No. 5 Michigan pulls away from No. 10 Penn State in 41-17 win

Michigan's Blake Corum has gained 163 yards on the ground through three quarters against Penn State.

Michigan has retaken control of this matchup thanks to an explosive third quarter for the running game. Led by Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, the Wolverines gained 168 yards on the ground, eclipsing over 330 yards for the game with an entire quarter to go. That's all on a Nittany Lion defense that came into today ranked in the top five in overall run defense. 

Penn State's offense found a bit of rhythm after a shaky first half, gaining 132 yards (mostly through the air), but failed to convert a fourth down inside the Michigan 40-yard line that felt like a huge missed opportunity. That feeling doubled when Corum took the very next snap to the house for his second touchdown of the day to restore the Wolverines' two-score lead.

Curtis Jacobs' pick-six in the second quarter was a huge turning point in this game.

The second quarter started as the first ended: the Michigan offense driving down the field. After two less-than-ideal redzone trips, the Wolverines finally cashed in to take a 13-0 lead. Penn State was desperate for a response and Sean Clifford delivered — and then some.

Clifford's 62-yard run on the ensuing possession set up the Nittany Lions' first score of the game: a 1-yard touchdown run courtesy of Kaytron Allen. Five plays later, J.J. McCarthy's third-down pass was deflected (twice) and picked off by Curtis Jacobs, who returned it 47 yards for a pick-six. In the blink of an eye, Penn State was in front.

Michigan leads at the break, but some of these numbers are astounding: Michigan has outgained Penn State 274-84. The Wolverines have run 50 offensive plays; the Nittany Lions have run 13. Clifford's big play is the only first down Penn State has converted while Michigan has earned 18.

And yet, it's a two-point game at halftime. We've got a ballgame, folks. Here's a look at halftime stats:

• Time: Noon ET
• Date: Saturday, Oct. 15
• TV channel: FOX

From NCAA.com's Mike Lopresti's Week 7 preview:

Times are good in Ann Arbor, where the Wolverines have gone 6-0 for the second consecutive year, something they hadn’t done since 1977 and the salad days of the Bo Schembechler empire. They have taken games by the throat with a 143-23 dominance in the first half, handed the ball to Blake Corum so he could score 11 touchdowns and average 122.5 rushing yards a game, and seen Jim Harbaugh’s quarterback decision hit the jackpot. J.J. McCarthy’s 78.3 completion percentage is the nation’s finest, with all-Big Tenner Cade McNamara now the backup. The Wolverines are the only team outside of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to rank in the top-10 nationally in both scoring offense and defense.

But unbeaten Penn State will test Michigan’s high hopes, especially with a defense that has forced 11 turnovers in three games and allowed only one team to crack 100 yards rushing. Strange, given these programs’ pedigrees, that this is the first time in a quarter-century that Michigan and Penn State will meet as top-10 teams.

Michigan and Penn State are ranked in the top 10 in the AP Poll for Week 7.