Who needs a passing game, right?
The third-ranked Michigan Wolverines maintained control over division rival No. 10 Penn State, beating the Nittany Lions, 24-15, behind a dominant running game.
Entering the game, Penn State (8-2) had the top rushing defense in college football, holding opponents to just 60.6 yards per game and six rushing touchdowns all season. Then came the Wolverines (10-0).
Michigan put up 227 yards on the ground with three touchdowns — two from Blake Corum and another from Donovan Edwards. Corum finished with a staggering 26 carries for 145 yards while Edwards added 52 yards on 10 carries. Quarterback JJ McCarthy also added 34 yards on eight carries.
The Wolverines entered Beaver Stadium with a chip on their shoulders. Less than 24 hours before kickoff, the Big Ten Conference announced a three game suspension for head coach Jim Harbaugh as punishment regarding the ongoing sign stealing investigation. With Harbaugh not on the sidelines, offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore acted as interim head coach and led Michigan to the win.
Penn State jumped ahead late in the first off a 20-yard field goal from Alex Felkins. Michigan answered just over three minutes into the second off a Corum 3-yard run. Then with 6:07 remaining in the half, Edwards broke away for a 22-yard score.
The Lions ended the half with some momentum, scoring their first touchdown off an 11-yard Drew Allar run — they would then fail a two-point attempt to make it 14-9 at the half.
Notably in the second quarter, McCarthy would make his eighth and final passing attempt. The Wolverines went 37:41 without making a single attempt through the air (one was cancelled out by a penalty in the second half — so it didn’t count). McCarthy finished 7-of-8 for 60 yards.
With 3:36 remaining in the third, James Turner increased the Michigan lead off a 22-yard field goal. Then with 4:15 left in the game, Corum bolted for a 45-yard score.
Penn State made the score more respectable in the final two minutes, scoring off a Theo Johnson 8-yard touchdown pass from Allar. Again, the Lions failed to convert the two-point attempt.
Michigan finished with 287 yards of offense. The game looked like old school Big Ten football, with Penn State also putting up just 74 yards through the air and 164 on the ground.
The Wolverines will continue on the road next week when they travel to Maryland (6-4). Kickoff is at noon.
