UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has often spoken of the grit of his current team.
That grit was on display again at Penn State, as the Wolverines kept alive hope for a late run at the Big Ten East Division title.
They scored a late touchdown and held off the Nittany Lions to win 21-17 before 1093,54 at Beaver Stadium. Michigan is now 9-1, 6-1 in the Big Ten and plays at Maryland next week before returning home to face Ohio State.
"That was a statement we needed going into these next two games," tight end Erick All told the UM radio broadcast after the game.
Michigan regained the lead, 21-17, with 3:29 left on a 47-yard pass from Cade McNamara to All. Hassan Haskins rushed the first five plays of the drive, including a 17-yard run on the first play.
Penn State tied the game, 14-14, with 7:35 left in the game when Tyler Warren scored on a 2-yard pass from Sean Clifford, then Clifford connected with Jahan Dotson on the conversion. The Nittany Lions converted on three fourth downs in the 53-yard drive that took 15 plays and 5:11.
The Nittany Lions who had led Michigan to two three-and-outs on the previous three series, walloped Michigan on the next possession, sacking McNamara on third down and forcing a fumble recovered by Arnold Ebiketie at the Michigan 16-yard line.
Penn State took the lead, 17-14, on a 31-yard field goal by Jordan Stout.
Roman Wilson had two touchdown catches for the Wolverines. But it was Haskins, the team’s leading rusher, who carried the offensive load. He had 156 yards on 31 carries and also had five catches for 45 yards, having to carry the workload with running back Blake Corum home because of injury.
McNamara was 19-of-29 passing for 217 yards and three touchdowns. Michigan had 363 yards of offense.
Penn State had 332 yards of offense but Clifford took seven sacks, including three by Aidan Hutchinson, who now has 10 this season.
Michigan carried a slim, 7-6 lead into halftime after giving up a long field goal with 31 seconds left, but opened the second half with a patient, 75-yard, nine-play scoring drive.
The Wolverines expanded the lead to 14-6 when McNamara connected with Wilson for his second touchdown reception of the game, this time from a yard. Wilson had a 21-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.
But they went three-and-out on its next possession and got a stroke of luck when Penn State missed a 43-yard field goal attempt that bounced off the right upright.
Michigan was short-handed in the run game without Corum. Corum suffered an undisclosed injury to his right leg in the Indiana game a week ago — he was in a walking boot. Receivers Andrel Anthony and A.J. Henning, who left last week’s game with unspecified injuries, were back against Penn State, as was tight end Erick All (he was in uniform last week but didn’t play) and freshman running back Donovan Edwards. Cornerback Gemon Green, injured last week against Indiana, did not make the trip.
With Corum out, Haskins was not unexpectedly the workhorse of the offense, as he was a week earlier. He sparked a Michigan offense that was sluggish in the first quarter, didn’t have the ball much and took some time getting in sync in the first half at Penn State.
Michigan, which didn’t have a first down in the first quarter, got the offense going a bit in the second quarter and had nine first downs and took a 7-3 lead. Haskins was pivotal in that 90-yard, 17-play touchdown drive, touching the ball on eight of those plays. While he had two receptions for 22 yards, his biggest contribution was a 2-yard run to convert on fourth down. Michigan went on to score.
