Less than 24 hours after getting the news that coach Jim Harbaugh had been suspended for the remainder of the regular season, the Michigan Wolverines walked into Happy Valley for a top-ten matchup in the Big Ten.
After three combined punts to start the game, Penn State went on a 13-play, 66-yard drive that ate up over six minutes.
Unfortunately for fans of the Nittany Lions, the offense stalled after having a 1st and goal at the three, and had to settle for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
The Wolverines immediately responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-3 lead. After forcing a punt, Michigan got the ball at their own 22-yard line.
Propelled by a 44-yard run by Blake Corum, Michigan went 78 yards in six plays to extend the lead to 14-3.
After seeing their first quarter lead turn into a two-score deficit, Penn State got the ball with just over six minutes left in the first half.
Faced with a 4th and six at the Wolverine 37, Drew Allar hit Kaden Saunders for a 13-yard gain to keep the drive going.
A few plays later, the Nittany Lions again found themselves in a fourth down situation, this time with just a yard to go.
Coach James Franklin dialed up a trick play with running back Kaytron Allen throwing a pass to quarterback Drew Allar for a four-yard gain and a first down.
On the next play, Allar took it himself for an 11-yard run and Penn State’s first touchdown of the game.
Down 14-9, Penn State elected to go for two to cut the lead to three, but the pass was incomplete.
On the first drive of the second half, Penn State’s drive looked promising, but it ended when Allar fumbled at his own 49-yard line.
The Wolverines drove down the field, but the Nittany Lions’ defense made a stand to force a field goal, which extended the Michigan lead to 17-9 late in the third.
Each of the next six drives resulted in three punts for each team.
Down eight with just under four and a half minutes left, Penn State had a fourth and six situation at their own 30-yard line.
Even with his defense playing lights out, James Franklin chose to go for it.
Allar dropped back and threw it over the middle to absolutely nobody, giving the ball back to the Wolverines on a turnover on downs.
On the next play, Corum took it 30 yards for a touchdown to push the lead to 24-9.
Penn State’s ensuing drive was eight plays and 75 yards, putting them in the end zone with 1:59 on the clock.
For the second time, they went for two, and for the second time, they came up empty, leaving them down two scores.
The onside kick was unsuccessful, and after Michigan picked up a first down, they knelt the remaining seconds away and came away with a 24-15 victory.
Penn State fans are irate, and they have the right to be. James Franklin is now 4-16 against Ohio State and Michigan combined. He continues to fail to win the biggest games of the season.
To be fair to Franklin, his quarterback has been underwhelming against ranked teams this season.
However, even when he had Sean Clifford as his quarterback for the previous four years, his team still went no better than 10-2 in the regular season, which they appear to be headed for again this season.
As for Michigan, they did an excellent job handling everything that has been going on around their program in recent weeks.
What was most impressive about the win was the coaching job of offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, the Wolverines acting head coach.
He was put in a position where he had to go coach on the road against a top-10 team with an undefeated record on the line with less than 24 hours’ notice.
He tried letting his playmaking quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, go out and sling it, but the pass rush of Penn State got to the backfield repeatedly.
Acting head coach Sherrone Moore quickly adjusted, putting the load on the shoulders of his offensive line and running backs.
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw just eight passes, the last of which came with 7:41 in the second quarter.
The Wolverines ran the ball on their last 32 plays. The playcalling, combined with the defense, is what led Michigan to a hard fought victory.
Moore stayed consistent and did not try to do anything flashy or get tricky. He did a brilliant job with his game plan.
The Wolverines will hit the road to play Maryland (6-4, 3-4) next week, then will close out the regular season against the Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0).
Barring major upsets for either team, they both will be 11-0 heading into The Game for the second straight season.
Demetri Manousos is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
