While there was a ton of talk heading into this game, the Penn State Nittany Lions were defeated by the Michigan Wolverines. The day before the game, it was decided by the Big Ten that Jim Harbaugh would be suspended, and not allowed to attend the game. Despite all the talk before the game, the Penn State Nittany Lions lost the matchup, 24-15. Here is a look back at the game and what went wrong for Penn State.
Penn State’s Offensive Struggles
The Penn State offense looked lost on the field. They had to call a time-out just to punt the ball because the receivers did not know where to stand. The communication with each other against Michigan really hurt their chances of winning the game. It led to unnecessary time-outs or poor play designs. If the Nittany Lions want to defeat a top team, these self-inflicting mistakes cannot happen.
The playcalling on offense was not it at all. For the majority of the game, the Nittany Lions ran the ball on every first down play. While if it were working well and they were winning that would be fine, it got predictable. This gave too much of an edge to the Michigan Wolverines. Their defense was able to stuff the runner, and Penn State struggled to run the ball two times in a row throughout the game. On top of that, the Nittany Lions were the first to score in the game, but instead of a touchdown, it was a field goal.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar has his hand hit by Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant –
Joe Hermitt/jhermitt@pennlive.com
It was third and goal, and in a crucial moment, Penn State decided to design a pass for Allar to float one out and did not even use one of their big tight ends. If this were a second or first down play, it would have made sense, but Penn State should have had a better play call ready for being a couple of yards out of the red zone. They also went for the two-point conversion and moved the entire offensive line to the left side of the field. This was probably not the best time to experiment with a play design like that.
In a game where the offense is being highly criticized, there were good moments two that should be highlighted. Running back Kaytron Allen played well for the Nittany Lions. He had an explosive run that if he could have beaten the last defender he would have taken it to the house. By the end of the game, Allen had 12 carries for 72 yards, according to ESPN. He did not have a touchdown, unfortunately, but his longest run of the day did go for 34 yards. There were good moments of the game that demonstrated the team’s potential, but this offense struggled overall.
Penn State DE Adisa Isaac (20) – Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Defense Makes Big Plays, but it’s Not Enough
The Penn State defense did well against Michigan. They did prevent big passing plays, but Michigan realized that they could just run the ball, and that worked. After a while, the Nittany Lions defense could not stop the runs. They did do well stopping a lot though. The defense ended up with 64 total tackles, one sack, and seven tackles for loss, according to ESPN. Penn State’s defense did well overall, but they could not get the win.
Defensive end, Adisa Isaac should definitely be highlighted for how he played. He ended up with six combined tackles, four solo, and three tackles for loss, according to ESPN. The defense continued to fight, but without the offense being able to score, there was only so much that they could do.
Something the defense could have done a better job at was stopping quarterback J.J. McCarthy when he would run. There was a fourth down play that the defense should have been able to get the stop, but McCarthy was able to get away with positive yards and the first down to stay on the field.
Penn State Nittany Lions LB Abdul Carter (11) – Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports
What’s Next for Penn State?
Next up for the Penn State Nittany Lions will be the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. This will be the final home game of the season for Penn State. The Scarlet Knights just lost against Iowa, and it was clear the atmosphere in Iowa was a big reason for that. Being a Penn State home game, the Nittany Lions have the chance to get a bounce-back win. Unfortunately, the loss against Michigan did end the fight for playoffs this season.
