Hail To The Victors: MICHIGAN FOOTBALL '99
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WOLVERINES BEAT STATE AGAIN
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (Nov. 13) - Michigan still has Penn State's number. Tom Brady's 11-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Knight with 1:46 left gave the No. 16 Wolverines a 31-27 victory over No. 6 Penn State on Saturday, their third straight over the Nittany Lions.
Michigan (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten) gave up a 10-point lead, then scored two touchdowns in less than two minutes to hand Penn State - a national title contender two weeks ago - its second straight loss. First, Brady capped a 12-play, 81-yard drive by scrambling for a 5-yard touchdown, pulling Michigan within 27-24 with 3:26 left. After Penn State went three-and-out, DiAllo Johnson returned the punt 24 yards to the Penn State 35. Brady hit Knight with a 17-yard pass on third down to set up the TD that won the game. Kevin Thompson drove Penn State to the Michigan 34 with a minute left, but Ian Gold stripped him of the ball and the Wolverines recovered. Penn State (9-2, 5-2) rushed for seven yards on 20 carries, worst under Paterno.
Michigan, which had beaten Penn State by a combined 61-8 in the past two seasons, is only the second team to beat a Paterno-coached team three straight years. Alabama did it from 1987-89. For Penn State, the slide continues. The Lions couldn't bounce back from their last-second loss to Minnesota last Saturday. Now, they'll just try to hang on. A visit to No. 17 Michigan State is next. Michigan also spoiled the final home game for Penn State's Jerry Sandusky, who is retiring at year's end after 32 years as a Penn State assistant, including 23 as Paterno's defensive coordinator.
Brady finished 17-of-36 for 259 yards, two TDs and three interceptions. David Terrell had six catches for 133 yards, Knight caught five passes for 79 yards and two TDs, and Anthony Thomas rushed for 127 yards on 34 carries. Brady gave Michigan a 17-7 lead on the opening series of the second half by hitting Marcus Knight for a 35-yard TD. Then Penn State's defense came alive. The Lions pinned Michigan at its 9 and, after a deflected punt, got a 39-yard field goal by Travis Forney. Penn State stopped Michigan again on the next series, and Thompson completed four straight passes, the last a 38-yarder to Eddie Drummond for a TD to tie the game at 17-17 with 2:09 left in the third quarter. Thompson's passing moved Penn State downfield again on the next series, and Forney's 28-yard field goal gave Penn State its first lead, 20-17. A minute later, Bhawoh Jue intercepted Brady's pass and returned it 46 yards for a TD to put Penn State ahead 27-17 with 9:44 left. Thompson finished 19-of-27 for 263 yards and a TD. At the start, it was clear Penn State hadn't recovered from last week's upset loss to Minnesota. Against a ferocious Michigan defense, they actually looked as though they'd regressed. The Lions fumbled on the first two series. First, Thompson and Eric Cole - starting at center for the first time since last season - botched a snap and Michigan recovered at the Penn State 21. On the next series, Cato June forced Eric McCoo to fumble at the Michigan 46. The Wolverines turned the miscues into 10 points, Hayden Epstein's 33-yard field goal and Thomas' 2-yard TD run. After Bruce Branch's 79-yard punt return for a touchdown - his second of the year - Penn State trailed only 10-7 at halftime. Michigan held the Lions to 6 yards rushing in the first half and 1 yard in the second. Three times, they hit Thompson so hard that he was forced to the sidelines to recover. -David Kinney, AP |
My Game Notes
This was an awesome game. Forgive me for my limited amount of game notes this week. I have been extremelly busy and I only saw the 2nd half of the game. 2 weeks ago Tom Brady was criticized and his ability was questioned. He is now reffered to as one of UM's QB elite. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON TOM BRADY!! Anthony Thomas also has stepped up after a sluggish start to the season. Although his long runs and huge plays have diminished slightly, A-Train is racking up crucial yards and performing well enough to carry the team. CLICK HERE FOR MITCH ALBOM'S COMMENTS ON THOMAS!! Lloyd Carr opened up the passing game for Brady, Terrell, and underated Marcus Knight. Carr was not conservative. he balanced his attack and mixed it up. (Henson recieving play was an example. It was creative and perefectly timed) Diallo Johnson, who I credited last week for his improvement of the special team squad, set up the winning score. He was the returner we should have used all season. The most important stat of all was that the defense only allowed 13 points to a top-ten team. It was exactly what this team needed going into the OSU game. With a win against OSU, Michigan is looking towards possible Fiesta or Orange Bowl bids. CLICK HERE FOR MICHIGAN'S BOWL CHANCES!! |
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