Grades: Michigan
QUARTERBACKS: Trace McSorley came into the game less than 100 percent and it showed throughout. He finished just 5 of 13 passing with 83 yards and an interception. His 76.7 passer rating was the lowest of his career. Backup Tommy Stevens wasn’t much better when he came in, throwing an easy pick-six on his first attempt. The staff then put McSorley back in, when he was clearly not right, and it resulted in another interception that led to a score. The only reason this isn’t an F is because Trace was injured. Looking back, he probably shouldn’t have played, but it’s also clear that PSU had no chance without him.
GRADE: D
RUNNING BACKS: Miles Sanders finished the game with just seven carries. As a starter, his previous low was 14 carries against Kent State. He had very little room to run today, but Sanders also had just one reception. We know he’s not the receiver that Saquon Barkley is, but with the amount of pressure Michigan was getting, it felt like he could’ve been used more on bubble routes, screens, etc. Obviously, that’s on the coaches.
GRADE: C
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: All the drops have been getting most of the attention this season, and with good reason, but not being able to create separation is arguably an even bigger issue for this unit. That was an issue for the majority of the game, and when they did get a foot or two of separation, the pass was either difficult to catch or just flat-out overthrown. Pat Freiermuth’s continued maturation bumps this up a bit.
GRADE: C+
OFFENSIVE LINE: First off, give credit where credit is due: Michigan’s defensive front is the best in the nation this year. They deserve all the praise they’ve received to this point. With that said, Penn State’s offensive front is not going to enjoy tomorrow’s film session. All five starters had multiple mental lapses throughout the game, as Michigan regularly had at least one, sometimes two rushers come through untouched. They were better in the second and third quarters that most will give them credit for, but overall, it was a pretty poor day for Penn State’s front five. Against any other opponent, this would be an F.
GRADE: D
DEFENSIVE LINE: Considering the depth at this position and how many snaps the starters have played in recent weeks, the defensive line played pretty well. Yetur Gross-Matos added another sack to his total while Kevin Givens and Robert Windsor held their own up front.
GRADE: B
LINEBACKERS: Jan Johnson had a solid day, leading the team in tackles with 10. He also had a big pass deflection on fourth down early in the game. Freshman Micah Parsons also added eight tackles. Overall, they were pretty good in the rushing game, but as we’ve seen for awhile now, teams are consistently able to throw on this linebacker corps. They’re regularly attacked on third down.
GRADE: C+
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Garrett Taylor had another solid performance and John Reid continues his upward trajectory following a tough start to the season. Nick Scott was solid in the rushing game, but that aggressiveness hurt him on the other end.
GRADE: C
SPECIAL TEAMS: Penn State blocked a field goal, but aside from that, there wasn't much to talk about. Blake Gillikin had another up-and-down day.
GRADE: C
COACHES: A few years ago, this kind of result was a bit more understandable given the talent, but that’s not the case anymore. Sure, they lost some important players last year, but Penn State won a combined 22 games the past two seasons. To lose a game in that fashion, regardless of the opponent, just isn’t acceptable to this fan base. Other observations that come to mind: KJ Hamler had just three receptions, questionable timeouts, abandoning the rushing game, we could go on and on. You get the point.
GRADE: F