Blue White Illustrated

PLAYER OF THE GAME Michigan's Jake Rudock wasn't lights out, but he hung in and delivered when it counted to get his No. 14 Wolverines a win Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium. He fin- ished with 25 completions in 38 at- tempts for 256 yards and a pair of scores with just one interception. PLAY OF THE GAMERarely is a game's defining play a self-inflicted wound, but DeAndre Thompkins' third-quarter punt drop was as damaging as they come. With the teams locked in a defen- sive struggle, the muff gave Michigan great field position and led to a touch- down that in the blink of an eye turned a 4-point deficit into a 21-10 hole. BEST PASSFaced with a critical third down late in the first half, Penn State quarterback Chris- tian Hackenberg put a perfectly timed ball in a perfect spot. Saeed Blacknall adjusted ac- cordingly, Michigan's Jabrill Peppers got bamboozled completely, and the Nittany Lions took a 10-7 lead on the touchdown. With the completion, the 46th touchdown pass of his career, Hackenberg tied Matt McGloin for the most TD passes in school history. BEST RUNPenn State true freshman tailback Saquon Barkley didn't waste any time making his mark on this game. Taking an inside handoff to his right, Barkley went 56 yards before being brought down at the Wolverines' 9- yard line. It tied a career-high set ear- lier this season at Ohio State. BEST CATCHResponding to Penn State's late first-half touchdown, Rudock and Amara Darboh connected on a crucial third-and-10 with less than two minutes to play. Toeing the side- line, Darboh hauled in the 26-yard re- ception beautifully to set up a touchdown just four plays later. WORST DROPHe had it, and then he didn't. Penn State tight end Kyle Carter could have given his Nittany Lions a key first down, but Hackenberg's perfect ball ended up falling to the turf. BEST SACKSaturday was open season for Michigan's defensive front against an overmatched Penn State offensive line. The Wolverines were credited with a handful of sacks, but had plenty more hurries and hits on Hackenberg. None was more damaging than the hit that Taco Charlton and Willie Henry admin- istered on a second-and-13 pass at- tempt in the third quarter. BEST HITPenn State sophomore de- fensive end Torrence Brown had an angle and took it, blasting Rudock to the turf on second down late in the first quarter. The sack went for a 3-yard loss and set up Brandon Bell's interception on the next play. BEST EFFORTBell not only picked off Rudock's third-down pass late in the first quarter, but he managed to squeeze out another 25 yards on the return. Also, on a last-gasp fourth-and-10 at the end of the third quarter, Chris Godwin's catch-and-carry-the-entire-defense reception wins major props here. Pulling the ball in at the 25-yard line, Godwin pushed all the way down to the 3. BEST KICKAs has been the case nearly all season, Penn State punted badly, and its problems were all the more glaring when juxtaposed against the excellent work of Michigan punter Blake O'Neill, who routinely backed the Nittany Lions against their own goal line. BEST RETURNMichigan's do-every- thing specialist Jourdan Lewis came up big in the end. With the Wolverines clinging to a tenuous 21-16 lead, his 55- yard kickoff return moved them into PSU territory and helped them ice the game. BEST DECISIONVon Walker and Saeed Blacknall came through the line, tipped the punt and swung field position dra- matically for the Nittany Lions. Taking over at the Michigan 43, the Lions were able to capitalize, as Hackenberg hit Blacknall for a TD. WORST DECISIONThompkins' muffed punt couldn't have happened at a worse time. Coming off a key third-down stop midway through the third quarter, Thompkins called for a fair catch inside his own 10-yard line, but the ball squirted through his arms and eventu- ally into the hands of the Wolverines. The visitors pounded in a touchdown on a fullback dive just two plays later to take a 21-10 lead. MOST TELLING MOMENTAt a key mo- ment midway through the first quarter, Penn State's defensive line couldn't get anything resembling pressure on Rudock on third-and-9. Taking advan- tage of the opportunity, he connected with Jehu Chesson for a 39-yard pickup. Rudock hit Jake Butt on the next play for a 26-yard touchdown to give the Wolverines a 7-3 lead. – NATE BAUER JUDGMENT CALLS The best and the rest from the Lions' loss to the Wolverines N O V E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M 4 BEST RUN Barkley galloped 56 yards, tying a career-high, on the second play of the game. Photo by Steve Manuel

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