First, Michigan lost to a
Michigan State team in Year
One of a new coach. Then it
lost to a team it hadn’t lost
to in 30 years. Then, a week
after losing to Wisconsin in
the biggest loss in Michigan
Stadium history, it took three
overtimes to beat conference
bottom-feeder Rutgers.
On Saturday, the lows
kept coming. This time, the
Wolverines (2-4) handed Penn
State (1-5) its first win of the
season, 27-17, the second time
this year a team’s first win
came against Michigan.
A group of Nittany Lions
took a picture on the field
afterwards, an empty Big
House behind them, the
third team in three games
to celebrate on the maize
‘M.’ The Wolverines were
long gone from the field
by then, left only with the
crushing weight of another
disappointment.
When Jim Harbaugh was
asked after the game what
his team’s mood was after
the loss, he could conjure up
just four words: “I mean, it’s
disappointing.” At this point
in a season full of questions,
it’s one of the few answers
Michigan has.
The Wolverines’ last gasp
came on their second failed
fourth-down attempt of the
game with just over five
minutes left in the fourth
quarter — a quarterback
sneak with junior Joe Milton,
who started the game as the
backup quarterback, under
center when he’d been in the
shotgun practically every
other play. Milton was stuffed.
On Michigan’s first fourth-
down attempt in the first
quarter, sophomore Cade
McNamara was nearly picked
off on a passing attempt.
“In the first half, we just
weren’t able to extend the
drives,” Harbaugh said.
“Had some third-and-short
opportunities and then Penn
State was able to convert their
third-and-shorts, thought that
was also, when I said we’re
not getting the stop at the
critical time and not getting
the first down to sustain the
drive offensively, that was a
big part of the game.”
With Penn State’s top three
running backs all out due
to injuries, it found a new
spark plug in true freshman
Keyvone Lee. Lee finished
with 134 yards on 22 carries,
including 39 yards on the
Nittany Lions’ opening
drive, 44 yards on a fourth-
quarter touchdown drive that
extended Penn State’s lead to
10 and 33 yards on the final
drive of the game, in which
the Nittany Lions drove deep
into Michigan territory before
opting to kneel out the clock.
Junior running back Hassan
Haskins was a similar catalyst
for Michigan, finishing with
101 yards on 17 attempts,
including a 59-yard rush on
a first-quarter touchdown
drive. But the rest of the
Wolverines’ offense seemed
discombobulated — a
problem only made worse
by McNamara hurting his
shoulder during a goal-line
play in the first quarter, which
caused problems all game and
led Michigan to twice turn to
Milton.
Both teams traded field
goals in the third quarter after
promising drives that stalled
out. Then, the offenses found
life in the fourth quarter.
First it was the Wolverines,
buoyed by an acrobatic catch
by freshman wide receiver
AJ Henning and topped off
with a two-yard touchdown
run by Haskins. Then the
Nittany Lions followed with
a touchdown of their own
thanks to 49 rushing yards
from Lee.
By then, it was too little, too
late for Michigan.
The Wolverines’ chances of
going even .500 are slipping
away. A reporter asked after
the game if Michigan’s players
felt like their backs were
up against the wall. But for
that to happen, there would
have to be some semblance of
suspense, some semblance of
something left to play for.
Senior tackle Andrew
Stueber maintained that there
was.
“We have the big team, OSU,
at the end of the year,” he said.
“And we just need to click on
all cylinders and I think we’re
in contention for that game.
We’ve got Maryland too and
so we’ve gotta come together,
come every day and play.”
But the days have passed
when the Wolverines have
been true contenders against
Ohio State, and even a win
against Maryland (a team
Penn State lost to) is no
guarantee.
Every week, it seems, is
a new basement for this
program. Then the bottom
falls out again.
Michigan sleepwalks through 27-17 loss to
formerly winless Penn State
ARIA GERSON
Daily Sports Writer
ALEC COHEN/DAILY
18 — Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com