Here are 5 takeaways from Penn State football’s 41-17 loss to Michigan at The Big House
Penn State fell 41-17 to Michigan at The Big House on Saturday.
The Nittany Lions were gashed in the running game and allowed four touchdowns on the ground between just two running backs. Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy went 17-for-24 for 145 yards to earn the win. Penn State falls to 5-1 on the season and will take on Minnesota at home next Saturday.
Here are five takeaways from Penn State’s loss to Michigan.
Blake Corum ran all over Penn State’s defense
Michigan junior running back Blake Corum looked the part of an early selection in the 2023 NFL Draft and a Heisman Trophy dark horse. Corum had 28 carries for 166 rushing yards (5.9 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. He’s now sitting at 146 rushing attempts for 901 yards for 13 touchdowns on the year.
Donovan Edwards also ran all over Penn State’s defense
When Corum wasn’t in the game, sophomore running back Donovan Edwards looked equally as good, if not better. Edwards rushed 16 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns of his own. His longest rush came on a 67-yard gain.
The former 2020 Mr. Football Michigan only had 17 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns through six games entering Saturday. He nearly doubled his carries, more than doubled his rushing yards and doubled his touchdown production in just one game against the Nittany Lions.
Is it on the defense or offense? Why not both?
This was by all means a team loss. Sean Clifford had his toughest game of the season against a tough Michigan defense, the running game was stymied — whether it was Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen or Keyvone Lee — and the offensive line made a number of miscues that couldn’t allow the team to push forward. Penn State’s defense allowed 563 total yards and 41 points. It wasn’t ideal.
Penn State’s rushing defense was nonexistent
The Nittany Lions are normally outstanding in stopping the run. That was not the case on Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor. Penn State had the fifth-ranked rushing defense in the FBS. Teams only gained 2.95 yards per carry with 135 carries, 398 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in five games. Penn State allowed 418 rushing yards on 55 attempts for four touchdowns. While they were gassed with the offense’s ineptitude, Michigan feasted.
Sean Clifford struggled all day… is it time for Drew Allar?
Clifford went 7-for-19 with 190 yards. No touchdowns. No interceptions. He had a 37% completion percentage and rushed six times for 74 yards and nearly had a rushing touchdown in the first half on a 62-yard rush. In the fourth quarter, the Fox broadcast mentioned that Clifford had an undisclosed injury, and freshman quarterback Drew Allar entered the game. Allar didn’t play much better, going 5-for-10 with 37 yards.
Allar was a 5-star quarterback in high school. He has the arm talent that could take Penn State up a notch. He throws a crisp ball. His ability to shed tacklers is strong, especially for a freshman. It may be time to give him a full week to see what he can accomplish against Minnesota. Everyone in central Pennsylvania knows who Clifford is. Maybe it’s time that they get familiar with Drew Allar.
