Wolverines deliver 'butt kicking,' run over Nittany Lions in battle of unbeatens

Ann Arbor — Michigan ran all over Penn State.

No, really. The fifth-ranked Wolverines piled up the rushing yards against the Nittany Lions’ run defense, which entered Saturday’s game at Michigan Stadium ranked fifth nationally, to win 41-17 in what many considered Michigan’s first big test of the season.

Michigan had second-half touchdown runs of 67 yards by Donovan Edwards and 61 yards by Blake Corum and four field goals from Jake Moody as the Wolverines (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) remained undefeated.

This is the third time Michigan has started 7-0 under coach Jim Harbaugh (2016 and 2021 were the other seasons) and the first time the Wolverines have begun 7-0 in consecutive years since 1973-74. The Wolverines are off next Saturday and return Oct. 29 to Michigan Stadium to face in-state rival Michigan State.

The Wolverines gained 563 yards and averaged 7.1 yards per play while Penn State (5-1, 2-1) had 268 total yards. Michigan was 11-for-17 on third down and 1-for-1 on fourth down.

BOX SCORE: No. 5 Michigan 41, No. 10 Penn State 17

“Coach Harbaugh said in the locker room, it’s a butt kicking every which way a butt could be kicked,” sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy said. “This was in our house, and we take pride in that and we protect our house. Being able to do it in the fashion that we did was just awesome to see.”

Penn State had allowed an average 79.6 yards rushing per game through five games and only one team, Auburn, had more than 100 yards before Michigan’s duo of Corum and Edwards led a rushing attack that finished with 418 total yards. Edwards averaged 10.8 yards a carry and Corum 5.9 yards.

The Wolverines had not rushed for more than 300 yards in a game all season.

It was a fitting performance considering the return of running backs coach Mike Hart, who collapsed last weekend in the first quarter at Indiana and stayed overnight at a local hospital. Hart rested at home and helped game plan with the coaches via Zoom before returning to practice Thursday. It was Corum and Edwards who were the most emotional on the field at Indiana and their performances against Penn State seemed the ideal exclamation point for a challenging week.

“It was phenomenal to have him back,” Edwards said of Hart. “He’s like family to the running back room.”

Edwards finished with 16 carries for 173 yards and two touchdowns, while Corum had 28 carries for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Corum entered the Penn State game ranked seventh nationally in rushing and second in rushing touchdowns.

“Obviously, there’s way too many times the guy was just running through holes into the second level,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “Obviously, not happy with that number at all. Not one bit."

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Penn State opened the second half trailing 16-14 but came out efficiently on its first drive before stalling at Michigan’s 10-yard line. The Nittany Lions settled for a field goal and a brief 17-16 lead.

The Wolverines outscored Penn state 25-0 the rest of the way, starting with the back-to-back 60-plus-yard runs by Edwards and Corum.

“It was a pin-and-pull play,” Edwards said of his 67-yard score in his career day. “The offensive guard took the corner and the tackle took the linebacker and then the gap was so wide open. Just hit it, one-on-one with the safeties, like, what are you going to do at that point? You're gonna win or you're gonna get tackled. Just made something spectacular, just broke a tackle and took it for however long the touchdown was.”

Edwards would add a second touchdown from 3 yards out with 5:03 left in the game.

Michigan center Olu Oluwatimi said after the game on the UM radio broadcast that this was a "statement game." McCarthy, who was 17-of-24 for 145 yards and a first-half interception that was returned for a touchdown, reiterated his statement from all season that the offensive line has been key to the offense’s production.

“It was pretty much blowing them off the ball,” McCarthy said of the line. “Our offensive line, I said it a couple weeks ago, I'll say it today, this is the best offensive line in the country and showed it today. And they're gonna keep showing it.

“There hasn't really been a team that's stopped us completely with the run, and I don't think there will be.”

While Michigan, which never punted, was dominant but not perfect. In the first half, the Wolverines outgained Penn State, 274-83, and had 18 first downs to the Nittany Lions’ one but only led 16-14 at halftime. Michigan stalled three times in the red zone and came away with field goals from Moody. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford had a 62-yard run that led to a score and less that two minutes later there was the pick-six that bounced off two Nittany Lions before Curtis Jacobs caught it.

“It's two big plays. I mean, everybody knew what the deal was,” Harbaugh said of the team going into halftime and what he told the team. “It was just those two plays and we got 30 more minutes of football here and let's keep doing what we're doing.”

Clifford didn’t finish the game because of an injury, Franklin said, so Drew Allar came in for the Nittany Lions. The Wolverines had four quarterback hurries and a sack from R.J. Moten.  Penn State finished with 111 yards rushing. Of Michigan’s six opponents, only two others have rushed for more — Hawaii had 140 yards and Maryland 128.

Michigan held Penn State to 4-for-12 on third down and 1-for-4 on fourth down.

“I’m really pleased with the team. I think our defense is really good and they're taking that step to being a dominant defense where guys are a running to the ball and you’re getting four or five, six guys to the ball every play,” Harbaugh said.  “They started the game with the two three-and-outs and just really continued from there. I thought it was a very thorough game.”

achengelis@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @chengelis