Blue White Illustrated

Big Ten football. This is a Big Ten game, and our kids are very excited about it." No. 16/18 Michigan has survived some close calls already this season, barely edging two teams it was heavily favored to defeat: Akron (28-24) and Connecticut (24-21). But the overall record remains blemish-free, mostly due to the Wolverines' penchant for big plays. Through five games, Michigan has generated 28 offensive plays (5.6 per game) that have exceeded 20 yards. It has also put together 15 drives that have gone for 70 yards or more. Those "chunk" plays and energy-draining drives have helped the Wolverines escape the claws of defeat in the game's waning minutes, and they've all been at least partially created by junior quarterback Devin Gardner. After taking over as starting QB for the final five games of 2012, Gardner has been the guy in Michigan's offense, which for the first time since coach Brady Hoke's arrival is based on a pro-style playbook. While he's had his struggles, Gardner has completed 60 percent of his pass attempts for 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns. He's also rushed for 318 yards and six touchdowns. On the flip side, Gardner has also shown himself capable of turning the ball over. In fact, both Michigan and Penn State sport a minus-three turnover differential and rank among the bottom three teams in the Big Ten in that category. The Lions have surrendered five fumbles and four interceptions while forcing only six takeaways (one fumble, five interceptions) through their first five games. O'Brien is looking for serious improvement against Gardner, who has thrown an average of two interceptions per game in Michigan's first four games and is also prone to fumbling. "We do a lot of drills on that and coach it up," O'Brien said. "Whether it's ball drills, interception drills, strip drills, fumble recovery drills, blocked punt drills – we drill it. We need to do a better job in that area, no doubt about it." Turnovers will be critical on Saturday night, and O'Brien is looking for any advantage he can get. He is especially hopeful that the nighttime atmosphere will be of assistance. But Penn State hasn't been as successful under the Beaver Stadium lights as many fans might think. Since 2000, the Lions are 8-9 in nighttime home games, including two losses (to UCF in September and Ohio State last fall) under O'Brien. For the first time this season, however, Beaver Stadium is sold out. Nittanyville campers have had their tents pitched since Monday, and the homecoming crowd will be the largest that Beaver Stadium has seen in 2013. Despite the prior trend in night home games, O'Brien is aiming to provide fans the best possible experience, and that includes a W. "We're very focused on Michigan, and we're going to work extremely hard to come out and play as good a football game as we can play on Saturday night – mainly for this football team, but also for those fans that show up," O'Brien said. "One hundred-eight thousand fans being as loud as they're going to be, it's just going to be a great night to run through that tunnel. " Meanwhile, Michigan's top offensive players are preparing for the challenge that Penn State's crowd will create. The Wolverines haven't won a game in Happy Valley since 2006, and most of the starters have never even played in Beaver Stadium. "No one has really had significant snaps there," said senior captain Taylor Lewan, an offensive tackle who did see time against PSU in 2010. "The noise isn't really that distracting; you just have to be on your P's and Q's. You have to know what your calls are going to be. Sometimes we will be standing face-toface, and I won't be able to hear myself think or hear you talk. It's a great atmosphere. It will be a White Out night game. Penn State's awesome. It's a fun place to play." INJURY REPORT Safety Ryan Keiser (hand) is questionable. Linebacker Ben Kline (shoulder) is expected to play. Tight end Brent Wilkerson (back) will miss the rest of the season. Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan (knee) could make his season debut, while defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins (knee) will miss the remainder of the season. O C T O B E R 9 , 2 0 1 3 2 BWI'S FORECAST NATE BAUER 2013 RECORD 3-2 Coming off their worst showing of the season, the Nittany Lions are likely to produce a much better performance Saturday evening. That said, this is one of the best defenses they will face all season, and the Wolverines could prove to be slightly too much to handle. MICHIGAN 31, PENN STATE 27 PHIL GROSZ 2013 RECORD 3-2 I like how Penn State matches up against Michigan, compared to Indiana. To pull the upset, the Lions ned to make Michigan one-dimensional. On offense, Penn State has to have balance. Will it happen? I'm not sure. MICHIGAN 24, PENN STATE 21 MATT HERB 2013 RECORD 5-0 The loss to Indiana surely got everyone's attention, and practices will probably be pretty crisp this week. But Saturday's game is going to be a physical test, and Michigan, for obvious reasons, has more depth than Penn State. MICHIGAN 27, PENN STATE 20 TIM OWEN 2013 RECORD 4-1 Do the Nittany Lions truly hold a homefield advantage during night games? Past statistics suggest no. It'll be a crazy atmosphere Saturday, but it won't be enough to lift Penn State past the Wolverines. MICHIGAN 28, PENN STATE 27 RYAN SNYDER 2013 RECORD 4-1 I think the Nittany Lions match up well against Michigan. Look for Penn State to comes out hungry this week and take down an overrated Wolverine squad. PENN STATE 27, MICHIGAN 24 BL UE W HI T EON L I N E . COM

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