Highlights: Michigan 18, Penn State 13

Michigan vs. Penn State Awards

Devin Gardner (image via CBS Detroit)

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Justice Hayes. Hayes adds a speed element that's no longer present in the offense without Derrick Green. Any outside rush attempt by De'Veon Smith is doomed from the beginning, and Hayes has the quickness to hit some of the holes that Smith can't. Michigan doesn't have a complete back on the roster, so Hayes is the relative "home run" threat. That is to say that he can occasionally run for 6 or 7 yards before first contact brings him down.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Russell Bellomy. Bellomy is just as bad as when we saw him throwing 4 interceptions in 2012. His two passing attempts included a near pick six to middle linebacker Mike Hull and nearly a second interception for defensive tackle Anthony Zettel. As a redshirt junior, I hope Michigan thanks Bellomy for his hard work and lets him move on with his life or transfer after this year. His career numbers are like this: 4-for-23, 46 yards, 0 touchdowns, 4 interceptions. I cannot remember a second-string quarterback at Michigan that was so ineffective, and the team can surely trot out a walk-on who can do just as poorly.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Willie Henry. Henry obviously hurt his hand while sacking Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova last week, and he was reportedly in uniform but sidelined and wearing a cast against Penn State. The Wolverines struggled on the interior to start the game, and Henry is a difference-maker. Unfortunately, his strength of using his hands will probably be impaired by the injury. Michigan needs him if they want to beat the quality teams on their schedule, beginning with Michigan State in two weeks.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . nobody. Michigan's defense was mostly excellent on Saturday night.

Play of the game . . . Devin Funchess's 43-yard touchdown catch. Quarterback Devin Gardner chucked a deep ball that had every intention of getting intercepted by Penn State safety Ryan Keiser. Like a middle schooler with ADHD, Keiser attempted to field the ball like a punt with his hands at waist level. And like a good athlete with a shred of good coaching, Funchess swooped in front of him with his arms extended to snag the ball. He pulled it right out of Keiser's limp hands, bobbled it for a second, and then reeled it in as he crossed the goal line.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Gardner. I really want to give this to Matt Wile for hitting all three field goal attempts (from 45, 42, and 37 yards), including the go-ahead score to make it 16-13. However, we all saw how poorly the offense moved without Gardner on the field, and I'm confident in saying that Michigan would have lost that game if Gardner did not return. Bellomy was extremely close to turning it over on a couple occasions in just two drives. Luckily, cornerback Jourdan Lewis picked off a pass in Penn State territory, close enough for Wile to drive in a field goal despite Bellomy being behind center. Without Gardner, Michigan loses the game. Without Wile, perhaps a backup kicker or some lucky plays by the offense would have earned the Wolverines enough points to prevail.

Michigan 18, Penn State 13

Devin Funchess scored Michigan's lone touchdown (image via CBS Detroit)

So this is what a victory feels like. It seems like it has been a long time since Michigan won a game, and I guess that's pretty accurate. Michigan went almost a full month, from September 13th to October 11th, between victories. For the previous couple weeks, I had some optimism. This week I was steeling myself for another disappointment. But this makes my weekend a little bit happier, and now we have two weeks to revel in the glory of beating a mediocre Penn State team before facing Michigan State.

Devin Gardner needs bubble wrap. I just received a couple orders from Amazon, so I would be glad to donate some bubble wrap to protect Michigan's only competent quarterback. He did not have a great game (16/24 for 192 yards, 1 touchdowns, 1 interception), but the other quarterbacks on the roster look downright terrible this year. I think Michigan needs to seriously look at any grad-year transfers this off-season and see what they can find. Brady Hoke said after the game that second-stringer Shane Morris - who was concussed two weeks ago - could have played, but it was Russell Bellomy who entered the game when Gardner injured an ankle. Bellomy - whose career numbers were 4/21, 0 touchdowns, 4 interceptions prior to the game - promptly handed off several times and then nearly threw two interceptions, including a certain pick-six to middle linebacker Mike Hull if only Hull could have held onto the ball.

The whole team needs bubble wrap. The list of injuries keeps growing, and it seems every game involves a series of scares. Let's run through the injuries that have occurred over the past week or so:

• Starting quarterback Devin Gardner (probable sprained ankle)
• Starting running back Derrick Green (broken collarbone)
• Starting wide receiver Devin Funchess (aggravated sprained ankle)
• Starting wide receiver Jehu Chesson (undisclosed lower leg injury)
• Starting kickoff/punt returner Dennis Norfleet (undisclosed injury, but returned to game)
• Starting defensive tackle Willie Henry (probable broken hand)
• Backup tight end Khalid Hill (torn ACL)

Gardner, Funchess, and Norfleet all returned to the game, but the former two seemed hobbled. That list doesn't include virtual starting linebacker Desmond Morgan, starting left guard Erik Magnuson, and virtual starting nickel corner Jabrill Peppers, all of whom have been injured for several weeks and whose returns from injury are in question. I also did not see backup nose tackle Ondre Pipkins on the field last night. Football is a tough sport, and injuries happen to every team. But Michigan was down six starters for the entire evening (Green, Chesson, Henry, Morgan, Magnuson, Peppers) and three more for stretches of time (Gardner, Funchess, Norfleet). Michigan has enough troubles when healthy, but it's tougher to stay competitive when so many people are missing.

Penn State's offensive line is approximately as bad as Michigan's. The Wolverines held the Nittany Lions to 54 rushing yards on 35 carries (1.5 yards/carry), including 6 sacks of quarterback Christian Hackenberg. This is either the best Michigan's defensive front has looked in a long time, or PSU is just bad up front. Unfortunately, it's probably the latter. Regardless, the Wolverines made 11 tackles for loss and those 6 sacks in the game, both of which are reminiscent of opponents' statistics against the Maize and Blue. I have to give credit to the likes of Brennen Beyer (4 tackles, 2 sacks), who doesn't do anything flashy but has held his ground enough to lead the team in sacks so far this season. Penn State was running the ball decently at the beginning of the game when Michigan was missing Ryan Glasgow (who appeared to miss the first quarter, perhaps because of some undisclosed disciplinary issue) and Henry, their two starting defensive tackles. After that the line really seemed to shut them down.

Christian Hackenberg did not impress me. Maybe I'm looking for reasons not to be impressed by Hackenberg, but he has never looked good to me. He does a decent job of checking down to open receivers, and he has a strong arm. I will admit that his touchdown pass to DaeShawn Hamilton was very well done, and there was not much Blake Countess could have done on that play. Otherwise, I would say his best quality is fending off would-be tacklers to create extra time, kind of like a slower Ben Roethlisberger. I would take him at Michigan right now, but I just don't see the reason for the hype. I didn't see it last year, either, because I thought he was a guy getting bailed out by his receivers. Time will tell, I guess.

Michigan's rushing struggles continue. Penn State has one of the best run defenses in the country, so maybe this was bound to happen. But Michigan just couldn't run the ball with any consistency last night. Other than a 25-yard zone read keeper by Gardner, Michigan had 20 carries for 47 yards from their backs (and slot receiver Dennis Norfleet). With Green out, the new starter is De'Veon Smith (12 carries for 24 yards), who is too slow to do anything outside the tackles. The next guy is Justice Hayes (7 for 20), who has speed but doesn't break tackles. Drake Johnson did not touch the ball. Furthermore, they barely attempted any runs to the right, presumably to avoid running behind right tackle Ben Braden.

Hooray for Matt Wile. A week after getting a potential game-tying field goal blocked, Wile looked pretty darn solid as the placekicker. He went 3/3 on field goals from 45, 42, and 37 yards. The first two were right down the middle, and the go-ahead, 37-yarder was squeezed tightly inside the right upright.

The uniforms weren't bad. I'm a traditionalist, and I really like Michigan's regular uniforms. But I have to say that I thought the one-off uniforms looked pretty good. The navy blue jersey-and-pants combination looked slick, and I liked the maize shoes. I wouldn't mind seeing something like them again, but I have not been impressed with most of Michigan's alternate uniforms. My one problem with these was that some of the 6's looked like 8's, so I thought Jourdan Lewis was #28, Jack Miller was #80, Ryan Glasgow was #98, etc.

Thank goodness for a bye week. These guys need a week off, and hopefully Brady Hoke will give them a chance to rest and recuperate. Several of the guys listed above should be better by the October 25th game against Michigan State. Add to that the fact that it's a tough opponent, and the Wolverines really need this preparation time. I do think Hoke can work his way out of the hot seat with a strong finish to the season, but that probably has to include a victory against the rival Spartans.

Go Blue! Yeah.

Preview: Michigan vs. Penn State

Rush Offense vs. Penn State Rush Defense
The Wolverines are now #57 nationally with 181 yards/game on the ground, and they're #32 in rushing average (5.1 yards/carry). They were unable to find a consistent running game against Rutgers last week, but they did improve as the game went along, particularly behind left guard Graham Glasgow and left tackle Mason Cole. The top rusher is Derrick Green (471 yards, 5.7 yards/carry, 3 touchdowns), who will miss the rest of the year with a broken collarbone. Default starter De'Veon Smith (282 yards, 6 yards/carry, 4 touchdowns) is a somewhat ponderous but hard-running back, and we will probably see more Justice Hayes (5.3 yards/carry, 0 touchdowns) and Drake Johnson (3 carries, 28 yards). Quarterback Devin Gardner had a couple rushing touchdowns last game and is a potential game-changer when scrambling out of the pocket. Meanwhile, Penn State has a stingy run defense and gives up just 60 yards/game, good enough for #2 in the country behind Louisville. Teams average 1.99 yards/carry against them, which is best in the nation. Their leading tackler is middle linebacker Mike Hull with 53 stops, while the next best on the team is strong safety Ryan Keiser with 23. That's a huge dropoff from #1 to #2, so Hull is the main cog in the defense. Ends C.J. Olaniyan (6'3", 252 lbs.) and Deion Barnes (6'4", 255 lbs.) are not big but have a fair amount of talent, and redshirt junior Anthony Zettel (6'4", 274 lbs.) starts at three-tech. The only defensive lineman with impressive size is redshirt sophomore nose tackle Austin Johnson (6'4", 313 lbs.). The loss of Green removes an element of explosiveness from the running game, and an already stingy PSU front will probably feast on an improving but underperforming Michigan line.
Advantage: Penn State

Pass Offense vs. Penn State Pass Defense
Gardner has - finally and mercifully - been named the permanent starter at quarterback. His numbers are not great (63% completions, 5 touchdowns, 7 interceptions), but he's the best Michigan has. Top target Devin Funchess (29 catches, 392 yards, 3 touchdowns) looks to be recovering from a high ankle sprain, but he has not scored a touchdown since the season opener against Appalachian State. The other wide receivers are not noteworthy, so it seems like tight ends Jake Butt (7 catches, 96 yards, 1 touchdown) and Khalid Hill (4 catches, 37 yards) will factor in more and more. Slot receiver Dennis Norfleet can't catch the ball downfield, but he's somewhat effective on short passes. Michigan is tied for #92 in sacks allowed, which is not as bad as it could have been following a game against Rutgers. Penn State is #58 in the country in giving up just under 229 yards/game. No opponent has completed even 57% of their passes against the Nittany Lions, and they picked off 5 Gary Nova passes in their contest against Rutgers. Junior cornerback Trevor Williams (6'1", 188 lbs.) and senior safety Adrian Amos (6'0", 209 lbs.) are tied for the team lead with 2 interceptions each, but the team has just 5 return yards on 6 interceptions. The front has accrued 13 sacks, which is tied for #37 in the country, and they're led by Zettel (3.0), Barnes (2.0), and Olaniyan (2.0).
Advantage: Penn State

Rush Defense vs. Penn State Rush Offense
The Wolverines are decent against the rush, ranking #12 at a fraction over 100 yards/game. They're tied for #15 in the country in allowing just 2.93 yards/carry. Linebackers Joe Bolden (48) and Jake Ryan (46) lead the team in tackles by a wide margin. Meanwhile, defensive end Frank Clark (6.5) and Ryan (6.0) lead the squad in tackles for loss. The unit has improved this year, especially on the interior, where defensive tackles Ryan Glasgow and Willie Henry are significantly better than last season. Meanwhile, Penn State is #115 in rushing the ball and averaging 101 yards/game on 3.1 yards/carry. Starting running back Bill Belton (5'11", 204 lbs.) averages 3.9 yards/carry, and bruiser Zach Zwinak (6'1", 233 lbs.) averages 2.8. The only back to reach even 80 yards in a single game was third-stringer Akeel Lynch (6'0", 215 lbs.), and that came against UMass. The offensive line is fairly young with two redshirt juniors (LT Donovan Smith, C Angelo Mangiro), one redshirt sophomore (RG Brian Gaia), and two redshirt freshmen (LG Brendan Mahon, RT Andrew Nelson). This should be Michigan's most advantageous matchup.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Defense vs. Penn State Pass Offense
Michigan's secondary is reeling a little bit after last week's disaster, when they allowed 404 yards to Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova. That performance dropped them to #40 against the pass (215 yards/game) and #82 in passer rating defense. The Wolverines have been banged up in the secondary, including safety Delano Hill, safety Jeremy Clark, and cornerback Jabrill Peppers. Furthermore, Michigan's secondary has created just one turnover, an interception from Jourdan Lewis. Michigan ranks #51 and has 12 sacks on the season, but nobody has stood out as a pass rusher; backup end Taco Charlton leads the team with 2.5 quarterback takedowns. On the flip side, Penn State is tied for #102 in giving up sacks (14 so far). Even so, they are #25 in throwing the ball (307 yards/game), albeit with the #82 passer efficiency rating. Sophomore starting quarterback Christian Hackenberg (6'3", 234 lbs.) is completing just 58% of his passes for 4 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, and he's coming off of a poor performance against Northwestern (48%, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception, 4.8 yards/attempt). The surprise star on offense has been redshirt freshman wideout DaeSean Hamilton (6'1", 203 lbs.), who has three 100+ yard games this season and leads the team with 36 catches. On the opposite side, redshirt sophomore Geno Lewis (6'1", 199 lbs.) averages 17 yards/catch. Tight end Jesse James (6'7", 254 lbs.) could be a matchup problem with his size, but outside of their win against Akron, he has averaged just 9.3 yards/catch with 0 touchdowns. Belton is also someone to watch out of the backfield (14 catches, 129 yards, 1 touchdown). It doesn't make sense to me, but based on what Rutgers did to Michigan, I have to give this category to . . .
Advantage: Penn State

Roster Notes

• Players recruited by Michigan include S Marcus Allen, DE Deion Barnes, RB Bill Belton, WR Saeed Blacknall, TE Adam Breneman, LB Ben Kline, OT Brendan Mahon, DE C.J. Olaniyan, and DT Anthony Zettel
• Defensive end Brad Bars is the older brother of Michigan redshirt sophomore OG Blake Bars
• Players from the state of Michigan include FB Charles Idemudia, DE C.J. Olaniyan, and DT Anthony Zettel

Last Time They Played . . .

• Devin Gardner ran 24 times 121 yards
• Fitzgerald Toussaint ran 27 times for 27 yards
• Devin Funchess caught 37- and 59-yard touchdown passes
• Brendan Gibbons was 4/7 on field goals, including having one blocked
• Christian Hackenberg completed 23/44 passes for 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, but he was clutch when throwing to Allen Robinson (5 catches, 84 yards, all seemingly over Channing Stribling) late in the game
• Bill Belton scored an easy 2-yard touchdown to win the game in four overtimes by a score of 43-40

Predictions

• Michigan once again comes out looking somewhat competent on offense
• Michigan unveils the power read option for the first time this season
• The Wolverines intercept Hackenberg twice
• Penn State 24, Michigan 21

USA Today College Football Countdown: #56 Penn State

Paul Myerberg previews the Penn State Nittany Lions for 2014.

School in the News: Penn State

Well, Penn State coach Bill O'Brien is off to the Houston Texans, putting the status of the Nittany Lions' program and recruiting class in question yet again. The two most logical choices to replace O'Brien are former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano, who is a former PSU assistant coach and just got fired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and current Miami Hurricanes head coach Al Golden, a former Nittany Lion player and assistant coach.

Roster players recruited by Michigan: DE Deion Barnes, RB Bill Belton, TE Adam Breneman, LB Ben Kline, OG Brendan Mahon, DE C.J. Olaniyan, DE Anthony Zettel, RB Zach Zwinak
2014 commits offered by Michigan: S Marcus Allen, CB Troy Vincent, Jr.

I would not expect any players to transfer to Michigan, and Michigan didn't pursue Allen or Vincent very hard in the first place, so I doubt O'Brien's departure will have any effect on Michigan in the immediate future. Olaniyan and Zettel are both from the state of Michigan, but both would likely be starting next season in Happy Valley. Obviously, the bigger question would be Penn State's recruiting going forward.

I saw O'Brien speak at a clinic in Pennsylvania a couple years ago, and while he gave a rousing speech geared toward PA coaches and taking pride in the Nittany Lions, the entire time I was thinking to myself, "This is great and all, but you're going to be out the door as soon as a bigger job opens up for you." Obviously, nobody should blame the guy for taking an NFL if that's what he wants to do, but it just shows that players should commit to programs instead of coaches. Freshman quarterback Christian Hackenberg, who had a solid season as the starter and was rated by many as the #1 quarterback in the 2013 class, is reportedly considering a transfer.

Michigan vs. Penn State Awards

Devin Funchess had 4 catches for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Dennis Norfleet. If Norfleet's going to be a slot receiver, he needs to be on the field. And not just in special packages where it's a near certainty that he'll get the ball. I somewhat understand not putting him out there a ton if he's your full-time returner, but now that Drew Dileo has taken over the punt return duties, Norfleet's duties have essentially been cut in half. Michigan needs to spend more time in the spread and less time with two or three tight ends and a fullback. And if that happens, Michigan will have to spell some guys with the likes of Norfleet.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . a fullback. Whether it's Joe Kerridge or Sione Houma, I don't really care about whether this team employs a fullback anymore. The offensive line is too porous to make a fullback relevant, and Kerridge isn't a threat to run or catch the ball. His role is to lead block on run plays that result in zero yards. There's just no point. Spread teams out horizontally and hope that Toussaint can find some alleys.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Delonte Hollowell. The junior cornerback has lost playing time this year to freshmen Channing Stribling and Jourdan Lewis, but Hollowell is the feistiest of the bunch. I've never been impressed with his athleticism or ball skills, but he is physical and seems to be in position most of the time. At the end of regulation, I would have preferred to have seen Hollowell in there instead of Stribling.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Channing Stribling. Stribling's a freshmen, and I'm fairly on him. But the bottom line is that the game moves very quickly for true freshmen, especially in clutch situations. In my opinion, he's not the guy you want in there during crunch time. He mistimed a couple jumps and flat-out whiffed on a couple passes completed to Brandon Felder and Allen Robinson, allowing the Nittany Lions to march down the field and tie the game. Stribling has to take some responsibility for that, but so do the coaches who chose to put him out there.

Play of the game . . . Frank Clark's fumble return for a touchdown. It wasn't just the return, either. Defensive end Keith Heitzman got some great penetration to slow up Penn State running back Zach Zwinak, who cut back only to be tackled by linebacker James Ross III. Ross reached across with his right hand to punch out the ball, Clark scooped it up, dodged PSU quarterback Christian Hackenberg, and raced 24 yards for the score. Prior to that play, Michigan was down 21-10 and looking for a spark, and Clark helped to provide it.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Funchess. I was very close to picking Devin Gardner for this award, but Gardner's two interceptions gave Penn State short fields that resulted in 14 points. Instead, I'm picking the tight end who had 4 catches for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns, from 59 and 37 yards, respectively. Gardner has had a hard time hitting anyone over the top except Funchess, who has proven to be more of a deep threat than wide receivers Jeremy Gallon or Jehu Chesson.

Penn State 43, Michigan 40 in four overtimes

(image via Penn Live)

Michigan deserved to lose. You win when you deserve to win, and Michigan didn't deserve to win. From the offensive play calling to the offensive line's incompetence to the quarterback's decision making to the defense's inability to get pressure and cover short passes to the special teams' inconsistency, Michigan didn't deserve a victory. Penn State didn't play their best football, either, but they looked less incompetent.

The coaches have lost confidence in Devin Gardner as a passer. There was a time when Brady Hoke and Al Borges would have let quarterback Devin Gardner air it out in a game like this, but instead, they chose to curl up into the fetal position - almost literally - and try to luck their way into a victory. Despite averaging just 2.8 yards/carry on fifty-four  rushing attempts, Michigan turned overtime into mostly an unproductive rushing effort. Michigan ran for 1, 1, 0, 3, -3, 8, 0, 0, and 7 yards in overtime, with that last 7-yarder coming on a Gardner scramble. The biggest offense came in the first overtime, when the play call/execution resulted in Gardner running from the 23-yard line on the left hash to the 23-yard line on the right hash on 3rd-and-8, presumably in an effort to "center" the ball for kicker Brendan Gibbons. Gibbons's subsequent 40-yard field goal was blocked by defensive tackle Kyle Baublitz.

The offensive line is/was a mess. All-American left tackle Taylor Lewan left the game in the second quarter with what looked like an injury to his left side, perhaps a hip or a rib. He was replaced by right tackle Michael Schofield. Left guard Chris Bryant was presumably replaced for poor performance after some poor blocking; in came walk-on guard Joey Burzynski. Redshirt sophomore Graham Glasgow was playing left guard two weeks ago and has had several mental mistakes in his two games at center. Right guard Kyle Kalis took a senseless 15-yard penalty and was replaced for a short time by Burzynski before returning. The right tackle for the second half was redshirt freshman Erik Magnuson. Another walk-on, Erik Gunderson, also saw significant playing time in certain packages. Overall, by the end of the game, the only guy in the same spot as two weeks ago was Kalis. Meanwhile, running backs Fitzgerald Toussaint and Derrick Green were swarmed in the backfield the entire game, totaling 30 carries for 28 yards.

Offensively, the lone bright spot was Devin Funchess. Tight end Devin Funchess had his second consecutive 100-yard game with 4 catches for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had a couple key drops, but a tight end with 263 yards and 3 touchdowns in two games is pretty impressive.

Damn freshmen. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, but a huge chunk of this loss falls on the shoulders of freshman cornerback Channing Stribling and whichever defensive coach was responsible for putting him in there. At the end of regulation, Stribling entered the game and was beaten on two long passes by the average Brandon Felder and Penn State standout receiver Allen Robinson. On both occasions, Stribling had chances to knock down or intercept the passes, but he mistimed his jumps and/or misjudged the ball, failing to get even a finger on either pass. The game was just moving too fast for him, which is why I hate having to play so many young players. In a year or two, those will be picks or knockdowns for Stribling. The same thing goes for Jake Butt's failure to catch a back shoulder fade from Gardner in overtime; Butt showed his hands too early and failed to plant and go up for the ball. Instead, he settled for trying to catch it with his momentum going away from the ball and into the sideline. Both of things contributed to linebacker Mike Hull being able to bat the pass away at the last second despite not turning around for the ball.

Michigan can't run the ball, and that's not going to change. At this point in the season, I feel pretty confident in saying that nobody but Gardner will be able to run the ball effectively. Gardner even carried the ball 24 times, and he's not going to hold up with that type of responsibility on his shoulders. I hate to say this, but Michigan needs to ditch the runs from under center and become a team that throws the ball 40-45 times a game. They need to get creative with their screen game, including bubbles and slip screens; they also need to find a way to get Dennis Norfleet on the field in regular packages and incorporate him into the offense, both as a scatback third-down replacement for Toussaint and as a slot receiver.

Despite the 43 points, I thought the defense played pretty well overall. Nine of those 43 points came in overtime. Additionally, two of Penn State's touchdowns came after Gardner interceptions, which gave the Nittany Lions the ball on the 14- and 20-yard lines, respectively. They ran the ball 44 times for 85 yards (1.9 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns, from the 1- and 2-yard lines, respectively. Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg completed 23/44 passes for 305 yards and 3 touchdowns, but he was also sacked 4 times and intercepted twice, while a large chunk of that yardage (79) came on the final drive in regulation when they beat Stribling.

Frank Clark is coming on. Clark had 3 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 pass breakup, and 2 fumble recoveries, one of which he picked up and ran 24 yards for a touchdown. He's had a little bit of a fire lit under him after the first couple games of the season, and hopefully that fire stays lit. After barely showing up on the stat sheet early, he's now sitting at 15 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, 5 quarterback hurries, 2 fumble recoveries, and the aforementioned touchdown return.

What does this all mean? Well, I don't think Michigan has a shot at winning the Big Ten this year. They've been playing with fire all year in close games with Akron and UConn, not to mention Notre Dame or the closer-than-it-should-have-been game against Minnesota last week. It finally bit them in the butt. The closest thing remaining to a team Michigan should  beat easily is Iowa, but they always seem to play Michigan tough, especially in Iowa City. Michigan also has Indiana's number over the years, but the Hoosiers can put some points up on the board (41.7 points/game). Michigan State is going to feast on Michigan's running game, Nebraska's tough, Northwestern is good when healthy, and Ohio State is probably going to crush us. This is probably going to be ugly down the stretch.

Preview: Michigan at Penn State

Rush Offense vs. PSU Rush Defense
Michigan altered its rushing offense last week, moving from mostly a zone team to a gap blocking scheme with the insertion of mammoth left guard Chris Bryant. Starting running back Fitzgerald Toussaint had his second best rushing effort (17 carries, 78 yards, 2 touchdowns) of the year as the Wolverines showed a new look by running "tackle over," putting two tackles and a guard to one side of the ball. The Nittany Lions have a couple of small-ish defensive ends, much like the Minnesota Gophers; redshirt junior C.J. Olaniyan (6'3", 244 lbs.) and sophomore Deion Barnes (6'4", 244 lbs.) have combined for 31 tackles and 5 tackles for loss, mostly from Michigan native Olaniyan. Redshirt junior Kyle Baublitz (6'5", 292 lbs.) and senior DaQuan Jones (6'3", 318 lbs.) man the interior defensive line, with Jones totaling 30 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. Senior strongside linebacker Glenn Carson (6'3", 235 lbs.) leads the team with 39 tackles. Overall, Penn State's opponents have averaged 3.2 yards/carry and scored 6 touchdowns on the ground. Jones in particular will be a load to handle for Michigan's young interior offensive linemen, and Penn State always has some of the most technically sound linebackers in the country. I think Michigan will have to resort to some more designed runs for quarterback Devin Gardner (56 carries, 318 yards, 6 touchdowns) if they want to have regular success on the ground.

Pass Offense vs. PSU Pass Defense
Gardner (71/118 passing, 1036 yards, 8 touchdowns, 8 interceptions) took a step forward with his passing last week, but his numbers still aren't stellar, especially in the turnover department. The star of last week's game was tight end Devin Funchess (7 receptions, 151 yards, 1 touchdown against the Gophers), but the leading receiver is still wide receiver Jeremy Gallon (24 catches, 367 yards, 4 touchdowns). Wideouts Jehu Chesson (6 catches, 89 yards, 1 touchdown) and Drew Dileo (7 catches, 86 yards, 1 touchdown) round out the crew of frequent targets. The Nittany Lions have allowed just 5 touchdowns and made 5 interceptions on the season. Sophomore cornerback Trevor Williams (6'1", 187 lbs.) spent last year as a wide receiver and now has 6 pass breakups and 1 interception as a starting corner; on the opposite side is sophomore Jordan Lucas (6'0", 193 lbs.) with 7 pass breakups. The safeties have been solid with senior Malcolm Willis (5'11", 215 lbs.) and junior Adrian Amos (6'0", 215 lbs.) combining for 37 tackles and 2 interceptions. Jones and Baublitz each have 2 sacks, and the Lions have 11 quarterback takedowns altogether. Michigan's offensive tackles should hold up fairly well against Penn State's edge rushers, but the interior will be susceptible to a push up the middle, and PSU isn't shy about sending blitzers from the secondary (3 sacks from defensive backs). I'm not particularly concerned about Michigan matching up with the secondary, but if PSU can put rushers in Gardner's face, his turnover issues might reappear.

Rush Defense vs. PSU Rush Offense
Redshirt junior converted fullback Zach Zwinak (6'1", 240 lbs.) leads the team in rushing with 369 yards, 4.4 yards/carry, and 8 touchdowns. Junior Bill Belton (5'10", 205 lbs.) has 284 yards on 6.6 yards/carry and redshirt freshman Akeel Lynch (6'0", 211 lbs.) has 270 yards and 7.7 yards a pop; altogether, those three have 923 yards, 5.7 yards/carry, and 11 touchdowns, which are some pretty formidable statistics. From left to right, PSU's offensive line goes redshirt sophomore Donovan Smith (6'5", 322 lbs.), redshirt junior Miles Dieffenbach (6'3", 295 lbs.), fifth year senior Ty Howle (6'0", 293 lbs.), redshirt senior John Urschel (6'3", 301 lbs.), and redshirt junior Garry Gilliam (6'6', 303 lbs.). Urschel was a First Team All-Big Ten selection last year, while Gilliam started eight games at tight end. Michigan has allowed just 3.1 yards/carry so far and 0 touchdowns to opponents. Sophomore backup nose tackle Ondre Pipkins tore his ACL last week and will miss the remainder of the season, but Michigan stops teams more by gang tackling and solid linebacker play than dominating the line of scrimmage. The top two tacklers for Michigan are the two inside linebackers, junior Desmond Morgan (34) and sophomore James Ross III (32); the other linebacker position has been manned by junior Brennen Beyer and fifth year senior Cam Gordon while Jake Ryan recovers from ACL surgery, and those two have combined for 27 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. Fifth year senior nose tackle Quinton Washington should see more playing time this week against Penn State's pro-style offense, and while I don't think Michigan will hold them to 3.1 yards/carry, I think Michigan matches up pretty well up front.

Pass Defense vs. PSU Pass Offense
Penn State starts a true freshman quarterback in Christian Hackenberg (6'3", 220 lbs.) who completes 59.9% of his passes for 1,367 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. Outside of junior wide receiver Allen Robinson (6'3", 210 lbs.), PSU doesn't have many downfield threats. Robinson has 38 catches for 621 yards and 5 touchdowns, which represents 44% of the total receiving yardage on the team. Senior Brandon Moseby-Felder averages just 8.4 yards/catch and redshirt sophomore tight end Kyle Carter (6'3", 243 lbs.) has caught just 11 balls for 147 yards. Michigan has allowed 7 touchdowns through the air and has made 7 interceptions, 4 of which have come from cornerback Blake Countess (1 for a 72-yard touchdown). Michigan has 5 sacks from its outside linebackers and 3.5 from weakside ends, but the interior rush has been somewhat lacking on standard downs. In obvious passing situations, Michigan will put undersized defensive tackle Jibreel Black at nose tackle, and his quickness allows him to put some pressure on opposing quarterbacks to the tune of .5 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries, and 1 forced fumble. Those numbers don't tell the whole story of the pressure Black can create, but it will be interesting to see how much defensive coordinator Greg Mattison can mess with freshman Hackenberg's head.

Roster Notes

• Players who had scholarship offers from Michigan include DE Deion Barnes, RB Bill Belton, TE Adam Breneman, LB Ben Kline, OG Brendan Mahon, DE C.J. Olaniyan, and DE Anthony Zettel.
• Redshirt junior linebacker Brad Bars is the older brother of Michigan redshirt freshman offensive guard Blake Bars.
• Native Michiganders include redshirt freshman LB Charles Idemudia (Grosse Pointe North), Olaniyan (Warren Mott), junior WR Allen Robinson (Orchard Lake St. Mary's), and Zettel (Ogemaw Heights).
• Linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden coached at Michigan from 1979-1980.

Predictions

• Devin Gardner gets sacked twice on pressures up the middle.
• Greg Mattison pulls out some blitz packages to confuse Christian Hackenberg into 3 sacks and 2 interceptions.
• Michigan still struggles to run the ball and requires some big plays in the passing game.
• Dennis Norfleet scores a touchdown.
• Michigan 28, Penn State 24

Last Time They Played . . . 

• It was Rich Rodriguez vs. Joe Paterno back in 2010.
• Denard Robinson had 27 carries for 191 yards and 3 touchdowns.
• Penn State running back Evan Royster broke out of his slump for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns.
• Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin threw for 250 yards and 1 touchdown.
• Penn State 41, Michigan 31

Visitors

• La Grange (OH) Keystone TE C.J. Conrad
• Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's Prep CB Minkah Fitzpatrick
• Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier LB Justin Hilliard
• Pittsburgh (PA) Baldwin OT Sterling Jenkins

Video: 10 memorable plays against Penn State

USA Today college football countdown: #37 Penn State

Paul Myerberg looks at the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Hit the jump for some PSU cheerleaders.

Video: Michigan 27, Penn State 0 (1998)

Pre-Snap Read: #51 Penn State

Michigan doesn't play Penn State this season, but here's Pre-Snap Read's take on the Nittany Lions, anyway.

Video: Michigan 33, Penn State 11 (2000)

Nike Coach of the Year Clinic: Day 2

Tom Williams, Yale's head football coach

Friday morning we woke up and ate donuts at the clinic.  If you didn't know before, it's tough to be healthy when you're a football coach.  It was beer and pizza on Thursday, donuts on Friday.

The first session I attended was that of Sean Connors, the quarterbacks coach at Diablo Valley College in California.  Connors talked about the pistol offense and, more specifically, the option route.  DVC is a junior college with an explosive offense, and the offense is predicated on the option route.  If I remember correctly, he said that they run some form of the option route on 52% of their plays.

If you're wondering, the option route is a play where the slot receiver on either side makes a read at the beginning of his route, deciding whether to run an in route or an out route.  The slot receiver tries to get open at six yards (no matter which side he chooses).  The outside receiver on the slot's side must get an outside release and create a deep threat downfield, which hopefully takes the cornerback and/or safety out of the equation.  The deep route is obviously a lower percentage pass, but it often comes open because safeties jump the 6-yard route.  On the opposite side, the slot receiver and wideout run a "high-low stretch" in which one stays short and the other goes long.  It's not a difficult concept, but it seems like it could be effective with the right personnel.  As a junior college, DVC doesn't get many players who stick around very long, so Connors said that his players can learn it pretty quickly.  I'd say it's working, because I think they averaged 41.3 points per game last year.

The second presentation I attended was Tom Williams, the head coach of Yale.  Williams is not exactly what you might expect from an Ivy League head coach.  He's loud and boisterous and a little rough around the edges, but he was very entertaining.  I could see why players would want to play for him.  He grew up in Forth Worth, TX, and played for both Jack Elway and Bill Walsh at Stanford.  He ended up playing a little special teams in the NFL, but ended up coaching shortly thereafter.

Before Williams really started talking about himself, he gave us a history lesson on Yale football.  He said that Yale was the first college football team to reach 800 wins.  And then the conversation detoured into territory that's close to my heart.  He put up a chart of the teams with the most wins in college football.  It went like this:

1. Michigan - 883
2. Yale - 865

He said, "I kinda hoped Rich Rod would stick around a little bit longer.  He's a good guy, though.  But Brady Hoke is coming back and gonna bring some tough, hard-nosed, I-formation football."

I don't know if Williams has some sort of connection to Michigan, but the talk about the Wolverines didn't stop there.  As the head coach and assistant special teams coach, he talked about how he teaches players to avoid blocks on kickoffs.  And regarding avoiding blocks, he said, "Bo Schembechler used to say 'The issue is the ball.'  Too many guys spend too much time figuring out how to get past blockers.  'The issue is the ball.'"  He repeated that theme several more times.  Williams had several interesting drills and techniques to share, but I don't imagine too many of you are interested in reading about his kickoff drills.

He did, however, reveal the results of an interesting study.  When he was an assistant coach with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, he went back and studied film of all their games.  What he wanted to find out was, How important is tackling form?  He found a couple of interesting statistics:

• 76% of encounters that involve a tackler making body-to-body contact (in other words, not "arm tackling" but actually having a collision between both torsos) result in tackles
• 70% of encounters that fail to make body-to-body contact (in other words, "arm tackles") result in missed tackles

Williams had a lot of energy and had film of himself sprinting downfield with his charges on kickoff practice.  I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation.

Later, I attended the session by Mike McQueary, the wide receivers coach (and former quarterback) for Penn State.  He was five or ten minutes late because he went to the wrong Holiday Inn first.  Oops.  He shared some insights and film on running screens and draws, but nothing that groundbreaking.  I attended the Penn State coaches clinic in 2009 and saw some of the same information about wide receivers that he shared during the second half of his session, so I went to eat lunch instead.

The same afternoon I went to the session of Todd Bradford, who is the new defensive coordinator at Maryland under Randy Edsall.  Bradford came from Southern Mississippi this offseason, but he has quite a resume for a little known coordinator.  He spent time at Eastern Michigan (where his defense broke a bunch of team records) and Wisconsin (where he coached first rounder Jamar Fletcher), among others.  He runs something like a 4-3 Under defense, but it's extremely complicated.  Whereas Sean Connors, the QB coach at Diablo Valley College, used the K.I.S.S. principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid), Bradford's defense seemed to be extremely complicated.  I think it was partially due to his use of jargon, but several coaches that I talked to were confused by some of his terminology and schemes.  For example, he would use the phrase "Sam" and "Star" almost interchangeably, and it was unclear if it was something like Greg Robinson's Sam/Spur position. Eventually, I think I determined that the Star referred to the slot corner that would come into the game in passing situations, but I'm not positive.

Anyway, Bradford had a very interesting approach to defense.  He would have his boundary safety (the one to the short side of the field) making adjustment calls literally right up to the snap.  But the boundary safety doesn't communicate to the corners or linebackers - he talks to the defensive linemen.  Let's say the 3-tech defensive tackle has B-gap responsibility and the 5-tech defensive end has C-gap control.  If those defensive linemen take their first step and realize that the offensive linemen are trying to reach them (i.e. step outside the defenders to seal the edge), a certain call will tell the 3-tech and the 5-tech to take the gap to the inside so the boundary safety will then have outside contain.

In other words, pre-snap the safety could have A-gap, the DT could have B-gap, and the DE could have C-gap.  But if the safety sees something he doesn't like, he could make a signal for the DT to take A-gap, the DE to take B-gap, and then for himself to take that outside gap.  But it all hinges on those defensive linemen immediately reading the block in front of them.  

Like I said, it sounds extremely complicated.  Maybe that's one reason why Southern Mississippi finished with the #13 rushing defense in the country in 2010.

Yes, I know all kinds of people, and I'm not afraid to say it.

The final speaker of the evening was Kirk Ferentz, Iowa's head coach.  He was both the coach I was most looking forward to seeing . . . and the most disappointing speaker.  Maybe he's genuinely just a very friendly and engaging guy, but if he's not a "name dropper" then I don't know who is.  Don't get me wrong - it's a great quality that he can remember the name of a mother of one of his players back in 1988.  Names are difficult to remember, and it shows that he probably listens to people when they talk.  

But when you're sitting in front of a few hundred coaches in Podunk, Pennsylvania, and naming little known players and their mothers from Podunk, Iowa, or Podunk, New Hampshire, then it just seems a little forced.  

He did tell an excellent story about some woman's outstanding recipe for stuffed red bell peppers, so there's that.

Most of Ferentz's talk was about the offensive line, which is no surprise, since that's the position he's known for developing most.  He talked very little about technique, but showed a lot of film.  Much of the film was looking at drills, but there was a decent amount of game film, too.  Every time a clip of Iowa vs. Michigan would pop up on the screen, my co-workers would look at me consolingly.  We all knew that somebody was about to get crushed, and sure enough, there goes Adam Patterson being pushed from his nose tackle position about eight yards downfield and almost to the sideline.  There goes Jonas Mouton getting swallowed by a guard.  There goes the entire right side of the defense just getting obliterated.  It was sad.

Anyway, it's pretty amazing to hear him talk about where he finds his offensive linemen, because those kids are often virtual nobodies coming out of high school.  Michigan fans make a big deal about getting 4- and 5-star recruits, but Ferentz turned two walk-ons - from the same high school, no less! - and turned them into Big Ten starters on a solid team.  

Ferentz is also one of those guys who ends his talk about 18 times.  "I just want to finish with a couple things" turns into "Before I finish, I just want to say" turns into "There are a couple things I want to leave you with" turns into "And as a side note" turns into "Two things I'd like to share with you are" turns into me wanting to fall asleep.  I'm not sure if I would have stayed awake for the entire thing, except for the fact that I was wondering if he would mention anything about Michigan.

He didn't.

When he was finished, everyone - including Ferentz - went to a separate banquet room, sat around, and drank beer.  I sat nowhere near him, but he was there well past midnight.

Penn State 41, Michigan 31

Happier now?  No?  Yeah, me either.

Michigan lost last night.  I'm not sure if you heard, but it was bad.

Sad bullets:

Michigan's defense is still atrocious.  Matt McGloin, a former walk-on who has been the borderline third-stringer for the Nittany Lions, completed 17 of 28 passes for 250 yards and 1 touchdown (plus 1 rushing touchdown).  Furthermore, the Wolverines were unable to force a turnover even once.  Running back Evan Royster was averaging 64 yards a game until this point, and he torched the Wolverines for 150 yards on 29 carries; his 5.2 yards per carry average would have been significantly higher if Penn State wasn't simply trying to run out the clock at the end of the game and slamming into a stacked line.  The defense got one important stop in the game, but a hurting offense - missing its top two tight ends and its starting quarterback, and with a hodge podge offense line - put up 435 yards and 41 points.

Vincent Smith isn't good at running.  You all know my thoughts on where Vincent Smith belongs in the pecking order at running back on this team, but here's where he ranks among the rest of the Big Ten's lead rushers.  Smith had 9 carries for 24 yards against a depleted Penn State defense and behind a solid offensive line.  Stephen Hopkins had a slightly better day running the ball, and Michael Shaw's lone rushing attempt went for 4 yards.  I wish I had a good reason for offensive genius Rich Rodriguez only being able to squeeze out the tenth best yards per carry average for a running back in the Big Ten, but I don't. 

White, UW: 86 carries, 570 yards, 6.6 ypc, 9 TD
Edwin Baker, MSU: 124 carries, 800 yards, 6.5 ypc, 7 TD
Leveon Bell, MSU: 95 carries, 585 yards, 6.2 ypc, 8 TD
Dierking, Purdue: 67 carries, 403 yards, 6.0 ypc, 3 TD
Clay, UW: 160 carries, 887 yards, 5.5 ypc, 13 TD
Royster, PSU: 117 carries, 600 yards, 5.1 ypc, 4 TD
Dan Herron, OSU: 129 carries, 634 yards, 4.9 ypc, 12 TD
Leshoure, Illinois: 158 carries, 780 yards, 4.9 ypc, 6 TD
Robinson, Iowa: 172 carries, 806 yards, 4.7 ypc, 10 TD
Vincent Smith, Michigan: 79 carries, 349 yards, 4.4 ypc, 4 TD
Darius Willis, Indiana: 64 carries, 278 yards, 4.3 ypc, 4 TD
Bennett, Minnesota: 104 carries, 444 yards, 4.3 ypc, 2 TD
Trumpy, Northwestern: 74 carries, 307 yards, 4.1 ypc, 2 TD

Freshmen play like freshmen.  On a long completed pass thrown by McGloin last night, I remember seeing freshman cornerback Cullen Christian, freshman free safety Ray Vinopal, and redshirt freshman wide receiver-turned-free safety-turned-quasi-linebacker Cameron Gordon converging on the play.  I honestly don't know that I've ever seen a more inexperienced defense.  And that doesn't even include the pain of watching a perfectly positioned Terrence Talbott watch a ball whistle right past his perfectly positioned arm and into the belly of a PSU wide receiver. 

Denard Robinson runs the ball TOO MUCH.  Holy crap, Rich Rodriguez.  When are you going to learn that you're driving Robinson into the ground by running him 27, 28, 29 times a game?  Sure, Robinson had 27 carries for 191 yards and 3 touchdowns.  He had a great game (running the ball, anyway).  But he also missed time due to injury for the sixth time out of eight games.  If he's such a valuable runner, put him at running back and give the snaps to a quarterback who can actually pass the ball, Tate Forcier.  While I haven't been a fan of changing Robinson's position up to this point, the gaping hole at running back makes me think the Forcier/Robinson combo in the backfield might not be such a bad idea after all.  In case you're wondering, Robinson is averaging 20.5 carries a game so far this season.

So much for the bye week.  We thought Michigan would be able to heal its injuries and put together a good game plan for a struggling Penn State team.  But Mike Martin re-injured his ankle injury and missed most of the game, Denard Robinson got dinged up again, and running back Michael Shaw totaled one carry.  Meanwhile, Michigan's defense couldn't cover the flats, couldn't break on deep balls, and couldn't stop a paltry running game.  And Jeremy Gallon still looks like a lineman trying to catch the ball; instead of letting a kickoff go into the endzone for a touchback, he dropped the ball and then kicked it out of bounds at his own 2-yard line.  I don't really feel like the week off helped this team at all.

Greg Robinson is gone after this year.  I'm almost sure of it.  Somebody's head has to roll after this year's performance, and Rodriguez will be lucky if it's not his.  But I do not expect Greg Robinson to return in 2011, whether the defense has been littered with freshmen or not.  This is the worst defense in Michigan history and perhaps the worst in the country.

Preview: Michigan at Penn State

This must be how the remainder of Penn State's two-deep feels.

This is a big Saturday for me.  Not only does Michigan get a chance to avenge two consecutive losses to Penn State and earn a bowl berth, but I live in some fairly heavy Penn State country and these people talk a lot of smack.  I have some friendly bets with some of my players - the loser(s) have to run a mile after practice on Monday.

Rush Offense vs. Penn State Rush Defense
In comparison with a similar offense to Michigan's, the Nittany Lions gave up 282 yards on only 54 carries against the Illinois Fighting Illini two weeks ago, and that defense has further been depleted by injury.  Interestingly, Michigan has the #7 rushing offense in the country and averages . . . 282 yards a game.  Despite that outburst, Penn State sits at a middling #52 against the run.  As one might expect, Penn State's bad opponents (Kent State, Youngstown State, Minnesota) have run the ball poorly, and the solid opponents (Alabama, Illinois) have gashed them.  I have not been impressed with Michigan's running backs this season, but with PSU's injury issues on defense, I expect Denard Robinson and the Running Back du Jour to have a great day.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Offense vs. Penn State Pass Defense
Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson has suffered a lull in his passing efficiency over the past couple weeks, turning in subpar passing games against both Michigan State and Iowa.  Iowa has the somewhat unique quality of being able to stick to their game plan and do a pretty good job of stopping whatever offense the opponent runs.  Whereas Michigan flops between several defenses, Iowa just played their base personnel and Cover 2 defense and they were able to stifle the previously explosive Michigan passing game.  Prior to the season, I suspected that Tate Forcier would become more valuable when the Big Ten season arrived; true to form, Forcier stepped in once Robinson got hurt in the third quarter and rallied the Wolverines to 21 points.  However, opponents are completing 63% of their passes against the Nittany Lions, and leading interceptor Nick Sukay will miss the game with an injury.  And not that defensive linemen have much of an impact on Denard Robinson, but the injuries to Penn State's defensive ends will make it difficult for Penn State to add to the total of only 4 sacks allowed by the Wolverines this season.
Advantage: Michigan

Rush Defense vs. Penn State Rush Offense
I don't know what to think here.  Running back Evan Royster has torched Michigan over the past couple seasons, rushing for something like 500 yards on 2 carries.  On the one hand, Penn State's offensive line is made up of wet Klee-nex, Stefen Wisniewski, and a balloon animal.  On the other hand, replace "Stefen Wisniewski" with "Mike Martin's sprained ankle" and that's a pretty good description of Michigan's defense, too.  Considering that Michigan hasn't been able to stop the run at all this year, I have to assume that Penn State will gash the Wolverines once again.  It will be the #86 rush offense against the #54 rush defense, but keep in mind that teams feel like they can beat Michigan through the air whenever they want; just ask Indiana and Notre Dame whether the running game was important for running neck-and-neck with Michigan.
Advantage: Penn State

Pass Defense vs. Penn State Pass Offense
Penn State is the #71 pass offense and the #93 pass efficiency offense.  So . . . they're crappy.  Recent reports indicate that freshman starter Robert Bolden will miss Saturday's game with concussion symptoms.  I got a chance to see former Michigan commit Kevin Newsome back in the spring of 2009 when he enrolled early at Penn State, and he looked like me playing quarterback, except only if I drank a fifth of whiskey first.  That means that redshirt sophomore, former walk-on Matt McGloin will likely get the start on Saturday.  McGloin's career stats are 6 completions on 15 attempts, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception.  And now that we're aware of the mediocrity that is Penn State's pass offense, you should expect at least 350 yards passing and a few touchdowns.  Okay, maybe not.  I'm feeling gutsy, so . . .
Advantage: Michigan

Final Predictions

• A healthy Denard Robinson runs for 180 yards
• Michigan exploits the middle of the field for 220+ yards passing
• For only the second time this season, Evan Royster rushes for 100+ yards
• One of Michigan's inexperienced cornerbacks gets his first career interception
• I won't be running a mile after practice on Monday
• Michigan 42, Penn State 24

Penn State 35, Michigan 10

Alex Smith expresses the sentiment of the day.

My thoughts on this game are incomplete. When Carlos Brown fumbled with about five minutes left in the third quarter, I headed out. Brandon Graham had just blocked a punt in Penn State's territory, and even though I knew Michigan probably wouldn't win (it was already 32-10), I thought Michigan might at least make it respectable.

Instead, I went to a charity cash party and gambled away money. Unfortunately, I was surrounded by Penn State fans.

Yesterday was an offensive abomination. I had issues with the playcalling and substitutions. Previously dependable players weren't dependable. Starting center David Molk returned only to get injured and force somewhat incompetent backup center David Moosman into action as the snapper. Penalties. Poor quarterback reads. Fumbles. Interceptions. It seems like every team has an absolutely horrible game once per year, and hopefully this is Michigan's final one this year.

Everyone and his mother knew the game was over when Michigan produced perhaps the worst offensive series of the year. Starting deep in Michigan's own territory, the Wolverines ran the ball on first down and Mark Ortmann got called for holding. The ball was on Michigan's 4-yard-line. Then Ortmann false started on (er, prior to) the next snap. Prior threw an incomplete pass on second down. Then Tate Forcier took a delay of game penalty, putting the ball on the 1. On third down, while Forcier was calling an audible and stepped to the side, David Moosman inexplicably snapped the ball out of the back of the end zone. Safety. The end.

Even though Michigan gave up 396 yards to Penn State, I really didn't think Michigan played horribly on that side of the ball. For the most part, I thought the players did pretty well. Just like on offense, Michigan was outsmarted.

PSU was able to isolate subpar defensive players in pass coverage. Starting middle linebacker Obi Ezeh was twice exposed, once against running back Evan Royster and once against tight end Andrew Quarless. But he had no business being one-on-one with Royster, who was lined up all the way on the sideline. And in a Tampa Two scheme (in which the two safeties play halves while the MIKE covers the deep middle), both Jordan Kovacs and Mike Williams failed to react to Quarless running straight up the middle of the field; meanwhile, backup Quick Brandon Herron failed to chuck Quarless coming off the line of scrimmage.

Michigan's cornerbacks also did a poor job of covering the wide receivers early in the game. They seemed to be trying to protect Michigan's young, inexperienced safeties and bailing out a little too quickly. This left PSU's receivers wide open on outs and hitches.

I'm depressing myself, so let's finish up.

Offensive game ball goes to...uhhh...Brandon Minor? I don't know. He led the team in rushing, scored a TD, and didn't fumble. Sure. Let's give it to him.

Defensive game ball goes to...Brandon Graham. He had 7 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and half a sack. I wouldn't even want to shake hands with that guy, as I would probably incur the most pain I've ever felt. Remember in the movie Speed how there were those big barrels of water on the highway to prevent stray cars from running into concrete barriers? Opposing quarterbacks would be wise to make their pads out of big barrels of water.

Let's see less of this guy on offense...Denard Robinson. He's not being used effectively, and that's on Rodriguez. I hate to say it, but I really haven't seen a single reason to believe that this guy should remain at quarterback for the remainder of his Michigan career. He's a turnover waiting to happen, especially on passing downs. Disregarding the Delaware State game, six of Robinson's 13 drives this year have ended in a turnover. Yesterday he was 0-for-2 with an interception and a fumble. He doesn't make good reads in the passing or running game. And absent the threat of the pass, Robinson's running abilities are becoming less and less effective. Rodriguez should use Robinson on occasional plays in the middle of drives or on two-QB plays at random times, but what's happening right now isn't working. So it needs to be changed.

Let's see less of this guy on defense...Obi Ezeh. I'm not saying he should lose his job, but he's not a three-down linebacker. I'd like to see defensive coordinator Greg Robinson start to mix in some 4-2-5 nickel packages. I like Michigan's four-man front with Roh in there. On obvious passing downs, Coach Robinson should remove Ezeh in favor of a third cornerback. I think Boubacar Cissoko would be a good slot corner, so the back seven would consist of linebackers Mouton and Steve Brown; corners Donovan Warren, Troy Woolfolk, and Cissoko; and safeties Kovacs and Williams.

Picture via TheWolverine.com

Bad news for Penn State

Daryll Clark has ruptured his Achilles tendon and his career at Penn State is probably over.

This obviously hurts PSU's chances at having a successful 2009, since they have no experienced backups and lost a lot of players to graduation and the NFL this offseason. Perhaps Anthony Morelli will pull a Bobby Valentine and try to play with an eye black mustache.