Offense notes: Michigan silences Penn State crowd, doubters of run game

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Michigan Wolverines football ran 32 straight times to close out a 24-15 win over Penn State. Junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy, a Heisman Trophy contender, attempted just 8 passes the entire game, none in the second half. Michigan hadn’t attempted single-digit passes in a game this century.

The Wolverines faced a blitz-happy (especially up the middle) Penn State defense, coordinated by Manny Diaz, and chose to travel on the ground, reaching their final destination of the victory.

Michigan senior running back Blake Corum rushed for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns on a season-high 26 carries. Junior Donovan Edwards racked up 52 yards and his second score of the year on 10 attempts.

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The Wolverines had 4 rushes of 20-plus yards, after having only 11 in the previous nine outings. Edwards dashed for 22 yards late in the first quarter, setting up a Corum touchdown. Corum had a 44-yarder that set up an Edwards touchdown. But Corum, a 5-foot-8, 213-pound senior, had the run of the afternoon, sealing the deal with a 30-yard touchdown to go up 24-9 with 4:15 remaining.

“We’ve got two of the best backs in the country. At the end of the day we do whatever it takes to win,” Michigan interim head coach Sherrone Moore said. “Sometimes it’s throwing more. Sometimes it’s running more. We’re going to do whatever we can in that game to win. We thought as we got into the game, obviously the running game became a priority and I think our guys up front really asserted themselves to be dominant, and those backs ran super hard. So, I was really excited about that.”

Offensive line puts team on its back

The men up front had been criticized throughout the season. Michigan had rushed for 200-plus yards in only two previous games (Nebraska and Rutgers) after doing so in nine of 14 outings last year. Graduate left guard Trevor Keegan and his linemates felt somewhat vindicated with the way this one went, Michigan totaling 227 yards on the ground.

“We knew we hadn’t been running the ball as effectively as we have in the past, and we took that to heart,” Keegan noted. ‘They were the No. 1 rushing defense in the country. They were only averaging like 60.4 yards a game [allowed]. We knew that we were going to have to win this game in the trenches, we knew we were going to have to run the ball.

“The guys, we were so locked in this week. It was so awesome when it was on our back at the end there. And Blake and Dono, they were trusting us and trusting the holes we made, and they were hitting them fast and quick. It was awesome.”

“Going into halftime we said, up front we’re going to dominate,” Corum added. “I just kept pushing them — push, man, and fight. Fight, fight, fight. We’re going to run hard. That’s what happened. I’m so proud of the offensive line, the tight ends, receivers, Don and myself and everyone else. That’s a great win.”

It was also fitting, Keegan agreed, that Michigan won that way — behind its offensive line and with its running backs — with head coach Jim Harbaugh suspended and their line coach, Moore, filling in to lead the team.

Moore was emotional after the game, with tears and a few expletives (talking affectionately to Harbaugh, who was presumably watching) during his FOX postgame interview. Then, tears running down his face, he put a fist in the air, saluting the manic Michigan fans, as the trotted into the tunnel.

“I’m a pretty calm guy, but there are a lot of emotions,” the Michigan coach said. “Being here six years, I feel like this place is home. What Coach Harbaugh has done for me, just giving me the opportunity to be here and this whole university, and these players, these fans. This place is like home to me. Home to my family.

“It’s very deep. I wear my heart on my sleeve, work extremely hard, as we all do. So, it means a lot for us to get this win in this situation, to show that and make it about the players. We have elite players, elite university, and I’m just so happy for them.”

After Corum’s 44-yard touchdown, and at some other points throughout the game, many of the Michigan offensive players celebrated by checking their (imaginary) watches, in response to Diaz’s social media video making fun of the sign-stealing allegations against U-M. The Wolverines got the last laugh.

“They left some bait out there this week,” Corum said. “You know what that was.”

Trevor Keegan: ‘We are the storm’

The Michigan team found out Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten after it landed in State College Friday afternoon. That was “terrific timing,” Keegan said sarcastically. Harbaugh didn’t receive the temporary restraining order he sought before kickoff and wasn’t able to coach. Moore said Harbaugh had already instructed the team in a Friday night speech to play “angry.” His Michigan Wolverines did that, and played for him Saturday.

“Everything that went on yesterday, we’re going to be battle tested, there’s going to be adversity — we know that,” Keegan said. “There’s a target on our back right now, and we love that shit. Just players and the staff, having a one-track mind, banding together as brothers.

“The storm is coming. Nah, we are the storm. That’s our mentality.”

Michigan players are upset those on the outside are trying to undo their accomplishments of the last three seasons, adding fuel to the fire.

“People can make all the accusations and comments they want, but we take it to heart, man,” Keegan said. “The players who have been here for a while, we did everything we could to turn this program around and bring it back to where Michigan needs to be. The guys in the ‘19 class, the ‘20, ‘21 class — we’ve really changed this program as one. People can say whatever they want, but we know what’s true, we know who we are. We know who’s in this locker room and trust each other. We’re brothers. We’re in this thing together, and that’s the way it’s going to be.”

Miscellaneous Michigan football offense notes

• Michigan completed just 7 passes, the least it has in a game since a win over Washington in 2021 (also 7). The Wolverines’ previous season-low for completions was 15 against Rutgers.

• Michigan is 22-1 with McCarthy as the starting quarterback.

• The Wolverines scored 3 points in the third quarter, the first time the Penn State defense has been scored on in the third quarter this season. Michigan still hasn’t been scored on in any third quarter.

• Michigan was the first team in the last nine to eclipse 100 yards rushing against Penn State. Penn State entered the game with the No. 1-ranked rushing defense in the country.

• Corum more than doubled Penn State’s average rushing yards allowed per game (60.3), with 145 yards. That was his season high and most since putting up 162 in a win over Nebraska 364 days ago (162).

• Michigan allowed 1 sack and 7 overall tackles for loss. The Wolverines fumbled once but recovered it.

• The Maize and Blue’s 287 total yards were a season-worst. Having 312 against Bowling Green was the previous low. Those 287 yards were the lowest they’ve had in a game since a 20-13 victory over Rutgers in 2021.