Penn State vs. Michigan: Game Grades, Analysis for Nittany Lions and Wolverines

Michigan cracked the Big Ten win column Saturday night with an 18-13 victory over Penn State at The Big House in Ann Arbor. 

"It wasn't pretty," Wolverines coach Brady Hoke said during his postgame presser. 

No, it wasn't pretty. But it moves Team 135 to 3-4 heading into the bye week, which comes just in time, says Hoke, who's looking forward to resting his players and getting organized for Oct. 25's meeting with Michigan State in East Lansing. 

Penn State super soph quarterback Christian Hackenberg was handcuffed by a relentless pass rush and a secondary that was dialed in and looking to rebound from criticism. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Passing Offense	B+	B- (despite 142 in the first half, Gardner ended with season-high)
Rushing Offense	D	F
Pass Defense	B	B+
Run Defense	A	A+
Special Teams	A	A-
Coaching	S	S

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Passing Offense	C-	D
Rushing Offense	D	D-
Pass Defense	C	C-
Run Defense	A	B-
Special Teams	A (Ficken)	A (Ficken)
Coaching	I	I

Passing Offense

UM: Devin Gardner completed 16 of 24 attempts for a season-high 192 yards. He threw one interception and managed the game well. 

Michigan gets a "B-" for passing offense, only because Gardner hit a season high. Other than that, it was average at best. 

PSU: Christian Hackenberg didn't have a lot of time to do anything. His O-line didn't help matters, and neither did Michigan's secondary, which capped the hot shot signal-caller at just 160 yards. 

Penn State gets a "D."

Rushing Offense

UM: Without Derrick Green, the Wolverines must find a way to produce from the backfield. That didn't happen Saturday, as De'Veon Smith, the new No. 1, had just two carries for 21 yards. The sophomore needs more carries on a regular basis. Until that happens, don't expect a lot from the backs. 

Including Gardner, the quarterback, Michigan rushed for 25 yards. That's a failure. One big old "F."

PSU: Bill Belton had 14 carries for 69 yards, leading an otherwise ineffective rushing attack. Penn State ended the night with 54 yards. The Nittany Lions get a "D-" in that department. 

Pass Defense

UM: See Penn State's pass offense grade, and you'll see why Michigan's defensive backs earned a "B+" for their work against Hackenberg. The Wolverines secondary started out with passion, evidenced by Ray Taylor's efforts in the first quarter, and ended on a high note. 

PSU: Other than allowing a 43-yard touchdown in the first half, the Nittany Lions did a respectable job of stopping Gardner. Penn State gets a "C-." 

Run Defense

UM: The proof is in the pudding, and that pudding must taste pretty good. Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison's guys entered the game surrendering fewer than three yards per carry. They held Penn State to just 1.5 yards per attempt, warranting an "A+"

PSU: There wasn't really a running game to defense, so Penn State gets a "B-" for showing up and not allowing huge gains. 

Special Teams

UM: Matt Wile's three field goals did the trick. Will Hagerup punted well enough to avoid relinquishing field position for Michigan. So let's say "A-"...you know, just to be nice. 

PSU: Sam Ficken knocked down both of his attempts. An "A" for Fickens sounds right. 

Coaching

UM: Hoke said it himself after the game, the players play, not him. But he should be rewarded for calling the shots during his first conference win of 2014. Hoke, Mattison and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier can split a grade of "S." 

Remember those? They mean satisfactory. 

PSU: It's James Franklin's first year in the Big Ten, and Saturday was his first trip to Ann Arbor. Let's call it an "I" for the sake of fairness. 

Follow Bleacher Report's Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81

Unless otherwise noted, quotes or references to were obtained firsthand by the writer