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Penn State Football: Quarterback Report Post Michigan 2018

By Collin Wieder

ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 03: Trace McSorley #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions warms up prior to the start of the game against the Michigan Wolverines Michigan Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 03: Trace McSorley #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions warms up prior to the start of the game against the Michigan Wolverines Michigan Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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I’m not going to lie, this one is going to be ugly. Penn State football looked pre-2016 bad on Saturday. Trace McSorley and Tommy Stevens had a rough day.

There isn’t much to say to make this breakdown better. Penn State football’s 42-7 loss to Michigan was an all-time terrible defeat, especially considering the playmakers and high-level recruits this team has built the program around. The stats say it all for the two quarterbacks. They combined for an abysmal 8-of-17 for 118 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Trace McSorley missed throws and looked hampered by the knee injury he suffered against Iowa. It’s not fair to put it all on him. He clearly didn’t have the offensive line to keep him upright, and the Brandon Polk dropped an early pass to breakup the rhythm. Still, he played poorly. I’m a huge proponent of McSorley’s game, and a supporter of him through the offensive struggles this year. In the other games this season, the receivers didn’t back him up. Against Michigan, he just didn’t get it done.

The pressure was constant and Michigan was on a mission to embarrass Penn State after it was embarrassed last year. Without the ability to extend plays as well with his legs, UM’s pressure collapsed in on him and forced poor throws.

Tommy Stevens didn’t fair much better. After rushing for a first down on the first play after he took over for McSorley, he threw a pick-six. Overall, the offense struggled against the best defense in college football.

Life has been anything but easy on the Penn State offense this year, but this game was truly a letdown. No one expected the offense to fall off this bad. Sure, it lost Saquon Barkley, Mike Gesicki and DaeSean Hamilton, but there were plenty of capable athletes to help keep the offense going.

The good news is that Penn State can only go up from here, and it won’t see another defense like the Wolverines.

To sum up the bad week, if McSorley is healthy this week, he could surpass 100 career total touchdowns in his career. He’s got a chance to set more records. If not, it’s Tommy time against Wisconsin.

Related Story. Penn State Football Recruiting: Reactions to 42-7 loss versus Michigan. light

McSorley SEASON STATS: 6-3, 2018 record; 128-of-245, 1,712 yards, 12 touchdowns, five interceptions; 611 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, 5.6 yards per carry; 2,323 total yards, 21 total touchdowns

McSorley CAREER STATS: 28-8 career record; 9,081 passing yards; 59.7 completion percentage; 71 touchdowns, 23 interceptions; 1,510 rushing yards, 27 rushing touchdowns; 10,591 total yards, 98 total touchdowns

Stevens CAREER STATS: 22-of-39 for 279 yards, four touchdowns and one interception; 446 rushing yards, eight touchdowns, 6.8 yards per carry; 14 catches, 62 yards, two touchdowns; 725 total yards, 14 total touchdowns

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