Penn State postgame report card: Grading Nittany Lions vs. Michigan
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It was a painful tale of two halves for the Penn State Nittany Lions against Michigan. In the first half, the Nittany Lions controlled the game, but their inability to score came back to bite them in the second half. Turnovers from the offense and a QB change by Michigan turned the tide. A late comeback bid wasn't quite enough as freshman QB Tommy Carr led the Wolverines to an impressive win. For Penn State, it's another painful loss, as this season looks completely lost now. Here is the report card after the loss to the Wolverines.
Quarterback: C-
It was a tale of two halves for the troubled Penn State QB. While Rocco Becht led some impressive drives and only had four incompletions in the first half, his three critical errors in the second half were the difference in the game. It also let down a defense that had played stellar football in the first half. Becht's problems have always seemed to stem from the fact that he has been unable to put together a complete game as a Nittany Lion. Not even a late touchdown throw could salvage a poor overall performance for Becht on the day.
Running Backs: F
You really shouldn't be surprised by this simply because of the fact that this unit has been wholly ineffectual all year long. Sure, Carson Hansen scored a touchdown, but he only had 51 yards on the day. It's almost as if because of the depth at the position, there's no defined identity for the group. Are they predicated on the power running game with Hansen Or do they maybe want to go the big explosive play route with guys like James Peoples and Quinton Martin Jr.? At this point, no one quite knows if this unit will ever look right.
Receivers and Tight Ends: C+
Where would this Nittany Lions squad be without Chase Sowell? He seems like the entirety of the Penn State offense. He led the way with 151 yards through the air and a late consolation touchdown, again proving to be the go to guy for Becht in the absence of Koby Howard. However, what brings this grade significantly down is the fact that there's not another player that Becht trusts as much. Brett Eskildsen only had 29 yards as the second leading receiver. That's a problem considering it looked like early on, Becht looked to be utilizing more of his guys.
Defense: C+
It was another case of a tale of two halves for this defense, but at least they played better than the offense. In the first half, they rattle Bryce Underwood, holding him to 43 passing yards and picking off two passes. Freshman safety Josiah Zayas was specifically a highlight, with an incredible one-handed interception. Then, Tommy Carr entered the game and everything changed. The Michigan run game came alive, with over 150 yards in the second half alone. Still, you can't help but feel as if the offense put this unit behind the eight ball with how many stalled drvies they had in the early goings of this game.
Special Teams: B+
Another humdrum day for the special teams unit, who continues to look like the best on the team by default. Ryan Barker made another field goal and Nathan Tiyce did a nice job of pinning the Michigan offense deep, especially in the first half. Nothing new here.
Coaching: D
In every way, it just seems that Matt Campbell is overmatched at the Big Ten level. Everyone thought that his bringing in experienced transfers from Iowa State would help him adjust in a big step up, but that could not be further from the truth. It also seems like everything good about the team is in spite of him as well, with Taylor Mouser responsible for getting guy like Chase Sowell touches and D'anton Lynn marshalling a competitive defense. Right now, I can't say this is Campbell's team at al..
Overall: D-
When you let a true freshman QB enter the game in the second half and allow him to completely take over, that's almost complete failure. There's only so much your defense can do as well when your offense isn't fully in sync. This was another slightly competitive matchup for the blue and white, but unlike against USC, Michigan felt in total control down the stretch. It does not bode well the rest of the way for the Nittany Lions down the stretch. Lucky for them, they at least have a bye to refocus.
Up next for Penn State
Penn State will be on their bye week for Week 8 before returning to action against Purdue at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, October 31.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State postgame report card: Grading Nittany Lions vs. Michigan
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