How No. 3 Michigan rolled past No. 9 Penn State despite Jim Harbaugh's absence

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy entered Saturday’s top-10 showdown at Penn State firmly in the Heisman race — he sat sixth in The Athletic’s straw poll this week. He’s also maintained a firm hold on the QB3 slot in Dane Brugler’s 2024 NFL Draft rankings since the summer, right behind likely No. 1 and No. 2 picks Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.

In a hard-fought, 24-15 win over the Nittany Lions, though, the Jim Harbaugh-less Wolverines took it out of their QB’s hands and leaned on their run game. Not counting kneel-downs at the end of the game, Michigan ran the ball on all 28 of its offensive plays in the second half. McCarthy did attempt one throw, which resulted in a pass interference flag against Penn State, so it doesn’t count toward the official play total.

McCarthy’s stat line for the day: 7-of-8 for 60 yards plus 34 yards rushing. Included in that rushing total is a key fourth-and-1 conversion that McCarthy converted midway through the third quarter, pulling the ball after a play-action fake and juking a defender to gain 9.

For Michigan’s season (and its College Football Playoff chances), it was a massive result. For McCarthy’s 2024 NFL Draft stock? We might not have learned a whole lot, but there’s still plenty to discuss. Our draft experts break it down here.

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