The Wolverine Now

defense arrived a little late on the night's open- ing drive. Hackenberg drove the Nittany Lions from their own 25 to the U-M 7, tailback Bill Belton (14 carries, 69 yards), ripping off a 31- yard run along the way. But when pushed to the wall, the Wolverines pushed back. A seven-yard sack by sophomore linebacker Ben Gedeon forced Penn State placekicker Sam Ficken's 35-yard field goal to put the Nittany Lions on top, 3-0. The Wolverines fired right back, going 75 yards in six plays for the go-ahead touchdown. Gardner hung a bomb down the middle for ju- nior wideout Devin Funchess (seven catches, 69 yards, one TD), and while Penn State free safety Ryan Keiser appeared to be setting up for it like he was fielding a punt, Funchess swiped it as if Keiser's shoes were nailed to the FieldTurf. Funchess tore the ball away, continued in stride and cashed in a 43-yard score to give the Wolverines an early boost. "It was a great play by a great athlete," Gard- ner said. "You've got a big guy down the field. Once he eliminates the corner, he's one-on-one with the safety. I gave him a shot, and he took advantage of it." The Nittany Lions struck right back, again driving deep into Michigan territory. U-M's defense stiffened again, with Ficken's 32-yard field goal making it 7-6 with 52 seconds re- maining in the first quarter. That's when the team with the nation's worst turnover margin felt the snakebite once again. Gardner soft-tossed a screen pass right into the waiting palms of Penn State defensive tackle Anthony Zettel, who settled to the turf at the Michigan 28. Four plays later, Hackenberg drilled DaeSean Hamilton (seven catches, 58 yards) over the middle on a 10-yard touchdown strike. Wile got three back on a 45-yard field goal with 5:08 left in the half. That drew the Wolver- ines within three, 13-10, and set up the tough struggle ahead. After intermission, it was all downhill for Hackenberg and the Nittany Lions' offense, while Gardner finessed just enough out of an offense that rushed for only 64 yards to get by. "It felt good to finally finish the game," Clark assured. "We've been going through a lot of scrutiny as a team the last three weeks espe- cially, and especially as a defense … it just felt good." ❏ Fifth-year senior quarterback Devin Gardner left the game in the third quarter, but he returned in the fourth to direct Michigan's drive for the game-winning field goal and to provide some fiery emotional leadership. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL

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