Instant reaction: Michigan loses 27-17 to Penn State

Just when things started looking up for Michigan football, it lets a winless Penn State come into The Big House and dominate it.

[jwplayer Est3fKph-XNcErKyb]

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan faced a winless Penn State team and showed that it’s in the same class as the Nittany Lions, just as it had with Rutgers the week before.

But now Penn State has a win, and the Wolverines managed to embarrass themselves, even if it took some time to get there.

Here’s our instant reactions to the Wolverines falling to 2-4 on the season.

  • Daxton Hill is still not doing great in coverage. Penn State actively targeted him.
  • After two weeks of Michigan’s defense being relatively solid at containing inside runs, Penn State’s Keyvone Lee managed to make them look pedestrian again.
  • Saw some consistency at the outset with Hassan Haskins running the ball and it paid off. But then Michigan went back to rotating Blake Corum and Chris Evans. Was told by a source that Zach Charbonnet was not available.
  • Michigan would be better served to stick with man coverage. When it’s in zone, it’s easily picked apart. What makes no sense is that when the Wolverines are in zone, they play so far off-man that as long as the pass is completed, it’s an automatic first down.
  • Poor tackling reared its ugly head in this game. Michigan had been the best tackling team in the conference, according to PFF.
  • Mike Sainristil with a brutal game. Drops and a muffed punt. Really missing Giles Jackson.
  • This is the first time Michigan’s really had to worry about a mobile QB and it hasn’t gone well.
  • Don’t really understand what the offense is doing. And why it strives for condensed formations. But when it gets away from that, things tend to work.
  • The offense at least is striving for balance, pretty much even on run/pass attempts.
  • Michigan has really dialed down the penalties, a huge positive.
  • Jahan Dotson was all but neutralized, but Parker Washington was a problem.
  • Michigan’s defense cannot force a turnover to save its life, even when facing teams that love to turn the ball over.
  • It also can’t get sacks against an offensive line that’s essentially been a giant turnstile thus far.