No. 10 Penn State Falls To No. 5 Michigan On A Brisk Afternoon In The Big House
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - With an audience of 110,812 in the Big House, the Penn State Nittany Lions struggled to maintain momentum in a 41-17 “Maize Out” loss to the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines.
An unnecessary roughness call on redshirt junior cornerback Joey Porter Jr. opened the first opportunity for the Michigan Wolverines to drive downfield. Running back Blake Corum and wide receiver Roman Wilson shared touches early from quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
An incomplete pass intended for Donovan Edwards prompted a 29-yard field goal by kicker Jake Moody.
The Nittany Lions’ first drive amounted to three plays for eight yards. Michigan edge Mike Morris made a major stop on Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton for a loss of one.
While Michigan’s second drive resulted in a six-point lead, Nittany Lions safety Ji’Ayir Brown and linebacker Abdul Carter had a combined two tackles for a loss of four yards.
Wolverines defensive back Makari Paige hurried Penn State sixth-year quarterback Sean Clifford, sending the Nittany Lions offense on a scramble. At the end of the first quarter, the blue and white had two consecutive single-yard drives for a total of nine yards.
A feed from McCarthy to Corum over the helmet of Carter put the Wolverines within striking distance of the end zone for the first time in the game. In an attempt to break up Michigan’s momentum, Penn State called a timeout with the play clock running down, but it was unsuccessful as Corum rushed in for a one-yard touchdown on the following play.
Facing a 13-point deficit, Clifford connected with tight end Brenton Strange and then kept the ball himself for a 62-yard sprint down the middle.
Penn State’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-goal converted into a touchdown by freshman running back Kaytron Allen for the fourth time in his career.
The Wolverines marched down the field with a major 25-yard pickup by Edwards, but a deflection from Penn State defensive end Chop Robinson dropped the ball in linebacker Curtis Jacobs’ gloves for a 47-yard pick 6.
Behind 14-13 in favor of Penn State, Michigan looked to make a strong push into halftime. A pass interference call on Penn State cornerback Johnny Dixon bolstered the Wolverines’ field position but could not reach the end zone.
A 23-yard Michigan field goal sealed the first half 16-14 in favor of the maize and blue.
At the start of the third quarter, Penn State eclipsed 70 yards with two major grabs by wide receivers Mitchell Tinsley and Harrison Wallace III but settled for a field goal.
Michigan made a statement on its next possession as Edwards took it to the house for 67 yards and McCarthy connected with wide receiver Ronnie Bell for a two-point conversion. The Wolverines snatched the lead back 24-17.
Penn State recorded its fifth first down of the game and positioned itself downfield, but costly penalties eroded the offense . Michigan wasted no time with a 61-yard touchdown by Corum immediately following to climb to a two-touchdown lead.
Michigan added a 37-yard field goal on its next drive to make it a 17-point deficit for Penn State. For context, the Wolverines did not punt the entire game.
With fourth down conversion struggles in mind, the blue and white added quarterback Drew Allar to its offensive lineup with 11 minutes remaining in the game.
After six plays for 22 yards, the Nittany Lions did not cross midfield for a turnover on downs. Allar went 1-for-4 for eight yards in his first showing in the Big House.
Edwards surpassed Corum with 173 total rushing yards on the day. His second rushing touchdown gave a comfortable 41-17 lead to Michigan heading in the final minutes.
Michigan handed Penn State its first loss of the season with a final score of 41-17. The blue and white will look to make adjustments heading into its Whiteout game on Oct. 22 versus the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Emma Holtz is a third-year majoring in public relations. To contact her, email emma.holtz01@gmail.com.
