Some interesting Penn State box scores this year

Submitted by Maizen on

For UM to win Saturday they have to protect the football and commit to running the ball. Only watched bits and pieces of the Pitt game but the IU-PSU game ended 45-14 but was strangely much closer than that. IU scored two special teams TD's (one on a KO return, the other on a muffed IU punt). They also scored twice off IU turnovers on a shortened field and got the benefit of a blatant OPI flag picked up in the endzone on another TD. They really only had one sustained TD drive all game. They look like a slightly better version the team they were last year. They couldn't block IU on offense and were getting suprisignly gashed on the ground one defense. This is a game JOK needs to use his legs as Ramsey did and not commit any turnovers. Do that and Michigan has a good shot at a win.

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Gentleman Squirrels

October 16th, 2017 at 10:53 AM ^

I think Penn State would get exposed as a one dimensional team against a decent team. I'm hoping that's us because our defense can definitely slow them down. Not sure if the offense can take advantage of that. Ohio State the week after will definitely make them pay, partially because it's a revenge game for them too.

Joined: 06/03/2014

MGoPoints: 43421

Woodstock Wolverine

October 16th, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^

They're certainly not the world beaters some people think they are. If Michigan can get the offense to finally click, which I think they're close, this could be the game where PSU gets exposed. That damn first pickle is really stuck in there, but when it comes loose, watch out!

Joined: 07/16/2015

MGoPoints: 15496

saveferris

October 16th, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^

It would be nice to have Michigan surprise us with a better than expected performance.  Recently, games seem to be foregone conclusions as to how they are going to turn out or the results are a surprise in a bad way.  Aside from when we play Florida, I can't remember the last time Michigan turned in a better-than-expected performance when the outcome looked pessimistic going in.

Joined: 07/02/2009

MGoPoints: 24841

ZooWolverine

October 16th, 2017 at 1:00 PM ^

I mean, it depends how you define pessimistic. If it's going in seeming like definitely the worse team, that just hasn't happened much under Harbaugh. If you're including any game some significant question as to who would be the better team (which is the only way I would think Florida gets included), then last year's Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Penn State games would all be pessimistic, and I think we looked pretty good in all three. We certainly played Penn State better than expected, and looked good against the other two.

Joined: 02/27/2009

MGoPoints: 3719

Squash34

October 16th, 2017 at 5:19 PM ^

As far as the better than expected performance, I think there were several under harbaugh. People expected dog fights from both NW and BYU before the games. The same can be said about the Florida playoff game. Expectations got big fast last year, so maybe only beat Wisconsin falls in that category. A lot of people were not thinking a win was likely. The experations just sky rocket so fast. I mean, most people had them winning 7 games in 15, and 8-9 in 16. Yet, they got ten in both. So, they clearly had to out play expectations in several games a year.

Joined: 09/13/2016

MGoPoints: 3062

Squash34

October 16th, 2017 at 5:19 PM ^

As far as the better than expected performance, I think there were several under harbaugh. People expected dog fights from both NW and BYU before the games. The same can be said about the Florida playoff game. Expectations got big fast last year, so maybe only beat Wisconsin falls in that category. A lot of people were not thinking a win was likely. The experations just sky rocket so fast. I mean, most people had them winning 7 games in 15, and 8-9 in 16. Yet, they got ten in both. So, they clearly had to out play expectations in a few games a year.

Joined: 09/13/2016

MGoPoints: 3062

VintageBlue

October 16th, 2017 at 10:55 AM ^

3 penalties for 22 yards in their games against IU and Other Akron.  They must be super disciplined!  I'm not prepared to combust at all on Saturday night.

Joined: 08/04/2011

MGoPoints: 3392

maize-blue

October 16th, 2017 at 10:59 AM ^

Michigan can win if they possess the ball for a looong time and don't fu#$ up. But that will require making first downs, no penalties, no turnovers, so...........

Joined: 01/10/2013

MGoPoints: 44662

ijohnb

October 16th, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^

feel like there may be another way.  Michigan literally put the passing playbook away in the second half against IU.  They literally threw the ball like 6 times.  My guess is that Penn State is going to crowd the shit out of the line.  I think we will go play-action deep quite a bit more than we have seen so far.  O'Korn hit Crawford on the hold call against State and was a yard too long on the deep shot to DPJ this weekend that was otherwise completely there. I think he can make that throw and literally just one of those against PSU would change the dynamic of the game entirely.

Joined: 09/21/2009

MGoPoints: 69986

Michigan Arrogance

October 17th, 2017 at 8:04 PM ^

yeah, I feel the opposite.

The worst thing we can do is try for 13-17 play drives b/c we either turn the ball over before then, or we stall in the RZ for a FG.

let's go for the over the top bombs off play action and get in the endzone in 5-8 plays and let the D stuff them. couple big runs on in the ground game say 15-30 yards if not more.

 

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 35493

Mgoczar

October 16th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^

If we don't turn the ball over, slow plodding tressellball is the way to go and frustrate PSU. We have a chance. 

Boxscore also shows we can run a bit on PSU. Lets say we squeeze out 180 rushing yards + 70 yards passing, thats 250 yards total. If we limit PSU to 300 yards (totally possible with our D) then there is a chance we pull out a win. 

 

Joined: 09/29/2017

MGoPoints: 4198

jackw8542

October 16th, 2017 at 12:34 PM ^

PSU will have less than 250 yards against our D, and our offense will be over 300 yards against Penn State.  Don't think anyone has had much more than 250 against us so far except for Indiana (22 of its 278 in OT), and I suspect our D will be more pumped for this game than any other game so far this year.  I think we can cover PSU's receivers and take away its run game far better than IU or Pitt.

Joined: 10/30/2010

MGoPoints: 4265

Barooo

October 16th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^

As far as a #2 in the country goes, they are quite beatable. That being said, that damn stadium at night causes weird shit to happen. Odds are that weird shit will happen to us and we'll all be well into our fifths by the 2nd quarter, but our defense will give us a good shot to win.

Joined: 12/30/2016

MGoPoints: 513