Michigan
5-1 , 1-1
Penn State
4-2 , 1-1
Wolverines Unable to Put Away Penn State in Four-OT Loss
10/12/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
Site: State College, Pa. (Beaver Stadium)
Score: Penn State 43, #18 Michigan 40 (4OT)
Records: U-M (5-1, 1-2 Big Ten), PSU (4-2, 1-1 Big Ten)
Attendance: 107,884
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Oct. 19 -- vs. Indiana (Michigan Stadium), 3:30 p.m.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The University of Michigan football team (No. 18 AP, No. 16 USA Today) was unable to hold on to a lead with less than a minute left in regulation and was outlasted by Penn State, 43-40, in four overtimes on Saturday night (Oct. 12) at Beaver Stadium.
A two-yard rushing touchdown by PSU running back Bill Belton gave the Nittany Lions the win after Michigan kicked a field goal on the first possession of the fourth overtime period.
Senior/junior quarterback Devin Gardner (Detroit, Mich./Inkster) totaled 361 yards and three total touchdowns, while junior defensive end Frank Clark (Cleveland, Ohio/Glenville) recorded two sacks and recovered two fumbles, including one he returned for a touchdown.
The teams traded interceptions in the first quarter, with U-M's coming from sophomore safety Jarrod Wilson (Akron, Ohio/Akron Buchtel). Penn State's INT resulted in the game's first touchdown.
However, U-M responded in a hurry, as Gardner found sophomore tight end Devin Funchess (Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison) for a 59-yard catch-and-run touchdown at 8:19 of the opening quarter.
Michigan then took the lead following fifth-year senior Brendan Gibbons' (West Palm Beach, Fla./Cardinal Newman) 47-yard field goal.
The Nittany Lions outscored U-M, 14-0, in the second quarter, thanks in part to two U-M turnovers, and carried a 21-10 lead into half.
On the first play from scrimmage of the second half, sophomore linebacker James Ross III (Orchard Lake, Mich./Saint Mary's Prep) forced a fumble that Clark returned 24 yards for a TD.
A few minutes later, junior cornerback Raymon Taylor (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) notched his second pick of the year in Penn State territory, setting up a 23-yard Gibbons FG.
Penn State then stretched the lead to four (24-20) with a 45-yard field goal.
A 16-yard TD catch from fifth-year senior wideout Jeremy Gallon (Apopka, Fla./Apopka) -- his first since he recorded three earlier this season against Notre Dame (Sept. 7) -- returned the lead to U-M.
That lead became 34-24 after Gardner found Funchess from 34 yards out with 10:28 to play in regulation.
A Penn State field goal brought the score back within seven at 34-27, and despite the Wolverines running the clock down to the one-minute mark, a delay-of-game penalty forced U-M to punt with a short field.
The Nittany Lions used three long passes and a sneak to tie the game with just 27 ticks left.
U-M had a chance to win it on a 52-yard try by Gibbons with a few ticks left, but it fell short.
Michigan won the toss and chose to begin the first overtime on defense, which forced PSU to a miss a field goal, but Gibbons' 40-yarder was blocked.
In OT two, the teams traded field goals, forcing a third overtime -- only the third in program history.
Clark recovered a fumble on the first Penn State play, but Gibbons' sixth attempt of the night, from 33 yards, sailed wide left.
The Wolverine offense opened with the ball, but a false start forced U-M into a long and unsuccessful third down, forcing U-M to settle for a 40-yard field goal.
Penn State's winning score followed a successful rush on fourth-and-one and a third-down pass interference call on Michigan, putting the ball on the Wolverines' two-yard line.
Michigan will next play host to Indiana next Saturday (Oct. 19) at 3:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
Team Stats
MICH 0, PSU 7
PSU - Felder, Brandon 12 yd pass from Hackenberg, C. (Ficken, Sam kick) 3 plays, 14 yards, TOP 0:50
MICH 7, PSU 7
MICH - Funchess, Devin 59 yd pass from Gardner, Devin (Gibbons, B. kick) 3 plays, 86 yards, TOP 1:13
MICH 10, PSU 7
MICH - Gibbons, B. 47 yd field goal 5 plays, 23 yards, TOP 2:49
MICH 10, PSU 14
PSU - James, Jesse 20 yd pass from Hackenberg, C. (Ficken, Sam kick) 1 plays, 20 yards, TOP 0:08
MICH 10, PSU 21
PSU - Felder, Brandon 24 yd pass from Hackenberg, C. (Ficken, Sam kick) 10 plays, 61 yards, TOP 2:39
MICH 17, PSU 21
MICH - Clark, Frank 24 yd fumble recovery (Gibbons, B. kick)
MICH 20, PSU 21
MICH - Gibbons, B. 23 yd field goal 5 plays, 19 yards, TOP 1:52
MICH 20, PSU 24
PSU - Ficken, Sam 45 yd field goal 10 plays, 50 yards, TOP 4:25
MICH 27, PSU 24
MICH - Gallon, Jeremy 16 yd pass from Gardner, Devin (Gibbons, B. kick) 9 plays, 73 yards, TOP 3:47
MICH 34, PSU 24
MICH - Funchess, Devin 37 yd pass from Gardner, Devin (Gibbons, B. kick) 5 plays, 70 yards, TOP 2:41
MICH 34, PSU 27
PSU - Ficken, Sam 43 yd field goal 12 plays, 49 yards, TOP 3:53
MICH 34, PSU 34
PSU - Hackenberg, C. 1 yd run (Ficken, Sam kick), 5 plays, 80 yards, TOP 0:23
MICH 37, PSU 34
MICH - Gibbons, B. 25 yd field goal 11 plays, 0 yards, TOP 0:00
MICH 37, PSU 37
PSU - Ficken, Sam 36 yd field goal 11 plays, 0 yards, TOP 0:00
MICH 40, PSU 37
MICH - Gibbons, B. 40 yd field goal 11 plays, 0 yards, TOP 0:00
MICH 40, PSU 43
PSU - Belton, Bill 2 yd run (), 11 plays, 0 yards, TOP 0:00
