The Michigan Wolverines' football team fell tonight at Penn State, 28-21, in a hard fought battle.
The Wolverines trailed 21-0 in the first half, but fought back and had a chance to tie the game late in the contest.
Here's how it all unfolded:
First Half
Tonight's game started with three consecutive punts (two by Michigan and one by Penn State) before the Nittany Lions strung together a five-play, 66-yard scoring drive that concluded with a 17-yard touchdown pass from redshirt sophomore quarterback Sean Clifford to sophomore tight end Pat Freiermuth, at 5:59 of the first quarter, putting PSU up 7-0.
Michigan's offense punted again on its next series, and Penn State drove 64 yards in six plays before finding the end zone on a two-yard TD run by Clifford at 14:56 of the second quarter, extending the Nittany Lion lead to 14-0.
U-M's troubles continued when senior quarterback Shea Patterson was picked off by junior cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields at midfield, and PSU capitalized with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Clifford to redshirt sophomore receiver K.J. Hamler at 7:22 of the second quarter, putting Penn State up 21-0.
Michigan finally answered with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive that concluded with a 12-yard TD run by freshman running back Zach Charbonnet, trimming PSU's lead to 21-7.
After a Nittany Lion three-and-out, sophomore kicker Jake Moody tried a 58-yard field goal with 51 seconds remaining in the half, but the attempt was well short, keeping the deficit at 21-7.
Penn State punted on its ensuing drive and U-M took a knee to head into the locker room.
Second Half
The third quarter was dominated with punts.
Five straight boots started the frame, before Michigan compiled an eight-play, 65-yard drive that concluded with a 12-yard TD scamper by Charbonnet at 1:05 of the quarter, cutting Penn State's edge to 21-14.
The Nittany Lions responded with a massive touchdown, however, when Clifford hit Hamler on a 53-yard bomb at 13:14 of the fourth quarter, once again extending PSU's lead to 28-14.
The Wolverines answered Penn State's TD, however, accumulating a nine-play, 75-yard series that wrapped up with a one-yard quarterback sneak by Patterson on a fourth-and-goal play, making the score 28-21 with 8:48 remaining in the contest.
The Maize and Blue defense continued to dominate by forcing a three-and-out, and U-M took over at the PSU 47-yard line with 6:54 left.
Michigan drove all the way to the Nittany Lion four-yard line, but sophomore receiver Ronnie Bell dropped a perfectly thrown ball in the end zone on a fourth-and-goal play with 2:01 left in the game.
U-M's defense had to get a stop on PSU's ensuing series, but Hamler picked up a crucial third-and-three running play with 1:50 remaining, and the Nittany Lions then ran out the clock as a result.
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