After a get-right performance against Maryland on the road last weekend, Penn State’s defense proved that the Indiana game, where they gave up a season-high 6.6 yards per play, was just a fluke. With Michigan coming into Beaver Stadium Saturday afternoon, the Nittany Lions will have their work cut out for them with the Wolverines’ number one-ranked offense.
Don’t get it twisted: Michigan’s offense has been dominant so far this season, but they have not seen an animal like the Penn State defense yet. In fact, their schedule ranks 111th out of 133 teams, so no team has been even remotely close to the step up in competition the Wolverines will face on Saturday. Michigan has steamrolled lesser competition and has the number-one-ranked defense to show for it. But on the offensive side, the Wolverines are more toward the middle of the pack (43) in total yards per game.
How will Penn State’s top-3 scoring defense disrupt Michigan? The answer lies in making them as one-dimensional as possible and trying to generate takeaways.