3 keys to victory: Michigan Football vs Penn State

Both Michigan and Penn State are heading into Saturday's matchup without a win in conference play. The Wolverines are looking to right the ship, especially on offense, coming out of the bye week. Aside from 2020, the Nittany Lions haven't had a losing season since 2004 and could fall under .500 with a loss at The Big House.

Both teams are going into their matchup with a ton of pressure to deliver for two fan bases that are certainly getting antsy. As Michigan looks for its first Big Ten win of the season in a matchup between two first-year coaches, here are the keys to victory against Penn State.

Now, I've been saying this for basically the entire season. But against Penn State, the run game is really going to matter.

Michigan's offensive line is still a bit banged up with Andrew Sprague still out and multiple players questionable for the game — Andrew Babalola, Jake Guarnera and Brady Norton, with Nathan Efobi listed as probable. But that shouldn't be an excuse for running backs Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter, who are both still looking for a true breakout performance.

Marshall still hasn't had a game with more than 60 rushing yards, and Hiter has only averaged more than four yards per carry in one game so far. Penn State has the 105th-best run defense in the country, so the Wolverines are going to need to exploit that weakness because the pass defense ranks sixth in the country and will make it nearly impossible for Bryce Underwood to get going.

The Wolverines don't need both Marshall and Hiter to break out and have 100 yards. But against a pass defense as strong as the Nittany Lions, Michigan is going to need to generate offense somehow — and that should start with the run game.

The turnover battle has been a struggle all season long for Michigan. The only game in which the Wolverines won the turnover battle was against Oklahoma, and it was one of the main reasons they won. The interception by cornerback Jyaire Hill allowed the Wolverines to score the game-winning touchdown a few plays later.

Then in the last game, Underwood threw two crucial interceptions at the beginning of the second half against Minnesota that accounted for a 10-point swing and, ultimately, the game. Michigan's offense also only scored seven points, as the other touchdown came from a pick-six by linebacker Nathaniel Staehling. Turnovers had a huge impact on the Wolverines' loss to the Golden Gophers and was the Achilles' Heel in an offense that never truly found its footing.

So far this season, Michigan has committed nine turnovers, ranking 102nd nationally with an average of 1.8 per game. Penn State had one turnover in the first four games before having three in the last two. The Wolverines' defense has done a better job of forcing turnovers in recent weeks and will need to keep that up while the offense limits mistakes.

Michigan has the fifth-best pass defense in the nation (146.8 passing yards per game) as well as the eighth-best yards per pass attempt (5.7 yards). Against Minnesota's Drake Lindsey, the Wolverines only allowed 136 passing yards to a quarterback that has thrown for more than 200 in all five other games he's played. Iowa quarterback Hank Brown is the only quarterback to have more than 200 yards against Michigan this season, but 62 of those yards came on the final drive.

Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht has had no problem dissecting opposing secondaries, throwing for more than 240 yards in four games and 200 yards in five games. The only game he didn't hit that clip was a measly 114 against Wisconsin, and the Badgers are the eighth-best pass defense and second-best in passing yards allowed per attempt.

If Michigan can slow down Becht — the Iowa State transfer who followed head coach Matt Campbell to Happy Valley — and generate turnovers along the way, the Wolverines may be able to rely on their defense for a victory.