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KEY MATCHUPS P E N N   S T A T E  V S .  M I C H I G A N WHEN PENN STATE HAS | BY PHIL GROSZ THE BALL PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. MICHIGAN RUN DEFENSE PENN STATE RUNNING GAME 171.6YPG, 4.2 YPC MICHIGAN RUN DEFENSE 90.4 YPG, 3.1 YPC PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. MICHIGAN PASS DEFENSE PENN STATE PASSING GAME 279.4 YPG, 12.5 YPC MICHIGAN PASS DEFENSE 214.6 YPG, 11.1 YPC THE LOWDOWN Penn State's rushing attack is almost a Jekyll-and-Hyde situation. Against Kent State, the Nittany Lions rushed for 287 yards. But against Indiana, which entered the Big Ten season with the league's worst rush defense, Zach Zwinak, Bill Belton and Akeel Lynch were only able to gain 110 yards. The Wolverines have the fourth-best rushing defense in the conference at 90.4 yards per game. Linebacker Desmond Morgan and sophomore James Ross III lead the way with 34 and 32 tackles, respectively. The big bonus here could be the return of preseason All-Big Ten linebacker Jake Ryan from his knee injury. EDGE Michigan THE LOWDOWN Christian Hackenberg has struggled the past few games. But Allen Robinson has shined, with 38 catches for 621 yards and five touchdowns. The good news here is that Brandon Felder is expected back from an ankle injury that caused him to miss the game vs. Indiana. The tight ends need to get more involved in PSU's passing game, too. The Wolverines are ranked fifth in the Big Ten in pass defense, but they struggled against Notre Dame and Akron. Defensive backs Blake Countess and Raymon Taylor will have trouble covering Robinson but will prove to be a difficult matchup for Hackenberg. EDGE Even WHEN MICHIGAN HAS MICHIGAN RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE MICHIGAN PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE THE BALL MICHIGAN RUNNING GAME 178.0 YPG YPG, 4.4 YPC PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE 111.4 YPG, 3.2 YPC THE LOWDOWN Quarterback Devin Gardner was Michigan's leading rusher going into last Saturday's game with Minnesota, but Gardner now ranks second with 318 yards and six TDs on 56 carries. Senior Fitzgerald Toussaint took over the the top ranking and now has 397 yards and an average of 4.1 yards per carry. Freshman Derrick Green provides some depth, as he's carried the ball 23 times for 87 yards. Who knows how Penn State's run defense will perform? Linebacker Glenn Carson leads the way with 39 total tackles, but Penn State will need an improved performance from defensive end Deion Barnes. EDGE Even MICHIGAN PASSING GAME 219.0 YPG, 11.3 YPC PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE 213.8 YPG, 11.3 YPC THE LOWDOWN At times, Gardner has made the big mistake with the passing game. He's completed 60.2 percent of his passes for 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns, but has also thrown eight interceptions. Michigan's passing attack emphasizes two receivers: Jeremy Gallon and Devin Funchess. Although he's a tight end, surprisingly, Funchess is the Wolverines' most dangerous big-play receiver. Gallon, meanwhile, is an active possesion receiver. Expect Penn State to play a lot of zone defense in this game, but free safety Adrian Amos must defend the vertical seam passes to Funchess. EDGE Even OTHER MATCHUPS SPECIAL TEAMS THE LOWDOWN PSU had a few special teams breakdowns vs. Indiana: a bad field goal snap, a blocked field goal at- tempt and a fumbled kickoff return by Eugene Lewis. If Penn State can play mistake-free football on special teams, it will have the advantage. However, Michigan is solid in all phases. Senior Brendan Gibbons is 4 for 5 on field goal attempts and 26 for 26 on PATs. EDGE Even THIS 'N' THAT THE LOWDOWN No one knows how Penn State will respond after losing to the Hoosiers for the first time in 17 games. Will it miss the leadership of Michael Mauti, Gerald Hodges, Matt McGloin and Jordan Hill? The Wolverines are 5-0 and have visions of winning the conference. Despite the fact that Penn State has defeated Michigan three consecutive times, the edge here goes to the Wolverines. EDGE Michigan COACHING STAFF THE LOWDOWN Bill O'Brien and Brady Hoke have put together excellent coaching staffs. Coordinator Greg Mattison has turned the Wolverines' defense around. In 2010, they allowed 57 touchdowns and 458 points. Since Mattison's arrival, the Wolverines have allowed just 55 touchdowns and 484 points. It's been a dramatic improvement, and it will have a major influence on Saturday's game. EDGE Even O C T O B E R 9 , 2 0 1 3 3 BL UEW H I T EON L I N E. COM

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