KJ Hamler, No. 7 Penn State Escape with Win vs. Jim Harbaugh, No. 16 Michigan

No. 7 Penn State kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive by defending home-field and defeating No. 16 Michigan 28-21 in Happy Valley on Saturday.

Sean Clifford led the way for the Nittany Lions with 182 yards and four total touchdowns. Shea Patterson threw for 276 yards for the Wolverines in a losing effort.

The victory keeps Penn State's perfect record intact at 7-0 as it keeps pace with No. 3 Ohio State in the Big Ten East. Meanwhile, Michigan drops to 5-2 on the season as its three-game winning streak comes to an end.

Notable Performances

Michigan

QB Shea Patterson: 24/41, 276 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception; 12 carries, 34 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

RB Zach Charbonnet: 15 carries, 81 yards, two touchdowns

WR Ronnie Bell: four catches, 71 yards

WR Nico Collins: six catches, 89 yards

WR Donovan Peoples-Jones: five catches, 46 yards

Penn State

QB Sean Clifford: 14/25, 182 yards, three touchdowns; 11 carries, 17 yards, one touchdown

WR KJ Hamler: six catches, 108 yards, two touchdowns; two carries, six yards

Clifford Shines Against Tough Wolverines Defense

Penn State had lost four of its five most recent battles against Michigan, but with Clifford at the helm, this one was never in doubt.

After a punt on the opening possession, Clifford quickly showed he wasn't afraid of the spotlight. The 6'2", 216-pound sophomore used both his arm and legs to lead the Nittany Lions 66 yards in five plays on their second drive, capping it with a 17-yard pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth:

On the next drive, he drew the Wolverines offside on back-to-back plays near the goal line before finding the end zone on the ground to help extend the lead to 14.

Michigan struggled to find an answer for Clifford on this night. In the second quarter, he beat the Wolverines defense with a perfect 25-yard dime to KJ Hamler for a touchdown.

When the Wolverines closed the gap to one possession in the second half, it was Clifford who stepped up in a big way:

It's been that kind of season for Clifford. In his first year under center, he has thrown for 1,742 yards and 16 touchdowns with just two interceptions, adding 269 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. His ability to make plays with both his arms and legs has made the Nittany Lions tough to stop, as they have won by an average of 30.4 points per game this season.

Clifford has passed a pair of tests by beating then-No. 17 Iowa and No. 16 Michigan in the last two games. He will have to continue to build on his momentum down the stretch, though, if Penn State is going to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time.

Three of the Nittany Lions' next four games will come on the road, featuring matchups with Michigan State, No. 20 Minnesota and No. 4 Ohio State.

Slow Start Dooms Michigan Once Again

The Wolverines entered Saturday's prime-time battle averaging 30.3 points per game this season. Although that's a respectable total, they have struggled to light up the scoreboard in their biggest games.

Michigan did not get on the board against then-No. 13 Wisconsin back on Sept. 21 until the game was well in hand, with the Badgers leading 35-0 late in the third quarter. Against then-No. 14 Iowa two weeks ago, the Wolverines offense could only muster up seven points (not including three points set up by the defense) over the course of four quarters.

It was more of the same on Saturday—and it was clear right from the start.

Patterson's inability to get the offense situated in a raucous environment for the first play of the game forced coach Jim Harbaugh to burn a timeout before any time had come off the game clock. And it would wind up being a brutal start for Patterson and Co.

Over the course of its first five drives, the Michigan offense could only muster up a total of 91 yards while recording three punts, a turnover on downs and an interception. Penn State took advantage of the opportunity at hand by putting up 21 points during that span.

Patterson eventually settled in and played well in the second half. During Michigan's final three drives of the game, he helped produce back-to-back touchdowns and then drove the Wolverines to the Nittany Lions' 3-yard line with 2:01 remaining, only to come up just short of an equalizing score following a dropped pass in the end zone.

It was a valiant second-half effort, but it turned out to be too little, too late.

This loss is just the latest in a line of notable shortcomings for Harbaugh:

Harbaugh won't have to wait long, though, before he gets another chance to try to improve those numbers, as No. 8 Notre Dame comes to town next week. If the Wolverines are going to have any chance of defeating their rivals from South Bend, they are going to need a much better offensive performance.

What's Next?

Both teams will be back in action on Oct. 26. Michigan will return to Ann Arbor to host No. 8 Notre Dame, while Penn State will hit the road for a clash with Michigan State.