Penn State Struggles to Process a Loss to Michigan
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. | In Beaver Stadium’s North end zone late Saturday afternoon, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy sprinted away from his post-game television interview, waving his arms and screaming for the remaining Michigan fans to bask in a 24-15 win over Penn State. Meanwhile in the South end zone, the Nittany Lions walked off the field, heads low, to raucous jeers from fans after losing another fate-defining game under James Franklin.
The Imagine Dragons’ song “It’s Time” blared over the stadium’s speakers. The chorus was fitting: “I’m just the same as I was, now don’t you understand, that I’m never changing who I am?”
Franklin fell to 3-17 against top-10 opponents after this latest loss to Michigan. And with Jim Harbaugh suspended from coaching Saturday’s game, Wolverines interim head coach Sherrone Moore now has the same number of regular-season wins against top-10 teams as Franklin: one.
The post-game scene was understandably tough. Players fought back tears or let them flow, struggled to make eye contact and didn’t have a ton to say about any specific in-game moments. With the College Football Playoff out of the picture and a promising season officially derailed, here’s how the Nittany Lions tried to process what happened.
'I let a lot of people down'
Theo Johnson, Penn State’s Mackey Award semifinalist at tight end, seemed to take the loss harder than anyone. The captain, who scored a late touchdown that made the game seem closer than it really was, broke down in tears for a full minute before composing himself to try to explain his range of emotions.
“I let a lot of people down,” Johnson said, trailing off in tears. “Could’ve played better. As a captain, there’s a lot of people counting on you.”
'I feel for everybody on this team'
Running back Nicholas Singleton carried Penn State’s first scoring drive of the afternoon, gaining 26 yards that led to an Alex Felkins field goal. But Singleton otherwise struggled against Michigan's run defense, averaging 3.3 yards on 13 carries, to continue what has been a frustrating season for the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
“I felt like we should’ve won, but give credit to Michigan. They’re a good team,” Singleton said. “They played their butts off for the whole four quarters. I felt like we didn’t do that.”
Singleton later added, "We obviously felt like we could win that game, but Michigan and Ohio State finished strong and we didn’t."
Singleton came to the defense of quarterback Drew Allar, who threw for a season-low 70 yards. He also called Allar a leader.
“I feel for him," Singleton said. "I feel for everybody on this team.”
'I don't pay attention to the fans'
Even with Chop Robinson returning from injury Saturday, Dani Dennis-Sutton put together a strong performance of the defensive edge. He made Penn State’s only sack of the day — on the first drive of the game — and added two tackles for loss. Dennis-Sutton also was vocal yet measured in his response to the game-long boos from fans that intensified as the end.
“I don’t pay attention to the fans. I appreciate the ones that do support. Love for the Penn State University,” Dennis-Sutton said. “But when people boo us, half of them wouldn’t step on the field if they had the opportunity to. Doesn’t affect me.”
Dennis-Sutton also lightened the mood post-game. He celebrated a second-half tackle for loss with a sign-stealing joke, feigning that he had binoculars pointed toward the sideline then checking a nonexistent play sheet on his wrist.
“I was just trying to have fun out there. Whatever they got going on, just trying to make fun of it, man,” Dennis-Sutton said. “If you don’t have fun with this, it’s gonna be boring.”
'This is a taste that we don't want to taste again'
Linebacker Kobe King played one of his best games of the season, making nine tackles (six solo) and standing up Michigan running back Blake Corum more than once. He was, however, part of a defense that gave up 227 rushing yards and a trio of scores.
“This is a taste that we don’t want to taste again,” King said. “We’ve got a lot to learn still and a lot of football to play. We gotta stick together throughout the rest of the season.”
'Not good enough'
Quarterback Drew Allar had an admittedly tough day, completing 10 of 22 passes for a season-low 70 yards and losing a third-quarter fumble. “Not good enough,” Allar said of his play.
Allar seemed hesitant at times, missing throws and not seeing open receivers. It was a step backward, particularly after the game-winning touchdown pass against Indiana and last week's four-touchdown game at Maryland. Still, Allar was staunch in his belief.
“I couldn't care less what everybody else says. Obviously it’s not what we wanted to happen these two games that we’ve lost, but we’ve just got to stick together, bounce back next week,” Allar said. “There’s still a ton to play for, even if people don’t think there is. But we’re going to stick together, we’re going to learn and grow for this.
Sticking together through the stretch run was a common theme after the game. A New Year’s Six bowl could still be on the horizon for Penn State with a pair of conference games remaining, but the biggest goals are out the window now. He had a response for any outside sources driving that narrative.
“There’s going to be a lot of noise surrounding us now, people are going to try to divide us, just take shots at us. But who cares? We’re the ones playing the game,” Allar said. “We’re not going out trying to lose a football game. We put too many hours, too much hard work, too much sacrifice in this to want to go out and lose a football game.”
'Definitely'
This isn’t what defensive end Adisa Isaac had in mind when he returned to Penn State instead of entering the 2023 NFL Draft. Isaac struggled to describe his emotions but did make one point clear. Asked whether this loss stung more than Ohio State, Isaac said, "Definitely."
Isaac has dealt with a number of injuries but played a full season last year and has looked like a true NFL prospect the last few weeks. He made three more tackles for loss against Michigan and then set out to glue his team back together.
"I definitely want to be around a lot of my guys as much as possible," Isaac said. "I definitely want to get around some of my teammates later on tonight after they settle down. I’m a guy who just wants to be around my guys and just uplift everybody and make sure everybody’s on the right track, because we still have a season to finish."
'At that point, I've got to move on'
Linebacker Curtis Jacobs, another player who delayed his NFL career to return, also said he was focused on how he could bring this team back together. Jacobs made seven tackles (1.5 for loss), and his reaction might have summed the atmosphere best.
“It’s tough. I’m going to go home and talk to the people closest to me and just keep pushing. I feel like if we’re a team that’s together, no one can stop us,” Jacobs said. “I’m going to go out of this room right here and talk to my mom and give her a big hug. And at that point, I’ve got to move on.”
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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.
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