Michigan 21, Penn State 17

Tag: Penn State


14Nov 2021
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Michigan 21, Penn State 17

David Ojabo (image via ClickOnDetroit)

That was a win. It wasn’t always pretty – especially on offense – but a win in Happy Valley is always nice. It’s not an easy place to play, and the Nittany Lions are usually pretty good, so you take an ugly win if you can get it. I decided to watch the game sans social media and just enjoy the back-and-forth, because I knew there would be a ton of griping. And nobody’s allowed to gripe but me. So I grumbled at times to myself, but for the most part, I thought Michigan played pretty well.

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12Nov 2021
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Preview: Michigan at Penn State

RUSH OFFENSE vs. PSU RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan’s rushing offense has dropped off somewhat dramatically from earlier in the year, which is saying something, since they’re still #6 with 234 yards/game on the ground and #15 in rushing average. Hassan Haskins leads the team in carries (165), yardage (829 yards), and touchdowns (11). He may be relied on more heavily than normal. After a career-high 27 carries last week with Blake Corum missing all but one offensive play, Haskins is the only somewhat experienced back on the roster. I do not expect Corum (who was in a walking boot by the end of the game) to play and freshman Donovan Edwards missed last week due to injury, leaving Haskins and then . . . walk-on Leon Franklin and freshman fifth-stringer Tavierre Dunlap. Penn State is #50 in rush defense (137 yards allowed/game) and #31 in yards per carry allowed (3.56). With starting defensive tackle P.J. Mustipher out for the season, the Nittany Lions’ rushing defense has fallen off; they gave up 357 yards on the ground to Illinois three weeks ago. Things have improved a little over the past couple weeks, but that may be due to playing Maryland, which is pretty inept on the ground. The leading tacklers are senior linebacker Ellis Brooks (6’1″, 241 lbs.) and junior inside linebacker Brandon Smith (6’3″, 241) with 68 and 61 stops, respectively. I think Michigan can pound the ball a little bit, but they need to be careful to keep Haskins fresh.
Advantage: Michigan

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1Dec 2020
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Michigan vs. Penn State Awards

Hassan Haskins

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Hassan Haskins. Haskins averaged 5.9 yards per carry on 17 attempts (stat line: 17 rushes, 106 yards, 2 TD). The quarterbacks combined to average 4.0 yards per passing attempt. Of course, you’re probably not going to be able to break off big runs if you’re handing off the ball 60 times and throwing it 20 times, but Haskins was not used enough. He’s the most consistent runner behind a mediocre (or bad) offensive line.

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29Nov 2020
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Penn State 27, Michigan 17

Hassan Haskins (image via Freep)

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Michigan’s lineup compared to where it should be:

  • QB: Joe Milton Dylan McCaffrey Cade McNamara Joe Milton
  • RB: Hassan Haskins
  • WR: Nico Collins Cornelius Johnson
  • WR: Ronnie Bell
  • WR: Giles Jackson A.J. Henning
  • TE: Nick Eubanks
  • LT: Ryan Hayes Karsen Barnhart
  • LG: Chuck Filiaga Trevor Keegan
  • C: Andrew Vastardis Zach Carpenter
  • RG: Andrew Stueber Zak Zinter Chuck Filiaga
  • RT: Jalen Mayfield Andrew Stueber
  • DE: Aidan Hutchinson Carlo Kemp
  • DT: Carlo Kemp Chris Hinton, Jr.
  • NT: Donovan Jeter
  • DE: Kwity Paye
  • Viper: Michael Barrett
  • MIKE: Cam McGrone Adam Shibley
  • WILL: Josh Ross
  • CB: Gemon Green
  • CB: Ambry Thomas Vincent Gray
  • S: Brad Hawkins Hunter Reynolds
  • S: Dax Hill

Going back six weeks to opening day, Michigan has 8 backups playing. And if you count the opt-outs, there are 12 positions affected. This is a MASH unit unlike anything I can remember at Michigan.

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27Nov 2020
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Preview: Michigan vs. Penn State

Jahan Dotson (image via The Morning Call)

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RUSH OFFENSE vs. PENN STATE RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan trimmed its running back rotation a little last week, finding its most efficient running back: Hassan Haskins. Haskins notched 25 carries for 109 yards (in three overtimes), the most carries for any single back since Zach Charbonnet’s 33 attempts against Army in 2019. Even so, Michigan is #102 in rushing (122.8 yards/game) and #69 in yards per attempt (4.21). Rumor has it that Michigan’s starting offensive tackles may return from injury this week, which might fortify a running game that was supposed to be solid, though maybe not great. Blake Corum has the second most carries despite averaging 3.0, -1.5, 0.7, and 2.3 yards per carry over the past four weeks. Penn State is #39 in rush defense (138.6 yards allowed/game) and #34 in yards per carry allowed (3.63). Last week Iowa ran for 4 touchdowns, but at just 3.8 yards per rush. Sophomore defensive end Jayson Oweh (6’5″, 252) leads the team with 33 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss, matched in tackles by junior linebacker Ellis Brooks (6’1″, 233) and in tackles for loss by senior defensive end Shaka Toney (6’3″, 252). The Nittany Lions are down star linebacker Micah Parsons, but they still have a fair amount of talent in the front seven. Also, keep an eye on #97 P.J. Mustipher, a 6’4″, 300 lb. defensive tackle who doesn’t rack up a lot of stats, but messes things up in the middle. Especially if it’s the revamped Michigan line and not the group that began the year, he could cause some real problems up front.
Advantage: Penn State

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