Michigan vs. Penn State: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

No. 12 Michigan (9-2, 6-1) kept its Big Ten championship hopes alive Saturday with a hard-fought 28-16 victory over Penn State (7-4, 4-3) at Beaver Stadium. 

The biggest difference was the Nittany Lions' inability to take advantage of their red-zone opportunities. Three times they drove inside the Wolverines' 10-yard line, and they came away with just nine points. It's hard to pull off an upset with that lack of efficiency in key situations.

Here's the quarter-by-quarter scoring recap for the Big Ten clash:

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
Wolverines	7	7	7	7	28
Nittany Lions	3	7	0	6	16

One thing Michigan senior quarterback Jake Rudock has learned during his collegiate career, which started at Iowa before he joined the Wolverines, is the importance of finishing strong. He knows any previous success otherwise fades away, as noted by Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com.

"Throughout my entire time in college, you find out what teams are made of in November," Rudock said. "We've got an opportunity to go do something special."

Facing a Penn State squad that was playing its final home contest of the campaign after battling Northwestern tough in its last game created a tricky test for the Maize and Blue.

If there was any doubt about that on the Michigan sideline, it got erased quickly as the Nittany Lions drove down the field with relative ease on the game's opening drive. The Wolverines defense did step up inside the 10, however, to hold the home side to a field goal.

Quarterback Christian Hackenberg and head coach James Franklin had a discussion on the sideline after Penn State ran it three straight times from just inside the 10. Justin Higdon of Draft Breakdown took a guess about the topic of the conversation:

Michigan responded immediately with a touchdown to grab the lead. Rudock delivered a strike to Jehu Chesson for 39 yards on third down to keep the drive alive and then found Jake Butt from 26 yards out for the score.

Gil Brandt of NFL.com noted the Michigan quarterback's draft stock is beginning to rise given his improved play down the stretch:

Penn State jumped back out in front late in the second quarter. A blocked punt set the Nittany Lions with terrific field position at the Michigan 43, and they capitalized. Hackenberg completed four of his six throws on the drive, including a 25-yard hook up with Saeed Blacknall for the TD.

Joe Juliano of the Philadelphia Inquirer credited the sophomore wideout with making a nice play on the ball after his defender, Jabrill Peppers, got turned around:

The only downside about the quick score was it left two minutes on the clock for Michigan. The Wolverines needed just 70 seconds to cover 70 yards as Rudock continued to impress with his control of the offense.

Once again, a key throw on third down kept the drive moving. This time, he found Amara Darboh down the sideline for a highlight-reel grab, as ESPN College Football showcased:

Four plays later, Michigan found the end zone as Rudock and Darboh linked up again for the 11-yard touchdown before the half. Todd McShay of ESPN applauded to call on the scoring play:

The Wolverines stretched their lead to 11 in the third after DeAndre Thompkins muffed a punt inside his own 10 that got recovered by Michigan. Three plays later, Sione Houma powered in from one yard out to make it 21-10.

Audrey Snyder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette summed up the setback for Penn State:

The Nittany Lions clawed back within five by midway through the fourth quarter thanks to a pair of Tyler Davis field goals. In each instance, however, they got the ball inside the 10 and failed to come away with a touchdown.

That allowed Michigan to regain firm control of the contest with a late touchdown run from De'Veon Smith. Penn State couldn't make another rally as its final drive ended with a quick four-and-out. The Wolverines ran out the clock from there to secure the victory.

Michigan Athletics celebrated the win:

Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press pointed out it now becomes a waiting game for the Wolverines as they wait on the result from Ohio State vs. Michigan State:

"

FINAL -- Michigan 28, Penn State 16; U-M is 9-2 and will know in 4 hours whether it will play for the division title next week

— Mark Snyder (@Mark__Snyder) November 21, 2015"

Looking ahead, up next for Michigan is its annual rivalry meeting with Ohio State. Given the potential implications for both teams in the Big Ten and College Football Playoff races, it's probably the most important clash between the sides since they were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in 2006.

Penn State will finish the regular season with its third straight game against a ranked opponent when it takes on Michigan State next week. Exactly how much that game means to the Spartans will be determined later Saturday when they face off with the Buckeyes.

So there's still a lot to figure out in the Big Ten East, and these teams will play a key role in deciding which team wins the coveted division title.

Postgame Reaction

Franklin confirmed his group didn't play a clean enough game to beat an opponent of Michigan's caliber, per Onward State:

Zach Shaw of Michigan Daily passed along Rudock's thoughts on next week's marquee matchup:

Ultimately, Michigan didn't play a perfect game, but the defense rose to the occasion when necessary to get the win. That's the only thing that truly matters in the end, especially at this stage of the season. Now the Wolverines can focus on making the necessary improvements before facing the Buckeyes.