Team 137 Game Recap: 5 Takeaways from Michigan's Blowout Win over Penn State

James Franklin will have to wait until next year to get his marquee Michigan win, if he makes it that long. The Wolverines were prepared and ready in every aspect of the game and dominated from the start

1. Jabrill Peppers is a dude

If the Heisman trophy were actually given to the best player in the country, Jabrill Peppers would be neck and neck with Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Peppers added a 53-yard punt return and five tackles to the stat sheet Saturday afternoon in the 49-10 route of Penn State. There’s not another guy like him.

2. Defensive line play improved

Michigan was consistently in the Nittany Lion backfield on Saturday. Michigan registered six sacks on the afternoon, putting Trace McSorely down five times in the first half.

3. Running back

De’Veon Smith mights be listed as the starter but this group of backs are handful to deal with. Karan Higdon must have had a good week of practice as he showcased his tools in front of Michigan Stadium. Michigan as a team ran for 340 yards, with four guys getting eight carries or more. Higdon, who hadn’t play much, was the surprise finishing with 81 yards and two touchdowns.

4. Enter Jourdan Lewis; Exit Jeremy Clark

All-American cornerback Jourdan Lewis looked fresh in his return to action. Lewis broke up a pass and had two tackles in his first game of the season. The return is right on time as Michigan is scared they may have lost cornerback Jeremy Clark for the season to an ACL injury.

5. Team clicking on all cylinders

This is the first game of the season where all phases of the game has been dominated. They did give up a couple 30-yard gains on defense but Penn State was never able to really get anything going.

The offense dominated as well, imposing their will and doing anything they wanted throughout the game. Look for those performances to become a normal thing as players become even more comfortable in the system.

What were your biggest takeaways from Michigan’s 49-10 win over Penn State? Let us know in the comment section below!

Photo Credit: Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog