Game Grades: Penn State vs. Michigan
Quarterbacks: C-
Yes, Christian Hackenberg needs to be better if Penn State is going to return to their winning ways, but it’s very hard to be effective at the quarterback position if you have no time to throw the ball. Hackenberg has found himself constantly under duress and for someone whose strength is his arm, this hurts him because he doesn’t have the time to set his feet and deliver a strike. However, even when he did have decent protection, he still held on to the ball too long and missed some open receivers. He isn’t playing as poorly as some suggest, but he still needs to step up his game. If Penn State wants to win, their best player has to play like their best player.
Running Backs: B
The running game was actually decent this game for Penn State. The stats are skewed because Hackenberg rushed for -34 yards. But the running backs themselves averaged 4.2 yards per carry and Bill Belton had 69 yards on the ground, which for Penn State is a surprise. Penn State gained some big chunks of yardage on the ground, something they haven’t done really at all this season. Still, when rushing for 92 yards (just the running backs) is a good game, you know your rushing attack is struggling. As is the case with the whole team, the running backs need to improve.
Wide Recievers/Tight Ends: B
You can’t be too harsh to this group. They made the plays when the ball was thrown to them, but so much of the game was Hackenberg scrambling and throwing the ball away that his receivers were rarely involved. DaeSean Hamilton was the primary target as he hauled in seven passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. Other than that, no Penn State receiver had more than 26 yards receiving. If the ball isn’t thrown to you it’s hard to have a big game. This unit has been the most consistent unit all year but with a struggling offense they haven’t been able to affect the game much in any way.
Offensive Line: F
It’s getting to the point where you wonder if the line knows how to block at all. The rushing attack can’t get going because there are no open holes. Hackenberg can’t get going because he has no time in the pocket and can’t set his feet without getting drilled. In other words the offensive line is holding down the offense. They seem to be getting progressively worse as the season goes on, and with harder opponents coming up, they may be in for a world of hurt. It’s hard to think that if they can’t block against teams like Michigan and Rutgers that they will be able to against Ohio State and Michigan State. Things have hit rock bottom for the O-line.
Defensive Line: A
Once again the defense was the only bright spot for Penn State. The D-line had two sacks and pressured a gimpy Devin Gardner all night. Anthony Zettel had an interception for the Nittany Lions as he continued his strong play this season. The line also held Michigan to just 2.1 yards per carry. The defense gave Penn State ample opportunity to run away with the game as Michigan’s offense was not very impressive. The D-line has to continue to be stout because the offense doesn’t seem like they are going to be scoring that much this year.
Linebackers/Secondary: B
After getting picked apart by Trevor Siemian two weeks ago, the secondary rebounded with a solid effort against Michigan. They gave up less than 200 yards through the air, and any time you do that you should be able to walk away with the win. Mike Hull was all over the place. He finished with 11 tackles, two for losses and he also sacked Gardner once. Like the D-line, the linebackers and secondary did more than enough to contain Michigan and they will need to be good for the rest of the season as the offenses that Penn State will face are only going to get better.
Special Teams: A
Sam Ficken is the Nittany Lions most consistent player. He kicked two more field goals and both were dead center. Chris Gulla was busy and pinned the Wolverines inside the 20 twice. The return game was solid as Grant Haley had two returns for a total of 38 yards. The special teams units were fine in this game and did nothing to hurt the Nittany Lions.
Coaching Staff: F
First off, you have to wonder why this staff continues to go to the wildcat when the offensive line can’t block. To run the wildcat effectively you have to have a good offensive line and/or a running back that can effectively throw the ball. Penn State has neither. Secondly, Hackenberg has no time in the pocket, yet the play calling doesn’t reflect this. Sure they run a decent amount of bubble screens, but there are still too many plays that require a five-step drop. Hackenberg barely has time for a three-step drop. Taking this into consideration, the Nittany Lions need to run many more slants and quick outs to keep Hackenberg from being under constant pressure. Another option is to roll out the pocket as some of his best throws have come on the run this season. The coaching staff is not adapting to the weaknesses of their team and they need to sooner rather than later if they want to turn things around.
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Tony Ding)
Jack Milewski is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him please email him at jbm250@psu.edu.
