ANN ARBOR, Mich. – 5 Michigan being bullied number 10 Penn State on Saturday, from script line to scoreboard to the newly named Lloyd Carr Tunnel at Michigan Stadium.
Enthusiasm flared as both teams entered the shared tunnel with the Wolverines leading 16-14 at halftime. While the video shows teams communicating verbally, the situation never becomes physical.
“How did they feel in all the games, I wouldn’t be surprised if [it was] they started it, “Wolverines Midfielder JJ McCarthy talk about change. “We just finished it.”
The Michigan Defense Line Mike Morris said the deadlock stemmed from a Penn State player saying trash on social media before the game.
“We all said to each other, ‘They want those Twitter fingers, they want to talk on social,’ and then they don’t talk on the field,” Morris said. “They want to talk at halftime because they’re lucky.”
After dominating the stats but not the scoreboard in the first inning, the Wolverines finished Penn State with a resounding third quarter on the way to a 41-17 wins. Michigan took a while to pull away but held a big advantage in charge (418-111), first drop (28-10) and possession time (41:56-18:04).
In a game where Penn State in a short time had more touches (2) than the first knockdown (1), Michigan looked like the defending Big Ten champion and a team ready to push. Ohio State won the league championship and potentially a place in the College Football Qualifiers.
“Like Coach [Jim] “It’s a butt kick in every way a butt can be kicked,” said Harbaugh in the locker room. Obviously, first half, we wish it had played out a little bit differently from the scoreboard, but they only had a first goal and we have 18. We’ll do that any day. any week. “
Harbaugh was more diplomatic but clearly pleased, admitting that roster dominance in Michigan was his favorite way to win games. Despite a 6-0 start, Michigan was not fully considered a CFP candidate because of its rivalry. Penn State is also undefeated but can’t match the Wolverines.
“The team made a really positive statement today,” Harbaugh said. “They call it a statement game? OK, it’s a statement game.”
Harbaugh’s team weren’t nervous at halftime, even though they were just two points ahead after holding off the Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford 17 yards, the lowest for a Nittany Lions starting player at least since 2004, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Penn State allowed more pitches to hit Michigan than in the previous 5 games (399), like Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum combined with 339 yards and four hits. Michigan’s inability to convert chances in the red zone into touchdowns prevented fouls in the first half, but Edwards and Corum had touches of the ball 67 and 61 yards respectively in the third half to help open the game.
“I feel like [I’ve] already [ready] for a game like this in a while, “Edwards, who missed two games with a leg injury in September.” I just sit back and wait my turn and show the world what I can do. “
Corum has 666 yards forward in the past four games, the most by a Michigan player since defender Denard Robinson in 2010 and the most by a returning Wolverines since Mike Hart in 2004, according to ESPN Stats & Information . Hart, who had a sideline medical emergency last week in Indiana and was hospitalized, returned to his duties as the game’s operating coordinator on Saturday.
Corum and Edwards became the first in Michigan to parallel each 150-yard solar eclipse and record multiple quick hits since 2017.
“Blake is fast, Donovan is fast,” Harbaugh said. “When they opened the door, they were rolling.”
McCarthy, who made his first intercept of the season last week at Indiana, had a flipped pass, intercepted and came back to beat in the second quarter. He had a low pass of the season of 145 yards at the start but added 57 yards into the win.
“I keep saying I need to use my legs more week in, week out,” says McCarthy. “When you go back to the 2019 season and [former LSU quarterback] Joe Burrow and everything he can do with that, and I’m faster than Joe Burrow, so I should be able to do it. “
Clifford left the game in the second half with an injury and was replaced by a forewarned freshman Drew Allar, who completed 5 out of 10 37-yard passes. Michigan had two sacks and five quarterback rushes.
Unlike Clifford’s 62-yard run to set up a touchdown in the first half, Penn State had 49 yards into the net with 21 executions.
“People look at it as if we haven’t played with anyone, but in reality, we have, and we showed up and showed,” said Morris, who has once lost, broken up and hastily. “Now people say we haven’t played with anyone, and now Penn State, again, we show up and we show up. That story could go on, but we’re in business to prove it. prove everyone wrong.”
