Postgame Notes: #14 Michigan 28, Penn State 16
11/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
TEAM
• With the win, Michigan improves to 12-7 all-time against Penn State
• Michigan snapped a three-game losing streak at Beaver Stadium with its victory today, improving to 6-4 all-time at Penn State.
• For the second year in a row, U-M defeated Penn State in the game immediately following PSU's bye week.
• Michigan is the first team to beat the Nittany Lions in Beaver Stadium so far this year.
• U-M's nine victories are the team's second-highest total in the last five seasons.
• U-M is now 8-1 this season when leading at the half and 1-0 on grass surfaces in 2015.
OFFENSE
• Quarterback Jake Rudock is the first-ever Michigan QB to throw for at least 250 yards in three straight games. Rudock finished 25-of-38 for 256 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
• Tight end Jake Butt has caught at least one pass in 14 straight games, including today's, and has at least one reception in 22 of his last 25 contests overall.
• Butt now sits at No. 5 on the all-time U-M tight ends reception list with Sim Nelson. Butt has 84 receptions in his Wolverine career. He also now sits at fifth on the receiving yards list with 1,012 yards.
• Wide receiver Amara Darboh has caught at least one pass in 21 of his last 22 games.
• Wide receiver Grant Perry has at least one reception in three consecutive games and threw a key block on Amara Darboh's first-half touchdown reception.
• Jake Rudock is the first quarterback to throw for more than 251 yards against the Nittany Lions so far this year.
• U-M's offensive line has yielded just 16 sacks over 11 games. Against Penn State's top-tier passing defense that averages 4.2 sacks per contest (No. 1 in the nation), the Wolverines gave up two.
• The Penn State defense entered the contest averaging 9.3 tackles-for-loss per contest (No. 2 in the nation), and the Wolverines allowed just four this afternoon.
• The Nittany Lion pass defense had surrendered an average of 159.0 yards through the air per game, tops in the nation, and U-M posted a game-total of 256.
• The Maize and Blue has converted on 93 percent (43-of-46) of its red-zone possessions, scoring 32 touchdowns and 11 field goals in those opportunities. Michigan took a knee on its final drive of the game, finishing inside PSU's red zone.
DEFENSE
• With 3.0 tackles-for-loss, defensive end Taco Charlton has registered at least one TFL in four straight games, bringing his career total to 13.5.
• Michigan has held opponents to just two red-zone touchdowns in the past four games on 17 possessions (11.7%).
• Michigan has allowed the opposition only 25 red-zone chances (fewest in FBS), with 21 successful scoring drives (8 TDs, 13 FGs)
• Jourdan Lewis added to his Michigan single-season record with one more pass breakup, giving the junior 21 on the year.
• Chris Wormley leads the team with 12 tackles-for-loss and lists second with six sacks; 12 of his 32 tackles this season have come in the opposing backfield (37.5 percent).
• The Michigan defense held the Nittany Lion offense to 207 total yards (137 pass, 70 rush). The Wolverines entered the game yielding just 268.7 yards/game (103.2 rush, 165.5 pass).
• The Wolverines came into the game averaging 2.5 sacks a game but sacked PSU QB Christian Hackenburg four times, including two from Taco Charlton.
• Penn State converted just 3-of-14 (21%) third-down chances. Opponents had converted 33-141 (23%) coming into the game.
• The defense held the opposition to less than 100 rushing yards in seven of the past 10 games. After the first rush of the game went 56 yards, the Wolverine defense held the Nittany Lions to 14 yards on 21 carries for the rest of the game.
• Willie Henry registered 28 tackles this season; leads the team with six sacks and is second with 9.5 TFLs; and has tallied at least one sack in four of the past seven games.
• The last time an opposing quarterback threw for more than 300 yards in a game against Michigan was Wisconsin's Joel Stave (339 yards) in 2013.
