Watch: Penn State head coach James Franklin recaps 41-17 loss over Michigan
After two weeks of suspense, Penn State had an opportunity to prove the doubters wrong Saturday in Ann Arbor. Under James Franklin, the Nittany Lions have struggled against the nation’s best programs, going 0-10 against Top 10 teams since 2016. With Michigan playing a fairly pedestrian schedule to this point, many thought Penn State would give the Wolverines their first challenge of the season.
Just like in previous years though, the Nittany Lions weren’t able to get it done, as Michigan defeated Penn State 41-17. Statistically, this game was never close, outgaining Penn State 563 to 268. That was especially true for the defensive front seven, as the Wolverines ran for an eye-catching 418 yards.
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“We did not control the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball,” Franklin said. “They controlled the line of scrimmage and they controlled the game.”
Michigan opened the game with three-straight scoring drives to take a 13-0 lead. Penn State was able to go on a drive of its own then, as Kaytron Allen punched it in to cut the lead to 13-7. That was followed by a Curtis Jacobs pick-six a few minutes later, giving the Nittany Lions the lead.
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But even then, Michigan was still in control of the game, as the Wolverines would get a field goal at the end of the half to take the lead. They then scored on every drive except the final one in the second half, scoring three touchdowns and a field goal. In fact, Michigan didn’t punt the ball the entire game. The pick-six and the final drive of the game were the only two drives that didn’t result in points for Jim Harbaugh’s squad.
Penn State fans can watch Franklin’s complete press conference below. The Nittany Lions will now turn their focus to Minnesota, who also loss on Saturday to Illinois, 26-14.
