Michigan heads into Saturday with a chance to exploit a Penn State defense that’s starting to run thin where it matters most.
The Wolverines have dropped two straight, and Penn State has lost three in a row, but the bigger storyline for this matchup is what’s happening inside the Nittany Lions’ linebacker room. Penn State already sits No. 17 in the Big Ten in rushing defense, giving up more than 165 yards a game on the ground, and Northwestern’s 413-yard outburst a couple of weeks ago showed just how vulnerable that front can look when it gets pushed around.
That challenge got even tougher Tuesday. Head coach Matt Campbell said linebacker Alex Tatsch is done for the season.
"Obviously right now we are stressed a little bit at that linebacker room," Campbell said on his radio show. "With losing Alex here, really tough blow for Alex first and foremost and tough blow for us because of the type of player he's becoming."
Tatsch appeared in four games and finished with 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Campbell also said second-year linebacker Cam Smith is working back from injury and could be available this weekend, but that doesn’t fully soften the loss.
Penn State’s top defender in the middle of the field is Tony Rojas, and he’s been everywhere this season. He leads the team with 44 tackles, has 8.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions, and he’s logged 270 snaps over six games, more than any other Penn State defender.
Behind him, though, the options are getting stretched. Kooper Ebel and Cael Brezina are the other linebackers in the rotation, while LaVar Arrington II still hasn’t played this season. He had been at linebacker before shifting to defensive end, and Penn State would like the flexibility to use him all over the field if he can get back.
The concern for the Nittany Lions isn’t just what happens between the tackles. Their linebackers have also been exposed in coverage. Ebel has allowed 10 catches on 13 targets, and Brezina has given up three catches on four targets.
Michigan hasn’t exactly been a powerhouse on the ground this year, either. The Wolverines rank No. 13 in the Big Ten in rushing offense at 135 yards per game, which is their lowest average since the 2020 COVID-19 season. But coming out of the bye, Kyle Whittingham said the staff cut out a few things that weren’t helping, and Michigan could lean more heavily on downhill runs to better suit its personnel.
That makes this matchup feel tailor-made for the Wolverines. Penn State has shown cracks stopping the run, and now it’s dealing with more injury trouble in the middle of the defense. Michigan just has to take advantage.
Kickoff is set for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
In Other News...
Michigans Turnover Problem Just Forced A Change They Couldnt Avoid
Michigans turnover problems have become too costly to ignore, and Kyle Whittingham made that clear during his Monday press conference. The Wolverines have had a strong defensive start in recent games, but the bigger picture has been hard to overlook: they rank 122nd nationally with a minus-4 turnover margin, and that kind of ball security issue has a way of erasing good work everywhere else on the field.
Whittingham said the turnover battle has to turn, and its already led to a change at punt returner after recent mistakes in that area. Michigan has lost the turnover margin in four of five weeks, a stretch that has lined up with its losses, and the frustration now goes beyond a bad stat sheet. For a team trying to stabilize itself, the margin for error keeps getting thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Returns To Ann Arbor With Pressure On Bryce Underwood
After a rough stretch on the road, Michigan comes back to Ann Arbor needing a reset and a result, with both sides of the ball still searching for consistency under a new staff. Penn State arrives with its own problems, sitting 3-3 overall and winless in Big Ten play, and the matchup has the feel of two programs trying to steady themselves before the season slips any further.
For Michigan, the focus is squarely on Bryce Underwood, who remains the starter as the Wolverines try to get the offense moving under coordinator Jason Beck. The pressure around the position has only grown with Michigan sitting 3-2 and 0-2 in the league, and this week offers another chance to show the home crowd a cleaner, more complete performance before the questions around the offense get any louder. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans UCLA Test Suddenly Feels Very Different For One Reason
UCLAs next stretch now looks a lot different after the Bruins kept their perfect record intact with a win over Oregon, only to come out of it facing a major change at quarterback. Nico Iamaleava is likely done for the season, and UCLA is expected to turn to Cal Poly transfer Ty Dieffenbach in his place. That kind of midstream shift always changes the feel of a matchup, especially for a team still trying to navigate a demanding run through Wisconsin, Michigan and USC.
For Michigan, the timing matters because the Wolverines meeting with UCLA was already part of a pivotal part of the schedule, and now it comes with an entirely new layer of uncertainty. A defense that prepared for one quarterback will have to recalibrate for another, while the Bruins try to keep their momentum going under different circumstances. It is the sort of development that can alter game plans on both sides, and it gives this upcoming trip an even more intriguing edge than it had a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]