ANN ARBOR, Mich. — On an eerily soundless Saturday at cavernous Michigan Stadium with nobody in the expansive stands, Penn State had many first-time events for them in 2020 that led to victory No. 1, 27-17, against Michigan.
If there was a count of players, coaches, broadcasters, and scribes, it might show fewer than 500 people inside the Big House. In a non-COVID world, there would've been thousands of cars parked on the Ann Arbor Golf & Outing Club when the Nittany Lions drove down the field for a touchdown on the first possession of the game. Quarterback Sean Clifford got the start for Penn State. He completed two passes for 36 yards on the drive. It was important for Clifford to get off to a good start after getting benched the previous week.
Maybe someone in the foursome playing their round of golf across the street from the north end zone would've been booing when freshman running back Keyvone Lee capped the 10-play 75-yard touchdown drive with a six-yard run. According to the ABC broadcast, Lee got the start because Devyn Ford missed the game due to a death in his family. Lee's touchdown marked the first time the Nittany Lions scored a touchdown on their initial possession.
A recurring theme in the five losses coming into Saturday's contest was the Nittany Lions having double-digit deficits in the first half. Indiana, Ohio State, Maryland, Nebraska and Iowa all took big leads into halftime. For the first time in 2020 it was Penn State with a 17-7 advantage at halftime.
Clifford and the team overcame adversity to get the lead. He got hit low after a pass in the second quarter. Will Levis came in the game to relieve him. About 10 minutes later, Clifford was back in the game. He ran for a 28-yard touchdown with 3:32 left to make the score 14-7.
Jake Pinegar hit a field goal as the half ended to give the Nittany Lions the 10-point lead.
Saturday was the first time Penn State didn't turn the ball over. They got yards when they needed them the most. Caziah Holmes had 34 yards rushing, Clifford 73, Levis 25 with a touchdown, and Lee 134 with a score.
The Nittany Lions ran the ball well and answered when the Wolverines challenged. No sequence was bigger than the 75-yard journey that Levis scored a touchdown on the 12th play with 8:12 left in the game. Michigan scored on the previous drive and pulled within three points. Clifford and Levis made plays. So did Parker Washington, who finished with 93 yards on nine catches. Jahan Dotson was kind of quiet with three catches for 30 yards, but he opened space for Washington and tight end Issac Lutz to get busy. Lutz added three pivotal catches for 30 yards.
Maybe those golfers would've found hope for a Michigan victory when Shaka Toney was called for an illegal bat on a Wolverine fumble late in the fourth quarter. Toney nudged the ball forward after Wolverine quarterback Cade McNamara fumbled. A moment like that would've crushed the Nittany Lions in the previous five games.
The defense overcame the adverse situation in the hollow stadium on Saturday. They got a stop that kept Michigan from scoring. This wasn't the standard script for the 2020 Nittany Lions. The next drive resulted in Clifford in a victory formation the Lions haven't seen since 2019.
Clifford took the snap and a knee as the clock ran out.
Penn State won a football game on Saturday. It was their first at Michigan Stadium since 2009. Maybe the golfers listened in on their smartphones.
