Harbaugh confident after Michigan's 28-16 win at Penn St

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) Jim Harbaugh is sure his team is ready for a shot to compete for its first Big Ten title in over a decade.

The Michigan coach grew even more confident when he overheard return man Jourdan Lewis make a bold proclamation before a late kickoff return in the No. 14 Wolverines' 28-16 win over Penn State on Saturday.

Lewis predicted he'd break Penn State's back.

With the Nittany Lions needing a quick stop for a chance to win a one-possession game, Lewis bounced off tacklers for a 55-yard return and Michigan punched in a score six plays later to seal the win.

''He was just competing like a maniac throughout that return, refusing to go down,'' Harbaugh said.

Harbaugh could have said that about all of the Wolverines (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 12 CFP) who managed to stay one step ahead of the Nittany Lions (7-4, 4-3) all afternoon in a 28-16 win.

''Every time the momentum was shifting or about to shift, our offense responded with a big drive, touchdown drive,'' Harbaugh said.

Jake Rudock was 25 of 38 passing, threw for 256 yards and completed touchdown passes to Jake Butt and Amara Darboh. Sione Houma and De'Veon Smith scored on 1-yard rushes while Michigan's defense stymied Penn State's running game and sacked quarterback Christian Hackenberg four times.

Both of Rudock's touchdowns came immediately after Penn State scoring drives.

A week removed from throwing six touchdown passes against Indiana, Rudock hit Butt on a crossing route for a 26-yard gain to give Michigan a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. Toward the end of the half he zipped a quick pass toward the sideline to Darboh who zigzagged through Penn State's secondary for an 11-yard score and a 14-10 halftime lead.

Rudock took a brutal shot from Anthony Zettel in the second half but didn't miss a play. Zettel was initially called for targeting but it was overturned and he got a roughing-the-passer penalty.

''I just know if you're the quarterback, guys want to hit you,'' Rudock said. ''They want to hit you hard, and they want to hit you in the face ... but our defense is that way, too.''

And that's what Michigan's defense did, despite being flagged for 10 of the Wolverines' 13 penalties.

At one point in the third quarter following a pass interference call, Harbaugh ripped off his radio then tossed his jacket before screaming at officials.

While the penalty was still assessed, Harbaugh's rant fired up his players.

''Everyone on the team would follow him no matter what,'' Butt said.

But Michigan's defense made up for its infractions with a solid performance overall.

The Wolverines held Saquon Barkley to just 68 rushing yards on 15 carries, with 56 of them on Penn State's second play from scrimmage. It set up the first of three Tyler Davis field goals but the running game wouldn't do much for the rest of the afternoon.

Penn State managed just six rushing yards in the second half and Hackenberg had trouble throwing down the field under consistent pressure.

He completed a 38-yard strike to Chris Godwin late in the third to set up Davis' second field goal but was just 3 for 10 the rest of the way.

In addition to the four sacks, Hackenberg was hit a few more times and knocked out of the game. Backup Trace McSorley entered, fired an incomplete and Penn State let go one of its six punts on the afternoon.

''My heart hurts for these seniors,'' Penn State coach James Franklin said. ''Last time they'll play in Beaver Stadium and they're leaving not on a positive note.''

Michigan's thoughts quickly turned to a game going on hundreds of miles away where No. 3 Ohio State was hosting No. 9 Michigan State. The Wolverines needed a win from the Buckeyes to stay in the hunt for a Big Ten title shot.

''This has been our goal since the beginning of the year to try to become Big Ten champions,'' Butt said. ''We faced a lot of adversity this year but it's so special to have our names up there as one of the better teams in the Big Ten and one of the better teams in the country.''