Wolverines run over Nittany Lions
ANN ARBOR, MICH. ❯❯ Michigan's massive offensive line opened huge holes and its speedy running backs took full advantage.
Donovan Edwards ran for a go-ahead, 67-yard touchdown and Blake Corum had a 61-yard run for a score on consecutive snaps in the third quarter as the fifthranked Wolverines pulled away and beat No. 10 Penn State 41-17 on Saturday.
“I can't remember backto-back touchdown runs like that,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said.
The Wolverines (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) finished with 418 yards rushing, gaining 7.6 yards per carry, against a team that was giving up fewer than 80 yards rushing per game to rank among college football's leaders.
Penn State coach James Franklin lamented that his undersized defensive line did not disrupt the running game.
“Everyone thinks they're Aaron Donald now and they're not,” Franklin said.
Michigan was dominant for much of the first half, but led by just two points because it settled for field goals after stalling at the 5 twice and at the 11 once.
Despite having only one first down, the Nittany Lions (5-1, 2-1) took a 14-13 lead late in the first half after scoring two touchdowns in a 1-minute, 44-second span.
Penn State went ahead again after the opening drive of the third quarter, but Edwards answered with his 67-yard run on the next play. Edwards darted to the right behind excellent blocking to get to the sideline and used his speed on a cutback that gave the Wolverines a 24-17 lead with a 2-point conversion.
“Seeing the gap open up like it did, I knew it was going to be his big gain, but his cut at the end was just crazy,” Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy said.
On the ensuing drive, Franklin went for it on fourth-and-6 from the Michigan 39 and asked Sean Clifford to attempt a difficult pass to Parker Washington downfield and toward the sideline that fell incomplete.
On the next play, Corum sprinted through a huge hole and broke away on a 61-yard run that gave the Wolverines a two-TD lead midway through the third.
Edwards scored twice and had 173 yards on 16 rushes. Corum finished with 166 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries.
“The offensive line knows that if they give Blake and Donovan space, any kind of crack, they're going to make the most of it,” Harbaugh said.
Michigan's Jake Moody made his fourth field goal early in the fourth for a 3417 lead.
McCarthy was 17 of 24 for 145 yards with an interception that was returned 47 yards by linebacker Curtis Jacobs to give Penn State a 14-13 lead with 4:27 left in the first half.
DJ Uiagalelei (St. John Bosco) threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns and the Tigers held off the visiting Seminoles.
Clemson (7-0, 5-0 ACC) scored on six straight drives and surpassed the 30-point mark for a seventh straight game to open the season.
Will Shipley had 20 carries for 121 yards and six catches for 48 yards to help the Tigers to their seventh straight victory over Florida State (4-3, 2-3). NO. 9 MISSISSIPPI 48, AUBURN 24 ❯❯ Quinshon Judkins, Zach Evans and Jaxson Dart all ran for more than 100 yards as the Rebels rolled up 448 on the ground in a home win over the Tigers.
Ole Miss (7-0, 3-0 SEC) raced to a 21-0 lead and never trailed, although Auburn (3-4, 1-3) pulled as close as 28-24 in the third.
Judkins had 139 yards on 25 carries and scored on a 41-yard run with 6:26 remaining.
Tank Bigsby led Auburn with 179 yards on 20 carries with touchdown runs of 2 and 50 yards.
NO. 18 SYRACUSE 24, NO. 15 NC STATE 9 ❯❯ Garrett