2023 Penn State football film review | Michigan

After taking a step forward against Maryland, Penn State took three steps back in its 24-15 loss to Michigan.

Offensive inefficiency returned and resulted in offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich being fired on Sunday afternoon.

The defense got off to an effective start, but the Wolverines’ commitment to the run game wore it down over time. Quarterback JJ McCarthy didn’t throw the ball at all during the second half as Michigan drained the clock and enthusiasm from the Nittany Lion faithful.

Mike Bolger and Amanda Vogt break down the pivotal moments that resulted in another Penn State loss to a top-five opponent.

Amanda

Play we liked: 4th&1 MICH 15 – Kaytron Allen completes a pass to Drew Allar.

With Yurcich calling the plays this season, there was hardly any explosiveness or excitement from the playbook; however, this play was one of the few Penn State pulled a trick out of its hat for.

Needing just one yard for the first down with a minute left in the first half down 11, the offense lined up on the right hash mark.

Allar received the snap and pitched it to Allen, who then sidestepped a bit to his right as the quarterback moved into open space down the left. Facing pressure, Allen threw a pass that Allar caught one yard behind the line of scrimmage before getting the first down and then some.

Plays like this add a special element to an offense that makes it unpredictable. Penn State has been slightly predictable, and that’s partially why it has struggled with converting third and fourth downs. When the defense can prepare and predict a play, the offense can’t establish a longer drive.

This fourth down conversion set up a touchdown to put the Nittany Lions within five before halftime. The aggressiveness at this stage of the game was one of the few play-calling decisions that provided Penn State with the best chance to win.

Play we didn’t like: 4th&6 PSU 30 – Penn State turns the ball over on downs.

After the defense forced a Michigan three-and-out, Penn State got the ball back on its own 26-yard line. The opening play of the drive was a four-yard rush by Nicholas Singleton before Allar threw two incompletions targeting Theo Johnson and Kaden Saunders.

On fourth down, the offense remained on the field, and even after the incompletions, nobody was lined up in the backfield — a pass was coming.

Playing man coverage, the Wolverines placed a defender on the three wide to the left and the two wide right. The pocket crumbled instantaneously, and Allar had to throw the ball away as all his targets were defended tightly.

The Wolverines anticipated this play, and it was slightly shocking that Penn State elected to go for it. With roughly four and a half minutes left, if it punted the defense would’ve had to make a quick stop, but if needed it could have relied on the two-minute warning and its two remaining time-outs to leave sometime on the clock.

However, because the Nittany Lions were unsuccessfully aggressive, Michigan made them pay when Blake Corum scored his second touchdown of the day just one play later. The game was pushed out of reach after the score moved to 24-9.

Unique play: 3rd&2 PSU 46 – Rare fumble by Allar gives Michigan good field position.

James Franklin harps on the importance of the middle eight. With a touchdown to end the first half, Penn State was halfway to making a comeback and utilizing those closing and opening minutes of a half to be destructive.

The Nittany Lions utilized the run to go 21 yards on five plays and got to just about midfield before disaster struck.

Allar had been using his legs to make key plays in several instances. Having better awareness allowed him to escape Wolverine pressure and avoid sacks.

On this third-and-short play, a QB keeper run was called, and Allar rushed up the middle. Rayshaun Benny was able to get a hand on the ball and force it from the quarterback’s grip, and it hit the turf.

Makari Mic Paige immediately fell on the ball to send the Nittany Lions offense off the field. The Wolverines capitalized on the turnover with a 22-yard field goal — the first points allowed by the defense in the third quarter all season.

This play was a huge momentum shifter, and Penn State would go three and out on its next three drives.

Mike

Play we liked: Kaytron Allen rushes for the Nittany Lion’s biggest play of the day.

On first down from the PSU 25-yard line, the blue-and-white offense put six men on the line of scrimmage, two receivers to the top and one receiver to the bottom of the field.

As the whistle blew, Allar took the ball and handed it off to Kaytron Allen as he rolled out and faked a bubble screen to the far side of the field.

JB Nelson and Hunter Nourzad pulled from their spots as the rest of the offensive line shifted with the play to fill the gaps. KeAndre Lambert-Smith then came from the near sideline up to block the safety, which led to a wide hole for Allen to hit and burst into the second level of the defense.

The second-year running back then showed the nation why he is one of the best with a shifty move and speed to gain 34 yards.

This play kicked off a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Allar rushing in for six to keep Penn State in contention with Michigan as the half ended.

Play we didn’t like: Penn State puts the game on the line way too early.

With 4:25 left in the fourth quarter, Allar was on his own 30-yard line as his team trailed by eight. After an incompletion on third down, Franklin and Yurcich kept the offense on the field for fourth down.

Even with two timeouts left and the defense playing some of the best football it has played all season long, Allar trouted onto the field.

On the first look, Allar saw the Michigan secondary defending the sticks and sending six defenders to blitz. As he took the ball from Nourzad alone in the backfield, the Wolverines dropped two of those six defenders into cover and brought pressure from the edge.

Allar faced immediate pressure from the edge as his targets were all locked down. The Ohio native was forced to throw it across the middle where no one was in sight, leading to a turnover on downs.

110,856 fans rained down boo’s on the play call as Michigan put the final touches on the game with this exclusive run:

Unique Play: Final play of the Yurcich Era.

Down 24-15 as time ticked away under two minutes, Penn State elected to go for the two-point conversion to make it a seven-point game.

Three yards away from the goal line, the Nittany Lions tried to get tricky with their playcalling and sent five offensive linemen with Nicholas Singleton out wide to Allar’s left.

Tyler Warren snapped the ball to Allar as Kaytron Allen, Theo Johnson and Khalil Dinkins were out wide to his right.

The first-year starting quarterback sprinted to his right, then back to his left and threw it into the back of the end zone for Will Johnson to break up the pass.

Penn State failed both of its two-point conversion attempts on the day that led to the loss over its conference opponent.

Amanda Vogt is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email amandaevogt@gmail.com.

Micheal Bolger is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mpb6233@psu.edu.