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For once, in this storied stadium, Penn State brushed history aside.
For once, the other guys made all the mistakes.
Penn State (7-1, 3-1 Big Ten) eased past mistake-prone Michigan 35-10 Saturday before 110,377 mostly disappointed fans at Michigan Stadium.
It was Penn State's second straight defeat of the Wolverines, and their first win at Michigan Stadium since 1996.
"I've had some good memories here," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said, but he's also had some nightmares, in particular the gut-wrenching and controversial 27-25 loss in 2005 that cost the Lions an undefeated season and possible national championship shot.
"We told our kids not to worry about the past," he said. "Overall, I think everybody just made up their mind that we were gonna show people we were a pretty good football team."
The loss essentially eliminated Michigan (5-3, 1-3) from the Big Ten Conference race. The Nittany Lions stayed right in the middle of it, regardless of whether or not Iowa escaped from Michigan State Saturday night.
Meaningful numbers cascaded from this one, but the biggest might be zero, which was Penn State turnovers, to Michigan's four — not counting a ball snapped through the back of the Michigan end zone for a crucial, at the time, Penn State safety.
"I told the team I thought we had prepared well, but maybe we didn't," Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said afterward.
"When we execute, we can move the ball. When we don't, we don't have a chance."
Too often, the Wolverines didn't. When they did, their spread-option offense caused more problems for Penn State's defense than anyone else has. In fact, as everyone else the Lions have seen this year, combined.
The Wolverines took the opening kickoff and, barely huddling, taking the fight to Penn State and spreading the ball around beautifully, went 71 yards in 11 plays, Brandon Minor scoring the touchdown from a yard out.
So much for Penn State's defense not allowing a touchdown all year.
"It can be a great offense, and their tempo was faster than we're used to," defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said.
That impressive rhythm and faultless efficiency proved impossible to duplicate.
Penn State, meanwhile, had weapons and fired them. No playing not to lose in the Big House on this day.
After that first Michigan TD, the Lions answered with a 12-yard pass, Daryll Clark to Derek Moye. Then a 41-yard Evan Royster run. Two plays later Clark found Manheim Central's Graham Zug for a 10-yard TD.
There was much more of that sort of thing to come.
Clark numbers aren't quite as good as he was, but they aren't bad: 16 of 27 for 230 yards and four TDs.
Graham has his best college game, five catches for 59 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. Before Saturday, Zug had two TDs this year and four in his career.
Moye had six catches. Tight end Andrew Quarless, single-covered by a linebacker too often, caught just two, but for 91 yards, scoring one TD and setting up another. Royster had a relatively quiet, but important, 100 yards in 20 runs.
Penn State broke it open in one goofy second-quarter sequence, with a lot of unwitting help from the other guys.
The Lions pinned Michigan at its own 8 to start a drive. A 3-yard loss, false-start penalty, incompletion, delay of game series yielded a third-and-16 at the 2.
The Wolverines weren't exactly humming along. It was about to get worse, perhaps thanks in part to an early injury to center David Molk.
Now freshman QB Tate Forcier was in the shotgun, in his own end zone. There was some confusion and it looked like another delay penalty was coming. Forcier stepped forward, looked to the sideline and … the ball came shooting out from center, whizzed by Forcier and through the end zone for a safety.
That made it 12-7. On the first play after the free kick, Clark hit tight end Quarless running free for a 60-yard TD. 19-7.
A similar Michigan-crushing sequence opened the second half. Chaz Powell sprinted 54 yards with the opening kickoff. Clark hit Quarless for 31 yards to the Michigan 12. Two plays later he hit the remarkable Zug — tell us again how he lacks the speed or athleticism of a go-to receiver — in the end zone from 11 yards out.
It was a Big Quiet House at that point. More quiet ensued.
Penn State travels to Northwestern (5-3, 2-2) Saturday.
Mike Gross is assistant sports editor of the Sunday News. E-mail him at mgross@lnpnews.com.
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