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Michigan football was able to rebound after starting the season 1-3 and defeated Rutgers 48-42 in triple-overtime last Saturday. The win improved Michigan’s record to 2-3, and while a conference and playoff championship is out of the question, the Wolverines are still playing for pride and more. A win for Michigan this week wouldn’t be an upset of any kind as it takes on a winless Penn State team, but a win is still crucial and can be a stepping stone for the rest of the year for Michigan.
Penn State is coming in 0-5 and its worst start in program history. The Nittany Lions are having issues everywhere on offense and defense. It’s strange that this team was a top 10 team coming into the season and only losing by one point to Indiana to start the year out. It doesn’t only want a win to end the losing streak but going against a struggling Michigan team, it could see it as its best chance to win this season.
Before both teams hit the field on Saturday, Penn State head coach James Franklin spoke with the media and discussed things from his play at quarterback headed into the game and, of course, the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
“We have to protect the football on offense,” Franklin said. “That is going to be, obviously, emphasized all week long going into our Michigan game. Going on the road. Coach Harbaugh and the University of Michigan football program. It’s going to be a tremendous challenge. I think the home team has won the last four games. If you look at the all-time record at Michigan Stadium since joining the Big Ten, I think we’re 3-8. So you know, we want to really find a way to swing that in our direction and find a way to get a win on the road at Michigan this year, which is something that’s been a challenge for us.”
Franklin is going up against one of his former coaches, Michigan football offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, once again after last year’s first battle. Gattis used to be the wide receivers coach for the Nittany Lions from 2014-2017 before leaving for Alabama in 2018 and coming to Michigan in 2019.
“Obviously, we know these people very well,” Franklin said. “Josh Gattis is their offensive coordinator. Josh was with me for a number of years at both Vanderbilt and Penn State, and that’ll be a challenge.”
Franklin also spoke about the Michigan football defensive coordinator Don Brown and went further in-depth about Michigan football players on the field.
“Don Brown, I’ve known for a long time,” Franklin said. “Don was the defensive coordinator when I was the offensive coordinator at University of Maryland. Don was the defensive coordinator. I think at UConn, when I was the head coach at Vanderbilt, we played them. And then, obviously, since joining the Big Ten, he’s done a really good job statistically since he’s been there.”
“On special teams, they’ve got Jay Harbaugh,” Franklin said. “They have a dynamic returner in Giles Jackson, which is going to be something that we’re going to have to find a way to limit his impact in the game. On defense, guys that stand out to you are Cameron McGrone, Daxton Hill, and Carlo Kemp. Offensively, they’ve got a bunch of guys. Giles Jackson again, Cornelius Johnson, Ronnie Bell, and Hassan Haskins. A number of guys that we have to be aware of. They run a very, very multiple defensive scheme. They always have. And then, they’ve obviously become a lot more multiple on offense recently with Coach Gattis coming. So, it will be a challenge, but our focus is on getting better today.”
Franklin also spoke about his quarterback battle between Sean Clifford and Will Levis, as it appears that both could end up playing on Saturday, which means Michigan should prepare for both and not expect just one to play the entire game.
“I think we’ve got two quarterbacks that are very passionate and very competitive and want to help the team win and be part of the solution,” Franklin said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Sean, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for Will. I expect them to play well on Saturday and help give us a chance to be successful.”
Overall, Franklin and the Nittany Lions have one thing on their mind, and that is beating Michigan. No matter how it happens, Franklin and his players know how big of a game this can be for them and that it needs to do whatever it takes to get the victory.
“I think we’ve got to do whatever we’ve got to do to beat Michigan,” Franklin said. “I think that has got to be our focus. We have to get better today, and we have to find a way to win on Saturday, obviously based on a lot of different factors. You know, there’s going to be more guys that get to play, some of that out of necessity. But, it’s all about getting better today, and it’s all about, what do we have to do to beat Michigan.”
Michigan takes on Penn State at The Big House in Ann Arbor this Saturday at noon EST on ABC.