Wolverines run all over Nittany Lions
Penn State defensive tackle PJ Mustipher kneeled on the Michigan Stadium turf during a break in the second half Saturday with his head bowed, not from exhaustion but from frustration.
Michigan was running for large gains with ease, making the Nittany Lions’ nationally ranked rushing defense look utterly helpless.
“I just feel like another team completely dominated us,” Mustipher said. “It never feels good. It’s kind of embarrassing… It’s embarrassing.”
The fifth-ranked Wolverines rushed for 418 yards and four touchdowns and raced past No. 10 Penn State 41-17 before 110,812 fans in what was supposed to be a Big Ten showdown.
It was the third-most rushing yards allowed by the Lions (2-1, 5-1) since 1947 and only the fourth time an opponent has topped 400 yards on the ground. They had held their first five foes to 79.6 rushing yards per game.
It was Penn State’s 10th straight loss to a top-10 team since beating Wisconsin in the 2016 Big Ten title game.
“Obviously there were way too many times the guy was just running through holes into the second level,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “I’m obviously not happy with that number at all. Not one bit.
“They controlled the line of scrimmage and they controlled the game.”
Donovan Edwards carried 16 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns, and Blake Corum ran 28 times for 166 yards and two scores for Michigan (3-0, 7-0), which handed the Lions their worst loss since a 42-7 drubbing four years ago at the Big House.
The Wolverines, who were seven-point favorites, rolled up a 563-268 advantage in total yards and held the football for more than two-thirds of the afternoon.
“Yeah,” linebacker Jonathan Sutherland said when asked if he was shocked. “It’s upsetting. It’s not ideal. It’s not acceptable. It’s not up to our standard.”
Sutherland, Mustipher and linebacker Curtis Jacobs all said the Lions weren’t physical enough.
Penn State didn’t play much better on offense, picking up just one first down in the first half. The Lions trailed only 16-14 at the break because of two plays, Sean Clifford’s 62-yard run that set up Kaytron Allen’s 1-yard touchdown and Curtis Jacobs’ 47-yard interception return for a touchdown.
“Although we were in the thing at the end of the first half, we did not control the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball,” Franklin said. “Offensively, we weren’t able to run the ball or convert on short-yardage situations to stay on the field.”
Not including Clifford’s run, Penn State rushed for only 49 yards on 21 carries.
“To win football games in the Big Ten, especially on the road, you can’t play like that,” tight end Brenton Strange said. “I think that’s something that we’re gonna have to talk about on Sunday and it’s definitely something that needs to improve.
“I think we need to have those hard conversations with everybody.”
Michigan never punted and failed to score on only two of its 10 possessions, Jacobs’ interception and the end of the game.
After Jake Pinegar kicked a 27-yard field goal, the Lions held a 17-16 lead early in the third quarter.
“Our confidence was high,” Mustipher said. “We still weren’t playing good football. But we felt like we had a great opportunity, a great chance. We didn’t get off the field. We didn’t get the stops.
Edwards burst off the right side for a 67-yard TD to give Michigan the lead for good. And one play after the Wolverines stopped Penn State on fourth down, Corum sprinted through a monstrous gap for a 61-yard score.
Game, set and match.
With home games against Minnesota and Ohio State coming up next, the Lions will try to avoid a losing streak.
“I gotta sit on this tonight,” Mustipher said. “We got a very good team (Minnesota) next week. Once we get into the building on Sunday, we gotta get back to work.”
Up next
Penn State: Hosts Minnesota and No. 2 Ohio State over the next two weeks, giving it a chance to stay in the Big Ten race.
Michigan: After an open date, plays rival Michigan State at home aiming for its first win over coach Mel Tucker in three years with the Paul Bunyan Trophy at stake.
“We want Paul back,” McCarthy said.