Despite the Michigan Wolverines' 28-21 football loss at Penn State over the weekend, there were still plenty of positive aspects from the game that the Maize and Blue should be encouraged about moving forward.
We break those down, while also taking a look at what worked, what didn't work, and which team had the upper hand in each individual position battle.
Key Moment of the Game:
This one is obvious.
With Michigan facing a fourth-and-goal at the three-yard line trailing 28-21 with 2:06 remaining, senior quarterback Shea Patterson took a shotgun snap and immediately dropped back to look for a receiver.
Junior defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos came rushing in from the left side and swiped at Patterson's feet, but the senior did a nice job of stepping up in the pocket to avoid the sack.
Patterson then delivered a perfectly thrown ball that hit sophomore receiver Ronnie Bell right in the chest in the end zone … but he dropped it.
Granted, Bell had junior safety Lamont Wade draped all over him, but it's still a catch the sophomore undoubtedly needed to make.
Penn State then picked up the crucial first down it needed on its ensuing offensive possession, and was able to run out the clock from there.
Three Things That Worked:
1. Second Half Grit and Resilience
Past Michigan teams have folded all too often on the road as soon as adversity hit under head coach Jim Harbaugh, but this year's crew nearly erased a 21-point deficit to send the game into overtime. There was no lack of focus or panic from the Wolverines when Penn State built its lead, and the fight the Maize and Blue showed was something we hadn't seen in its last several road affairs.
2. Second Half Defensive Adjustments
Don Brown's defense was torched for 21 points and 203 yards before halftime, but the veteran coordinator's defensive changes paid dividends in the second half. Yes, PSU hit on the 53-yard touchdown pass from redshirt sophomore quarterback Sean Clifford to redshirt sophomore wideout K.J. Hamler in the fourth quarter, but as a whole, the Nittany Lions mustered just seven points, 80 yards of offense, and were forced to punt on four of their six possessions after the break.
3. Patterson's Performance
He finally played like the veteran quarterback everybody expected to see when he chose to return for his senior season, consistently making accurate throws and showing outstanding pocket presence. His 276 yards were tied for the second most he had ever compiled at Michigan, and his 24-of-41 connection rate should have been much better if it weren't for several drops from his receivers.
Three Things That Didn't Work:
1. Coming out of the Gates Strong
U-M once again dug itself a major hole in a tough road environment, going down 21-0 midway through the second quarter. The Wolverines were also down 28-0 before halftime earlier this year at Wisconsin, and the club has to figure out a way to begin some of these big games stronger if it hopes to turn its road fortunes around.
2. Sure-Handedness From the Receivers
Where in the world has the sure-handedness been this year from a receiving crew who seldom dropped any passes a season ago? Bell's gaffe in the end zone is obviously the most talked about, but the unit had several other drops throughout the game as well, including one from junior receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones and redshirt sophomore wideout Tarik Black on a crucial fourth down play in the first quarter (granted, the refs' failure to throw a pass interference flag on fifth-year senior cornerback John Reid was just one of their many blown calls on what was a terrible overall outing on their part, but Black still should have caught the ball).
3. Winning the Turnover Battle
Michigan did not fumble on Saturday for the first time in a game all year, but still failed to win the turnover battle for the sixth time in seven contests. The lone giveaway of the night occurred when Patterson was picked off by junior cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields, meaning U-M's turnover margin now sits at minus-two on the year (84th in the country).
