The Penn State Nittany Lions traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan, hoping to end a three-game losing streak. But the streak increased to four in a row, as the Michigan Wolverines outlasted Penn State 21-18 on Saturday in a Big Ten Conference game.
It marked the first time since 2023 the two teams faced off against one another. Michigan won that game 24-15 and has won the last four meetings.
THE GAME: Penn State received the opening kickoff and drove the ball all the way to the Wolverines 6-yard line before Ryan Barker kicked a 24-yard field goal with 5:58 left to play in the first quarter. The 16-play drive consumed 9:02 off the game clock, and the lead held up through the remainder of the first half.
Michigan intercepted a Rocco Becht pass early in the third quarter and converted the turnover into its first points of the game. It took two plays to score as Bryson Kuzdzal raced 43 yards to paydirt and a 7-3 lead.
The Nittany Lions moved into Michigan territory, but Becht threw another interception at the Wolverines 32-yard line. Michigan didn’t disappoint the home faithful, marching 74 yards on 11 plays. Backup quarterback Tommy Carr rushed up the middle for 22 yards to set up Jordan Marshall’s 1-yard touchdown run to give Michigan a 14-3 lead.
With its backs against the wall, Penn State got back in the game with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took 5 minutes, 34 seconds. Carson Hanson punctuated the long possession with a 2-yard touchdown run, and the Nittany Lions converted the 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to 14-11.
However, the Nittany Lions fumbled the ball deep in their own territory late in the game, and Michigan made them pay. On third down at the 12, Carr ran untouched into the end zone to extend the lead to 21-11 with 2:58 remaining in the game.
Penn State took the ensuing possession and marched 73 yards on 11 plays. The drive culminated in a 24-yard touchdown pass from Becht to Chase Sowell.
Michigan recovered the onside kick attempt and ran out the clock to preserve the win.
THE NUMBERS: Penn State actually had the advantage in time of possession (32:02-27:58) but was hurt by three turnovers. Michigan dominated in the running game, outgaining the Nittany Lions 211-65. The Wolverines averaged 6.0 yards per carry. Conversely, Penn State had an overwhelming edge in passing, 267-90. Becht completed 28 of 44 passes. Overall, the Nittany Lions accumulated 332 total yards, compared to 301 by Michigan.
Hanson led Penn State with 51 yards on 15 carries. Sowell caught 11 passes for 151 yards for an average of 13.1 yards per catch. Defensively, linebacker Tony Rojas made a team-high 12 tackles, including four solo and a sack. Kooper Ebel had seven tackles.
THE NEXT GAME: Penn State (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) is off next week. The Nittany Lions will host Purdue on Oct. 31 at a time to be determined.
