Michigan Wolverines Football: Opponent Preview: Can Penn State Ride Late-Season Momentum Into 2021

Note: A version of this Michigan Wolverines opponent preview appears in The Wolverine's Michigan Football Preview magazine, which can be purchased by clicking HERE.

Penn State Nittany Lions Quick Facts

All-Time Series: Michigan leads 14-10

First Meeting: U-M 21, PSU 13 (Oct. 16, 1993 at State College, Pa.)

Last Meeting: PSU 27, U-M 17 (Nov. 28, 2020 at Ann Arbor, Mich.)

Head Coach: James Franklin, 60-28 (8th year) at PSU, 84-43 overall (11th year)

2020 In Review: 4-5, 4-5 Big Ten (3rd East)

Final 2020 Ranking: Unranked

Returning Starters: 16 (7 offense, 7 defense, 2 specialists)

Last Bowl Appearance: 2019 (Goodyear Cotton Bowl vs. Memphis, W 53-39)

Penn State Nittany Lions Returning Leaders

Passing: Sean Clifford (1,883 yards, 16 TD)

Rushing: Keyvone Lee (438 yards, 4 TD)

Receiving: Jahan Dotson (884 yards, 8 TD)

Tackles: Ellis Brooks (60)

Sacks: Brandon Smith (2)

Interceptions: Brandon Smith, Jaquan Brisker and Keaton Ellis (1)

Players To Watch

Offense: Jahan Dotson, Jr., WR — He landed on Athlon Sports’ preseason All-Big Ten first team … His average of 17 yards per reception ranked fourth in the league last season.

Defense: Jaquan Brisker, 5th-Sr., S — He notched two interceptions and three pass breakups as a junior in 2019 … Played at Lackawanna Community College from 2017-18, before transferring to Penn State.

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Penn State Nittany Lions Preview

Last season was a whirlwind for Penn State. The Nittany Lions began the year by losing to Indiana in overtime, and wound up falling in each of their first five games. They then turned things around, starting against Michigan in Ann Arbor, beating the Wolverines, 27-17, to kick off a four-game win streak that closed the campaign.

PSU will look to carry that momentum into 2021.

The Nittany Lions’ offense was adequate last season. The unit generated 29.8 points and 430.3 yards per game, which ranked second and third in the Big Ten, respectively.

Redshirt junior quarterback Sean Clifford was the primary man behind center, but he platooned with Will Levis, who transferred to Kentucky this offseason. It’ll be Clifford’s show now that Levis is gone, after an up-and-down campaign in 2020. He completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 1,883 yards and 16 touchdowns with nine picks. The experience is there with Clifford, who has started 18 career games.

The offense showed big-play ability last season, producing 146 plays of 10-plus yards and 43 gains of at least 20, with both of those marks checking in second in the conference. Among the most explosive players was junior wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who was responsible for registering 34 plays that gained double-digit yards, including 15 of 20 or more.

He also led the Big Ten in receiving yards (884) and receiving touchdowns (eight), and ranked third in catches (52). He’s joined in the wide receiving corps by freshmen Parker Washington, who made 36 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who posted 15 catches for 138 yards last season.

Penn State lost running back Noah Cain to a knee injury after he notched just three carries in the opener. He should be back this fall, though, adding a boost to a group that carried the load by committee last season. Cain has averaged 5.2 yards per carry for his career, and he ran for eight touchdowns as a true freshman in 2019.

Three starters return on the offensive line, providing some continuity at the line of scrimmage. The group is highlighted by redshirt sophomore left tackle Rasheed Walker, who was a third-team All-Big Ten honoree last season and landed on Athlon Sports’ preseason all-conference first team.

The Nittany Lion defense was solid a year ago, with the group allowing just 328.9 yards per contest (17th nationally).

The struggles came in the red zone, where Penn State allowed opponents to score on 88.3 percent of their trips inside the 20-yard line (104th in the land).

Meanwhile, the strength of the unit was on the back end, with the club yielding 198.6 passing yards per tilt, which checked in second in the Big Ten and 24th in the country.

Leading the charge in the secondary is fifth-year senior safety Jaquan Brisker, a third-team All-Big Ten selection who also earned first-team All-America honors from PFF. He made 57 tackles, including three stops for loss, one interception and a team-high six pass breakups last season. The team’s starting cornerbacks from 2020 — fifth-year senior Tariq Castro-Fields and redshirt freshman Joey Porter Jr. — are also set to return and add stability.

The front seven was sufficient, ranking 26th in the country in rushing yards allowed (130.2) and 49th in tackles for loss (6.6) per game.

But there are question marks up front heading into 2021, with only one starter on the defensive line — junior tackle PJ Mustipher — set to return. He’s a big piece, having made 35 tackles and earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention nod last season.

There is a lot that is unknown surrounding the defensive line, with head coach James Franklin and Co. having brought in two transfers — tackle Derrick Tangelo (Duke) and Arnold Ebiketie (Temple). The former racked up 38 tackles and two sacks last season, while the latter notched 42 stops and four sacks.

Sophomore linebacker Brandon Smith anchors his position group and was very active last season. He registered 37 tackles, which ranked fifth on the team, and led the squad in stops behind the line of scrimmage with eight. He also made one interception.

Michigan At Penn State (Nov. 13) — The Wolverine's Take

• There is no game time announced for when the Wolverines travel to Happy Valley Nov. 13, but it's safe to assume this will be PSU's 'white out' contest and potentially a night game. Michigan has lost two straight in State College — in 2017 and 2019 — and beat the Nittany Lions during a white out game in 2015. The elements are tough, much like a night game at Michigan Stadium, and will surely play a factor in the final result.

• Penn State is an early 7.5-point home favorite over the Wolverines. The Nittany Lions have the second-best odds to win the Big Ten, behind only Ohio State, which means oddsmakers and pundits expect them to be much better than a year ago.

• Speaking of last season, it was crazy for both teams. PSU lost some heartbreakers, including an overtime game against Indiana, and got off to a brutal 0-5 start. Then, they beat Michigan, which was one of four-straight triumphs to conclude the campaign. Both teams were riddled with opt-outs and injuries, and underachieved with the talent that was on the field. One team turned it around, though, and the other (Michigan) fizzled out with a loss to PSU and three-straight cancellations due to COVID-19 concerns.

• Michigan will be coming off a tough game against Indiana, while Penn State will get an easier draw at Maryland the week prior to this matchup. Advantage, Nittany Lions. At least one of these teams could be in the running for the Big Ten East title, so this may be one of the premiere matchups across all of college football in Week 10.