Penn State vs Michigan: Players to watch

The excitement of October Big Ten football is in the air and it really doesn’t get any better than a top 10 college football matchup at Michigan Stadium. Penn State has its toughest task of the season ahead of it this Saturday, playing No. 5 Michigan on the road. The Wolverines and Nittany Lions both come into this matchup unbeaten, 6-0 vs 5-0. Who will come out on top? The question will be answered on Saturday, but here are the key players to watch out for in a potential game-of-the-season contender.

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Penn State:

S Zakee Wheatley

The freshman has wasted no time getting himself acquainted with Penn State’s defensive schemes and has two interceptions in his last three games to show for it. He’s really impressed early on and is a quick defensive back who can get to passes and can get to receivers, even if he’s beat in coverage. A great game from Wheatley means the Nittany Lion secondary is working.

K Jake Pinegar

This game is shaping up to be one that could very well be decided by a touchdown or a missed extra point, whatever the case might be, but that means that Pinegar is going to be a factor toward the end of the contest. He’s 4/6 on field goals this season and 20/22 on extra points. Against Michigan, he’s going to need to be 100 percent on everything and locked in. Concern rises with long kicks, but if he can knock a game-winner in, he’ll be a State College legend forever.

QB Sean Clifford

We’re highlighting Clifford in this not just for his passing, which has the potential to be game-altering if he has himself a great day, but for his feet and how he utilizes the run on Saturday. We’ve seen Clifford have no issues scrambling for first downs, but having him have a big day on the ground is something that Michigan might be preparing for, but not expecting. He can’t be afraid to pass, but if there is an opening down the field, he has to take it with his feet and be smart about it.

Michigan

RB Blake Corum

This year’s Michigan offense almost exclusively runs through Corum, the leading rusher on the Wolverines and one of the most explosive backs in the country. Averaging 6.2 yards per carry and racking up 11 rushing touchdowns already, you know what to expect from the junior at this point. He’s a formality for Michigan and as he goes, the Wolverines go.

LB Mike Morris

One of the best pass-rush defenses in the county, Michigan is tied for the fifth-most sacks of any team in the country, five coming from Morris alone. He’s a ferocious defender with a knack for getting to the quarterback and Penn State starting QB Sean Clifford could very well find himself in a heap of trouble on Saturday if Morris is having himself another banner day.

WR Ronnie Bell

Bell is the leading receiver for the Wolverines and is averaging 13 yards per catch this season. His 390 receiving yards are sixth overall in the Big Ten, but he has just one receiving touchdown to his name in 2022. While it would be foolish to think that Bell couldn’t go off and score a few on Saturday, he’s just been consistently racking up yards for the Wolverines and is doing it at such a high caliber. With 30 receptions so far this season, he’ll be getting plenty of catch attempts against Penn State.