Michigan October 13, 2014
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Click here to view the mobile version VOLUME 77 ISSUE 6 Penn State vs. Michigan October 13, 2014 The Letter It was a Saturday night shutout for Follow us on Penn State. Twitter and The football team lost a fall-from- Check out the ahead contest in Michigan Stadium, new Football the defending national champion Letter Blog women’s volleyball team dropped its third match of the season even though it has outscored every PSU 670013 opponent in total points, and the MICHIGAN733518 No. 6 women’s soccer squad was upset, 1–0, by No. 20 Rutgers on the Big Ten Network. CONTENTS Men's hockey had a great 7-1 win over UConn, but that match was over by The Letter 4 p.m. And on Sunday, State’s third-ranked men’s soccer team suffered its Notes from the Cuff first loss of the season at Maryland. Other Sports In the first Big Ten night game ever played in the 88-year-old Big House, News of Note the visiting Nittany Lion gridders probably saved the job of embattled Game Photos Michigan Coach Brady Hoke for at least one more game, when they fell Statistics victim to the same problem that has plagued them all season—an inability to establish a rushing attack and protect their passer. PAST ISSUES And the encounter turned into a throwback hard-nosed defensive struggle. View past issues The Lion running game, which showed new life in the first quarter as senior tailback Bill Belton sliced and diced his way for 55 yards, ended the contest with a net of 54. That’s because quarterback Christian Hackenberg was sacked six times for 40 yards in losses, and the Wolverine defense stopped runners behind the line of scrimmage five more times for 12 more lost yards. The Lions did score their first touchdown in two games, when Hackenberg fired a 10-yard laser that redshirt freshman DaeSean Hamilton—the FAN ZONE leading receiver in the Big Ten—caught for his first career touchdown early in the second quarter. Football Schedule Team Roster Defensive tackle Anthony Zettel, a GoPSUSports.com Michigan native who had 80 friends and Radio/TV Listings family members among the announced Big Ten Football TV crowd of 113,085 watching him Saturday, Schedule made his second interception against Big Ten Standings Wolverine QB Devin Gardner in two years Big Ten Schedule and Results to set up the Lions’ short scoring drive at Penn Staters in the Pros the UM-28. For advertising info, Up to that point the Lions had dominated contact: Angelo Scialfa the action with 13:17 of possession time 609-259-1910 compared to 4:45 for the home team. [email protected] Penn State scored on its first three possessions. The Lions stalked their way downfield 57 yards in 10 plays to Sam Ficken’s 35-yard field goal and 60 yards in 11 plays to his 32-yard three-pointer in the first quarter. This was done with a balanced offense that netted 52 yards on the ground and 55 on Hackenberg’s seven completions on nine pass attempts. After Zettel made his heist during Michigan’s next possession, Hack immediately passed to Hamilton for 20 yards, took a two-yard sack, then rifled the shot to Hamilton in the end zone for a 13–7 Lion lead. (Michigan had scored on its first possession, when Gardner fired a bomb toward Devin Funchess running a deep post pattern. State safety Ryan Keiser looked like he might intercept the pass, but the taller Funchess took it away from him for the TD.) That was the home team’s only offensive spurt until the middle of the second period, when they marched 48 yards on 11 plays to Matt Wile’s 45- yard field goal, which set the halftime score at 13–10. The key on both Michigan scoring drives was Gardner’s ability to complete third-down passes to Amara Darboh for 14, 21 and 20 yards. By halftime, State had converted four of eight third downs, gained 55 yards on the ground and 94 through the air, as Hackenberg completed 11 of 16 passes. Michigan had converted four of six third downs gained 138 yards through the air on Gardner’s 11 completions in 13 attempts and his one interception. But the stout Lion defense had allowed the home team to gain only four yards on the ground. The second half was a different story. The Michigan defense blitzed and pressed, nullifying the Lions’ ground offensive, while sacking Hackenberg twice for 25 yards, and limiting him to 10 completions on 17 attempts for only 66 yards. An interception of a Hackenberg heave gave the Wolverines field position at the PS-28. Penn State’s defense yielded only three yards, but Matt Wile kicked a 42-yard field goal to tie the contest 13–13. Some short Penn State punts surrendered valuable field position to the home team, until Wile booted his 37-yard game-winner in the fourth frame. Michigan got two bonus points after successive sacks pinned the Lions on their own three yard line with just 1:41 remaining. State took a safety so they would have a free kick from their 20 yard line. As a last ditch attempt, Ficken tapped an on sides kick, which the Lions recovered for one last offensive opportunity. But it was nullified by a questionable off-sides call on Penn State, and Michigan ran out the clock. “We’ve got a lot of work to do in a lot of different areas,” said a subdued Coach Franklin in his post-game press conference. He said there were challenges up front that have to be fixed fast. He said “the defense kept us in the game,” but added that it needs to create more turnovers. Michigan had suffered 15 turnovers in five games but surrendered only one Saturday—an interception that was countered by the Wolverines’ aerial theft. Both set up scores. Bill Belton had a season-long run of 31 yards on his second carry to chew up yardage on State’s opening drive. Hamilton added to his stats as the Big Ten’s top receiver, making seven catches for 58 yards, to raise his total to 43 receptions and break Deion Butler’s Penn State freshman record of 37. Hackenberg completed 21 passes for 160 yards and is the conference leader in completions (134) and yardage (272.8 per game). Mike Hull led all tacklers on both team with 11 stops (eight of them solos) plus two tackles for 10 yards in losses, including a seven-yard sack of Gardner. Hull is No. 2 in the Big Ten and 15th nationally with 10.2 tackles per game. Deion Barnes made a career-high seven tackles including a six-yard sack. “We will stay positive and keep working hard … The margin for error is small when you only have 62 recruited scholarship players,” Franklin noted. For the second time in two weeks, Franklin said State’s upcoming bye week couldn’t come at a better time, because it would enable the coaches and players time to work on their problems. By quirk of the Big Ten scheduling computer, Penn State had bye weeks before and after the Michigan game. The staff did several things to address their problems during the first bye week and showed Michigan several new looks such as unbalanced lines, offensive tackles split wide, receivers in motion to get better blocking angles, tight ends at fullback to provide another blocker. All had limited effect against the Wolverines, who ranked 12th in the nation in rush defense and allowed only three rushing touchdowns in six games, while posting 26 tackles for loss in just the last three outings. With the prime-time White Out contest against Ohio State in Beaver Stadium looming on Oct. 25, the oddsmakers are suggesting that Penn State might go 0-for-October. But they also acknowledge that the Lions have a chance to run the table in November right up to Thanksgiving. That should qualify them for a nice season-ending bowl trip, which has been denied them by the sanctions in their last two winning seasons. For the Glory, Click here to view the mobile version VOLUME 77 ISSUE 6 Penn State vs. Michigan October 13, 2014 Notes from the Cuff It was fitting that the Blue Band took its Follow us on annual road trip to perform at Michigan this Twitter and fall, because Penn State hadn’t played Check out the there since 2009, and it is the University new Football where retiring Director Dick Bundy got his Letter Blog masters degree, in between his baccalaureate and doctors degrees from Penn State. The Michigan Band performed PSU 670013 a unique halftime show with moving MICHIGAN733518 colored lights in a darkened stadium … Penn State’s annual Bandorama will feature the marching Blue Band and CONTENTS the Symphonic Band in Eisenhower Auditorium at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14 (the night before the football game against Temple). Tickets are $16 for The Letter adults, $11 for Penn State students and $6 for youth 18 and under. Call Notes from the Cuff 1-800-ARTS-TIX. Complimentary parking is available in Eisenhower Parking Other Sports Deck … News of Note Game Photos The Nittany Lions four-game win streak vs. Michigan came to an end, and Statistics the Wolverines’ series lead increased to 11–7. Michigan has won all three of its night games in the Big House, also defeating Notre Dame in 2011 and 2013 … PAST ISSUES Penn State has a 40–21 record in night games, including a 20–11 mark on View past issues the road … The Lions are 15–12 after a bye week since starting Big Ten play in 1993, but they have lost their last three … Wide receivers Chris Godwin and Saed Blacknall became the eighth and ninth players to make their first career starts this season … Sam Ficken leads the Big Ten and is tied for fifth nationally with an average of two field goals per game.