rest of Penn States sideline soon followed before Franklin shooed them back to the sideline.Many of the veterans have helped instill belief in their younger teammates, Franklin said.OBrien recruits and veterans like cornerback Jordan Smith, guard Derek Dowrey and defensive linemen Garrett Sickels and Curtis Cothran have had their playing time cut for various reasons but have continued to be vibrant presences and have made good on the snaps theyve gotten.For the older guys, for them thats kind of been the constant here with all the coaching changes and everything thats happened, the guys in the locker room have always pretty much been the same as far as the kind of people theyre hanging around with and who theyre friends with and seeing every day.---This story has been corrected to show that Franklin was Penn States fourth head coach in four years, not fifth.---More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org Flames Jerseys China . 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The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. MINNEAPOLIS -- One night after its bullpen struggled mightily, the Minnesota Twins got a stellar performance from a different group of nonstarters. Brian Duensing pitched two innings of scoreless relief, Casey Fien got two outs and Jared Burton earned his first save with a perfect ninth as the Twins beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-5 Saturday night. Ryan Doumit homered and Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau each had three hits for the Twins. Vance Worley struggled through 5 1-3 innings, but earned his first win in 13 starts dating to Aug. 1, 2012. Baltimore got within 6-5 in the sixth to chase Worley, and had runners on first and second when Duensing came into the game. The left-hander promptly got Nick Markakis to ground into a double play to end the threat. "That kind of turned the momentum back in our direction," Duensing said. "With that team, momentum can be troublesome. Theyre a good offensive team." Josh Roenicke gave up three runs late in Fridays game and Anthony Swarzak allowed three in the 10th inning as Baltimore overcame a six-run deficit to win 9-6. "I think just for confidence for the whole group out there to do what we did tonight was real important," Duensing said. Fien got the final two outs of the eighth inning and Burton retired the Orioles No. 2-4 hitters -- Manny Machado, Markakis and Adam Jones -- for a perfect ninth. Minnesotas normal closer, Glen Perkins, was unavailable with left side soreness. "Burty told me last night after the game that hes feeling really good, he feels like hes found his pitches and the ball is coming out of his hand real good," manager Ron Gardenhire said. Doumit hit his third home run of the season in the sixth, a two-run shot into the second deck in left field to give Minnesota a little breathing room at 8-5. Worley (1-4) gave up 11 hits and five earned runs. He struck out one but threw 111 pitches. He left balls up in the zone and was hit hard in the opening frame when Baltimore took a 3-0 lead. Machado and Jones had doubles, and Markakis and Chris Davis had RBI singles in the inning. Matt Wieters added a sacrifice fly to deep left-centre. "After that I went out there and I wasnt thinking so much," Worley said. "Im here for a reason. I got to the big leagues pitching and I dont need to think too much about what I need to do out there, just make my pitches." He got out a bases-loaded jam in the fifth by getting J.J. Hardy to fly out, and allowed an RBI single in the sixth before being pulled. "Im jjust glad (Duensing) came in and finished it for me," Worley said.dddddddddddd. Making his season debut for the Orioles, starter Steve Johnson (0-1) cruised through the first two innings, before he began to get behind in counts and the Twins took advantage. Trailing 4-2 and with two outs in the fourth, Brian Dozier laced a two-run double into the left-field corner to tie it. After an intentional walk to Mauer and a walk to Doumit, Morneau lined a two-run single over the shortstop for a 6-4 lead. "I couldnt get a good feel for my pitches," said Johnson, who was optioned back to Triple-A after the game. "I couldnt get my secondary stuff over. I started off all right, but I couldnt make a pitch to get out of that inning. Its unfortunate that the team gives you that lead they gave you to not being able to make a pitch and limit the damage. Its not good." Johnson, who was 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA in 12 games (four starts) for Baltimore last season, hoped to make the Orioles as the teams fifth starter out of spring training, but strained his right lat muscle in late-March. In three Triple-A rehab starts, the right-hander was 1-1 with a 4.41 ERA. In four innings, he allowed seven hits and six earned runs while striking out three. However, he walked four batters and just 48 of his 88 pitches were strikes. "Steve came out, hot and ready to go, started out really well, just couldnt maintain it," manager Buck Showalter said. "The first two innings, same type of approach (as last year). Hes got some late life on his fastball. The curveball wasnt really there like it normally is. He got some outs with his changeup, but he then he elevated some that hurt him." Trailing 3-0, Eduardo Escobar doubled leading off the bottom of the third and scored on a double by Mauer. It was the 600th career RBI for Mauer, who scored on Morneaus single. Wieters homered in the fourth for a 4-2 Baltimore lead. NOTES: With Johnson being sent down, the Orioles will make a corresponding roster move Sunday. ... Johnson is the ninth pitcher to start for Baltimore this season, tying the Orioles with the Los Angeles Dodgers for most in the majors. ... To make room for Johnson on the roster, Baltimore optioned RHP Alex Burnett to Triple-A Norfolk. ... With Twins LF Josh Willingham getting the day off, Doumit hit third for the first time since Sept 16, 2011, when he was with Pittsburgh. ... Wei-Yin Chen (2-3, 3.40) is scheduled to start for Baltimore on Sunday against Scott Diamond (3-2, 3.03). ' ' '