home, against a really good team and a really
good quarterback, that was big for us."
Wile's 37-yard field goal with 11:24 remain-
ing put the Wolverines on top, 16-13. At the
start of the drive, Gardner hobbled off the bench
on a patched-up leg to toss a 24-yard comple-
tion to junior wideout Dennis Norfleet, setting
up the score.
"I didn't see it," Gardner admitted. "I was
just hoping to God that he'd catch it, and God
answered. I don't know if it was a good pass.
I was on the ground. I looked up and saw him
doing his little deal."
After Wile delivered a big deal field goal, and
Clark later slammed Hackenberg down at the
Penn State 3, the Nittany Lions were forced to
take a safety, giving them a chance at a free-
kick onside kick that the Wolverines smothered.
The two offensively challenged crews played
out a nearly scoreless third quarter, Michigan
failing on fourth-and-four at the Penn State
39, and the Nittany Lions giving the ball right
back on a failed fake punt at the U-M 39. After
Gardner hurt his leg and was helped off on a
snuffed-out third-and-one quarterback sneak,
Michigan's defense set up the tie.
Turning up the pressure on Hackenberg, the
Wolverines forced him into a throw that sopho-
more cornerback Jourdan Lewis picked off and
returned four yards to the Penn State 22.
"I just saw my man go across the field, and I
saw the quarterback's eyes," Lewis said. "I just
jumped in front of it."
With redshirt junior quarterback Russell Bel-
lomy taking over, the Wolverines couldn't move
the chains, but Wile tied the game on a 42-yard
field goal with 2:30 left in the third quarter,
knotting the contest at 13-13.
Michigan (3-4 overall, 1-2 Big Ten) needed
to peck away, after Penn State (4-2, 1-2) carved
out a three-point advantage over the first 30
minutes.
While all the game-week talk of a no-show
student section proved idle chatter, Michigan's
