UM football: What we learned, what to watch for this week

Here’s what the Penn State game showed us and what to look forward to as Ohio State approaches Michigan’s Grant Perry runs with the ball during the game against Penn State on Saturday.(Photo: Evan Habeeb Getty Images) Three things we learned •The road is no obstacle: Though their season-opening loss at Utah looked like a familiar road story, the Wolverines rallied since, winning all four Big Ten road games for the first time since 1997. None of the opponents was among the conference’s top three teams, but it showed a surprising resilience. •The potent defense remains in there: Penn State is not a high-scoring offense, but U-M made the Nittany Lions look worse than usual. Holding them to 207 total yards (56 came on the game’s first run) and one touchdown was more than enough. If not for U-M’s multiple penalties, it would have been even worse. Securing turnovers remains an issue for the defense, but the tackling was much better in the run game. •They don’t need a running game: Maybe a bit of an overstatement, but after a month of limited rushing, the Wolverines have found ways to move the ball and score. Though it puts more pressure on U-M quarterback Jake Rudock — and more pain, given the hits he took — he’s willing to accept it. He still threw for 256 yards, becoming the first U-M quarterback to go over 250 three straight games, and the Wolverines were able to chew the clock late even without dominating on the ground. DETROIT FREE PRESS Snyder: U-M’s focus on winning, not rooting against MSU Up next for the Wolverines: Ohio State Matchup: No. 8 Ohio State (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten) at No…

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