Penn State Football: Position Grades in 42-13 win over Michigan

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 21: Saquon Barkley
STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 21: Saquon Barkley /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 9
Next
STATE COLLEGE, PA – OCTOBER 21: The Penn State Nittany Lions cause John O’Korn #8 of the Michigan Wolverines to fumble in the second half on October 21, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA – OCTOBER 21: The Penn State Nittany Lions cause John O’Korn #8 of the Michigan Wolverines to fumble in the second half on October 21, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Linebackers

There was little to no breathing room for Michigan’s ground game. The linebackers played productively and kept getting into the backfield. Jason Cabinda led the way, as usual, with 13 total tackles including 11 assisted tackles. He can clean up and traffic coming through and did it once again Saturday.

Cabinda didn’t just stop the run. He also recorded his second sack of the year. Koa Farmer and Manny Bowen combined for 13 more tackles helping the defense hold Michigan to just 269 total yards. Johnny O’Korn was largely ineffective through the air, and a lot of that had to do with defenders sitting in his lap all night. It also helped to have a linebacking corp that forced him to throw the football.

When a running team is pressed into throwing the ball that much with a backup, it won’t go well. It’s a great week for the linebackers especially considering they face J.K. Dobbins next weekend. This game greatly helps the unit’s confidence.

Grade: A-