No. 5 Michigan cruised to a 41-17 win over No. 10 Penn State, putting the Nittany Lions away with a dominant second half after failing to capitalize on red zone trips early. The Wolverines started the game with two long drives into the red zone but were forced to settle for field goals both times. The Wolverines would finally finish another long drive on their third possession to make it 13-0, but the lack of touchdowns let the Nittany Lions hang around.
They nearly took advantage of it, too. Penn State used a long run by quarterback Sean Clifford and a pick six to close the gap to 16-14 at halftime, and the Nittany Lions opened the second half with a field goal drive that made it look like we’d have a game on our hands.
We didn’t. From there, it was all Wolverines, which sliced up the Penn State defense on the ground. Blake Corum (16 carries, 173 yards, two touchdowns) and Donovan Edwards (28 carries, 166 yards, two touchdowns) were able to get anything they wanted on the ground, and it was Corum’s 61-yard touchdown run after the Michigan defense forced a turnover on downs that put the game on ice.
If it hadn’t been for the early field goals, this game could’ve been much more lopsided. The win improves Michigan to 7-0 on the season and keeps it alive in the Big Ten East. Penn State drops to 5-1 and will now need help from others if it wants to entertain the idea of winning the division or the conference.