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Penn State steamrolled by Michigan: BWI Live Postgame

Headshot 5x7 reduced qualityby: Thomas Frank Carr10/15/22ThomasFrankCarr
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 15: Blake Corum #2 of the Michigan Wolverines looks to avoid a tackle by Jaylen Reed #7 of the Penn State Nittany Lions in the first half of a game at Michigan Stadium on October 15, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

Penn State football suffered its first loss of the season, losing __ to 17, falling with a thud. Penn State gave up over 350 yards rushing in the game and is now 5-1. Join the BWI Live postgame show on YouTube to discuss what happened in the game. Host Tom Hannifan and film analyst Thomas Frank Carr take your questions and break down the game. Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated so you don’t miss the show.

Penn State delivers a clunker in biggest game of the season

Penn State managed only 14 plays in the first half, compared to Michigan’s 50, yet was only down by two scores at halftime. However, two big runs by Michigan blew the game open in the third quarter, where Manny Diaz’s defense gave up 168 yards on the ground. By the end of the game, the Wolverines racked up 418 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the day. Sophomore quarterback JJ McCarthy was good but didn’t have to do much as the game progressed, throwing for only 145 yards on 24 attempts.

Penn State’s offense was overmatched, gaining only 22 yards rushing from its trio of runners before the game script was out of hand. However, quarterback Sean Clifford was good on the day, hitting several passes on third down to Mitchell Tinsley and a 48-yard pass to Harrison Wallace. But the team had very little consistency on offense and couldn’t keep up with the Wolverines’ onslaught.

The fourth quarter didn’t yield better results, with Clifford going down and backup Drew Allar finishing the game. The Penn State freshman finished the game 5-10 for 37 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. For the first time all season the freshman quarterback looked overmatched in the moment, throwing balls behind receivers and struggling with pressure.

Penn State hosts Minnesota for the White Out game next weekend for the second in a pivotal three-game stretch of quality opponents.