Michigan Readying For Penn State: ‘We’re Going Over There To Take Over’
This year’s matchup with Penn State won’t be a whiteout game, but it's pretty close.
Last week it was announced the matchup would be a “Helmet Stripe Game” with all sections except those at the 50 yard line donning white. The game will be at noon, so the Wolverines won’t have to deal with the raucous prime time atmosphere, but the environment will still be a difficult one for the Wolverines. Michigan has not won in Happy Valley since 2015.
With an 8-1 record and everything still to play for in the Big Ten race, the Wolverines want to make sure this trip to State College goes in their favor. They’re approaching the road contest with a fire that they’ve brought to every game away from Ann Arbor this year.
"Lifestyle on the road can be pretty crazy,” junior wide receiver Cornelius Johnson said. “We’ve got a tough road game coming up in their building. It’s something that we’ve got to do as a team, come together. It’s just going to be us in rival territory. We’ve got to make sure we’re really keyed in throughout practice getting ready for that."
One new tradition for the 2021 Michigan squad in road games has been taking the other team’s song and it’s one that appears to be working. In Week 5, against Wisconsin, the Wolverines had plenty of bounce when “Jump Around” played at the end of the third quarter — en route to a 38-17 victory. Against Nebraska, Michigan players were animated as “Thunderstruck” blared on the speakers and they rode that energy to a 32-29 win.
Against Penn State, “Zombie Nation” will be played at some point. The Wolverines want to make sure it's their sideline going crazy to the song.
“We’re always just thinking we’re going over there to take over,” freshman linebacker Junior Colson said. “Every game we just think of it as a home game. When we go over there, we try to take their song, take anything they have. To us, their crowd is our crowd. [We want to] make it feel like home.”
Fresh off earning the No. 6 spot in the latest College Football Playoff rankings — and jumping Michigan State in the process — the Wolverines don’t want to squander the opportunity in front of them. Get through this game and in all likelihood, the Wolverines will be entering the Ohio State matchup with a trip to the Big Ten Championship on the line.
They can do all they want to handle the atmosphere, but Michigan also must deal with the product the Nittany Lions put out on the field.
Quarterback Sean Clifford is arguably the most complete passer Michigan has faced this season. He was injured for Penn State’s losses against Iowa and Illinois, but he’s looked 100% healthy since — throwing for over 350 yards each of their last two games.
Clifford will have his favorite target with him as well. Wide receiver Jahan Dotson, fresh off going for 242 yards and 3 touchdowns against Maryland, will try to wreak havoc on Michigan’s secondary. The Wolverines are preparing for him, and the rest of the Nittany Lions high flying offense.
“He’s a good receiver,” junior defensive back Dax Hill said. “Quick, shifty guy, all of them are pretty good receivers. It starts with practice, practicing like it’s a game. [We’re] doing whatever we can to stop their passing game. That’s one of their strengths of the offense, the passing game, having good receivers. We really want to stop the passing this week.”
Michigan is allowing just 173.4 passing yards per game, good enough for 8th best in the country and they’ll lean on their corners to keep the passing game in check as they attempt to grind out a win.
The Wolverines survived their first two road matchups. But, in their biggest road test so far, they stumbled and squandered a 16-point lead in East Lansing.
Come Saturday afternoon, the Wolverines hope they’ll be dancing on the sideline once again.
