The Penn State-Michigan Report Card
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. | In losses to Ohio State and Michigan this year, Penn State scored a combined total of 15 points until their final, frantic offensive series of each game. That will be the legacy of the Nittany Lions' 2023 season, which reached its critical mass in a 24-15 loss to Michigan on Saturday.
The Lions (8-2) broke down offensively on their two biggest stages of the season, leaving questions in the wake of a third consecutive season with losses to the Buckeyes and Wolverines. Penn State is squarely locked into the Big Ten's No. 3 spot; not bad but, as Franklin said Saturday, "not good enough." We might just screenshot the Ohio State report card and paste it here, but Michigan deserves to be seen for what it did at Beaver Stadium. So here are the grades for Penn State's latest letdown against the Big Ten's big two.
OFFENSE: D
James Franklin said Penn State needed to call a better game for quarterback Drew Allar. That gameplan couldn't have gone much worse. Penn State ran on 19 of its 22 first downs, establishing a pattern that Michigan diagnosed fairly easily. Second down was a horror show: Penn State averaged 6.5 yards rushing on those 19 carries but its average third-down distance was 5.6. Allar struggled, yes, but his coaches and receivers didn't help. It's difficult for a quarterback who threw just 13 times through quarters to assume all the comeback stress in the fourth. That contributed to some off throws (Allar pointed to a third-down pass behind receiver Kaden Saunders as a big miss), but the quarterback needed more help. Kudos to the offensive line, which stood up fairly well, and to running back Kaytron Allen, who was asked to complete a fourth-down pass among an overstuffed handful of trick plays.
DEFENSE: B-
Once again, the Lions played well enough defensively, save for one blind spot, to win a big game. Ohio State had Marvin Harrison Jr., Michigan had a seven-man jumbo front. Once they realized Penn State's defensive ends would be terrors, the Wolverines added two offensive linemen, gave the ball to Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards and put J.J. McCarthy's arm on ice. Michigan ran on 86 percent of its 54 offensive plays, including 32 in a row to finish the game. McCarthy threw eight passes, technically none in the second half (his lone attempt resulted in a debatable pass interference). The Wolverines also ran straight at Penn State's "Prowler" third-down package, hitting a pair of long conversions against unguarded edges. Smart move on Michigan's part, beating one of coordinator Manny Diaz's favorite looks.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
Nothing much to see here, though a fourth-quarter holding penalty on a punt return cost Penn State field position. Nice day for punter Riley Thompson, who launched two of 50+ yards, and kicker Gabe Nwosu as usual didn't allow a return.
COACHING: D
One week after Allar played his most confident game of the season, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich tied one arm behind the quarterback's back. It was a disconcerting display of three quarters of distrust, followed by a fourth-quarter expectation dump. "Now go win it, Drew," they said, without giving him the tools. Franklin also chased points twice on 2-point conversions, one inexplicably late in the game, and neither attempt was successful. Fourth down? Franklin leans into fourth down anyway, so, while his aggressive decision on 4th-and-6 from the 30-yard line failed, at least it was consistent. But that also put a wearying defense onto the field in a stressful spot after a 32-second offensive possession, and Michigan's Blake Corum followed with the clinching touchdown.
OVERALL: C-
Penn State's offense let down its defense again, and the coaches let down that offense. Allar needs two finishing weeks with a play chart that maximizes his strengths and restores his lapsed confidence. Franklin and Yurcich need to have a transparent (the head coach's word) conversation about this season and their future. And Franklin might consider playing more young players, as wait-till-next-year has begun.
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For Penn State and James Franklin, another missed opportunity
Michigan 24, Penn State 15: The breakdown from Beaver Stadium
Penn State's Kaytron Allen: 'I can't be denied'
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Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59.
