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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 | B Y P H I L G R O S Z W H E N P E N N S T A T E H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME 142.9 YPG, 4.1 YPC // MICHIGAN RUN DEFENSE103.2 YPG, 3.1 YPC THE LOWDOWNEven though Saquon Barkley is the Big Ten's third-leading rusher with averages of 104.5 yards per game and 6.3 per carry, and even though Michigan allowed Indiana to rush for nearly 300 yards last Saturday, the Lions are likely to have a difficult time running the ball consistently against the Wolverines. Michigan still ranks second in the conference against the run, while Penn State is 11th in rushing offense. Barkley has gained 836 yards and is well within reach of a 1,000-yard season. This week he'll be going up against a Wolverines defense that is led by senior ILB Joe Bolden with 64 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. Senior ILB Desmond Morgan is Michigan's second-leading tackler with 62 stops, including two tackles for loss. Senior FS Jarrod Wilson is the Wolverines' third-leading tackler with 50 stops. Redshirt junior CB Jourdan Lewis is next with 39 total tackles. DE Willie Henry and DT Chris Wormley, both redshirt juniors, have combined for 20.5 tackles for loss. Michigan's starting front seven is made up entirely of juniors and seniors, so this group is very experienced. // KEY MATCHUPPenn State guards Brian Gaia and Angelo Mangiro will take on Bolden and Morgan, while tight ends Brent Wilkerson and Mike Gesicki will match up with sophomore SS Jabrill Peppers. // EDGEMichigan PENN STATE PASSING GAME 207.4 YPG, 13.6 YPC // MICHIGAN PASS DEFENSE 165.5 YPG, 11.1 YPC THE LOWDOWNThe Wolverines have been nearly as effective against the pass as they've been against the run, rank- ing second in the Big Ten in pass defense behind Penn State. Opponents are completing only 48.2 percent of their attempts and have passed for only five touchdowns while throwing eight interceptions. Senior CB Jeremy Clark leads Michigan with three interceptions, while Lewis has two interceptions along with a remarkable 18 pass break- ups and 20 passes defended. Lewis is the Big Ten's top cornerback, and his success has allowed the Wolverines to employ a defensive scheme that uses strictly press man-to-man coverage. As a team, Penn State ranks 11th in the Big Ten in pass offense. Junior QB Christian Hackenberg has completed 149 of 275 passes (54.2 percent) for 1,992 yards, with 13 TD passes and three interceptions. His top target is sophomore WR Chris Godwin with 49 catches for 808 yards, and his 16.5-yard per-catch average is second-best in the Big Ten. Redshirt sophomore WR DaeSean Hamilton is Penn State's second-leading receiver with 31 catches for 426 yards and a team-leading five touch- downs. In Michigan, Penn State will be facing the best pass defense it has seen all season. The Wolverines have 25 sacks, including six by Henry. // KEY MATCHUP Godwin will do battle with Lewis, while Penn State LT Paris Palmer will be trying to keep Henry out of the backfield. // EDGEMichigan PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. MICHIGAN PASS DEFENSE MICHIGAN RUNNING GAME 168.8 YPG, 4.3 YPC // PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE152.2 YPG, 3.8 YPC THE LOWDOWN A lot of people thought that with Jim Harbaugh's arrival as head coach, Michigan's running game would make big strides this fall. That hasn't really happened. The Wolverines' rushing average is up only about 6 yards per game from 2014, and they are ranked seventh in the Big Ten after finishing eighth last year. Their leading rusher is junior RB De'Veon Smith with 582 yards on 132 carries (4.4 ypc). Their second-leading rusher is sopho- more RB Ty Isaac with 205 yards on 30 carries (6.8 ypc). Senior QB Jake Rudock was the Wolverines' leading rusher against Indiana, carrying the ball several times on QB scrambles. That is a major concern for Harbaugh, as he would no doubt prefer to field the kind of power rushing attack that can generate yards by running between the tackles out of a two-tight-end set. Penn State's rush defense has been disappointing in its past four games and has fallen to eighth place in the Big Ten rankings. Sophomore ILB Jason Cabinda is Penn State's leading tackler with 71 stops and 3.5 tackles for loss. Redshirt junior DT Austin Johnson is the Lions' second-leading tackler with 64 stops, including 12 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Sophomore FS Marcus Allen is third with 57 tackles. Senior DE Carl Nassib leads the nation with 19.5 tackles for loss, and as a team, Penn State has 93 negative-yardage stops, best in the Football Bowl Subdivision. // KEY MATCHUP Michigan senior RG Kyle Kalis will take on Johnson, while senior RT Erik Magnuson will look to neutralize Nassib. // EDGEPenn State MICHIGAN RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE MICHIGAN PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE W H E N M I C H I G A N H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. MICHIGAN RUN DEFENSE N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 4 MICHIGAN PASSING GAME 224.9 YPG, 12.0 YPC // PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE159.0 YPG, 10.1 YPC THE LOWDOWNIn Michigan's past three games, Rudock has performed brilliantly. Against Indiana, he threw for 440 yards and six TDs. For the season, Rudock has completed 185 of 288 passes (64.2 percent) for 2,220 yards, 14 touch- downs and eight interceptions. His average of 222 yards per game ranks fifth in the Big Ten. WR Amara Darboh leads the Wolverines with 45 receptions for 567 yards, while fellow senior Jehu Chesson has 33 catches for 446

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