Penn State Football: Offense needs to have its best day against Michigan

Penn State football is up for a tough challenge when squaring off against the best defense in the nation. 

Despite already having two losses on the season, there’s still a lot to lay for this weekend in Ann Arbor for Penn State football. The Nittany Lions, ranked No. 14 in the first CFP rankings of the year, are in the running for a New Year’s Six appearance. However, scoring points on the stout Michigan defense won’t be easy.

Tough defense has been a trademark of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh since his arrival to the program.

Always one of the best defenses annually, this year is no different. The Wolverines lead the nation in total defense, with an average of just 220 yards given up per game. Coincidentally, as teams have had trouble moving the ball, scoring on Michigan has been just as tough. 14 points per game is all the Wolverines have allowed thus far.

Penn State entered the 2018 season with high expectations for its offense and its ability to put up points. While things started out strong, the Nittany Lions have lacked consistency on offense over the past few weeks.

Last week against Iowa, a top-10 defense, Penn State really struggled to get much going. The Nittany Lions did manage 30 points, but racked up just 312 total yards. Senior quarterback Trace McSorley failed to throw for over 200 yards, though he did miss a portion of the game due to a leg injury.

Dropped passes and some questionable play calls have plagued the Nittany Lions on offense in recent games. McSorley will need to throw the ball downfield against the Wolverines and needs to be able to trust that his receivers will come up with the catch.

Veterans like Juwan Johnson, DeAndre Thompkins, and Brandon Polk have struggled at times, but freshmen KJ Hamler, Jahan Dotson, and Mac Hippenhammer have stepped up.

Running back Miles Sanders has shown glimpses of what made him a top recruit coming out of high school. He’ll have a tough challenge this week, but recently rushed for over 100 yards against Michigan State — the nation’s top rush defense.

Penn State is a double-digit underdog this week, and a big part of that can be attributed to how good Michigan’s defense is. If the Nittany Lions are going to have any hope of a major upset, they are going to have to get back to being one of the most potent offenses in the nation.

It certainly won’t be easy, but the potential is there. Come Saturday, Penn State needs to execute perfectly on offense and do something that few have been able to do this season — put up big numbers on the Michigan defense.