Season of grudges
The Michigan football team
has had success this season
by holding vendettas against
any and all opponents
» Page 2B
Tune-up Cruise
The Wolverines blew out
Division II Northwood,
90-58, in a tune-up
exhibition game on Friday.
» Page 3B
SPORTSMONDAY
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | November 5, 2018
Design by Jack Silberman
Katelyn Mulcahy & Amelia Cacchione/ Daily
Wolverines
dominate Nittany Lions
The Michigan football
team remembers the losses it
took in 2017. They were what
inspired the now-infamous
“Revenge Tour” comments
Chase Winovich made last
month — the fifth-year senior
defensive end said he felt tired
of losing in either one-sided or
agonizing fashion.
Michigan’s 42-13 defeat
at Penn State last year was
both. Defensive coordinator
Don Brown said he thought
each day about the 42 points
the Wolverines allowed.
Winovich and his teammates,
meanwhile, were irked by the
Nittany Lions’ running up of
the score late in the game.
So it was only fitting
that vindication was on
Michigan’s mind heading into
Saturday’s battle with Penn
State.
“If we had the chance,”
said junior quarterback Shea
Patterson, “we were going to
run it up, too.”
The fifth-ranked
Wolverines (6-0 Big Ten,
8-1 overall) did just that,
dispatching the fourteenth-
ranked Nittany Lions (3-3,
6-3), 42-7, for yet another
successful stop along
Winovich’s “Revenge Tour”.
Michigan rushed for 259
yards while holding Penn
State to just 186 yards of
total offense. Senior running
back Karan Higdon had his
seventh-straight contest with
100 rushing yards or more,
moving one game away from
the record set by Mike Hart
in 2007.
After a touchdown catch
by redshirt junior tight end
Zach Gentry made it 21-0,
the Wolverines broke the
game open with a pair of
interceptions in the third
quarter. Fifth-year senior
cornerback Brandon Watson
made the first, which he
returned 62 yards for his
second pick-six of the year.
Penn State punted on its
ensuing possession, and
Michigan embarked another
run-dominant drive — capped
off by a four-yard Higdon
touchdown run — before
David Long allowed the
Wolverines to tack on their
final exclamation point.
The junior cornerback
intercepted quarterback
Trace McSorely deep in
Nittany Lion territory,
and four plays later, junior
running back Chris Evans
scampered in for Michigan’s
sixth and final touchdown of
the evening.
“It was a really impressive
team tonight in all phases,”
coach Jim Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh had high praise
for Penn State’s defensive
line this past week, but he
challenged it from the get-go
with eight consecutive runs
on Michigan’s first offensive
series. Higdon took one of
those carries for 50 yards,
which put the Wolverines on
the doorstep for Patterson’s
second rushing touchdown of
the season.
Following two early punts,
McSorely, who played with
a brace after tweaking his
right knee last week, handed
Michigan possession when
he botched a handoff in the
second quarter. Seven straight
runs later, Patterson delivered
a 23-yard touchdown strike
to Donavon Peoples-Jones,
lifting the Wolverines’
advantage to 14. It was
the pair’s seventh scoring
connection of the season.
In celebration, the
sophomore receiver reinacted
Saquon Barkley’s touchdown
celebration from last year’s
game — a flailing-armed
sprint across the endzone.
“It was personal from the
start,” Patterson said.
Michigan outgained the
Nittany Lions, 210 to 77, in the
first half and had chances to
extend its lead to three scores.
But a blocked field goal and
timely sack kept Penn State
within striking distance at the
frame’s end.
The score was ultimately a
mirage, however. Michigan
continued to pummel the
Nittany Lions in the second
half as its defense took over.
The Wolverines finished
with six tackles-for-loss —
including four first-half sacks
— and allowed just 118 yards
through the air.
“The most impressive
thing to me is Don Brown,”
Harbaugh said. “I’m
reminded of the old jingle
in the seventies, ‘You said
Don Brown, you said it all.’
He’s the king of defensive
coordinators.”
It was indeed a fitting
end for both Brown and
Winovich. With another
lopsided win over a ranked
opponent, Michigan feels like
it can win its first Big Ten
Championship since 2004.
“We’re the team to beat in
the Big Ten,” Winovich said.
“That’s not a controversial
statement, it’s just, I think
that’s a fact at this point this
year.”
MARK CALCAGNO
Daily Sports Editor
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