Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and linebacker David Ojabo proved, once again, whey they’re being recognized as the best pass-rushing duo in college football.

During Saturday’s victory over Penn State, Hutchinson and Ojabo opened up things by sacking Nittany Lions QB Sean Clifford. They both put him on the ground during the first drive, quickly setting the tone for a long and physical contest for Clifford, who was later sacked by LB Junior Colson in the first half. By the end of the game, Clifford had gone down 7 times on sacks and had to duck and dodge numerous other times.

For most of the afternoon, Clifford was running for his life. There were winged helmets in his face all of the time. Michigan’s tenacious pass-rushing tactics have been one of its biggest strengths through 10 games, and it’s certainly been a major contributor to its No. 6 ranking in the College Football Playoff poll.

Michigan’s defense gave up very little, mostly only field goal attempts after stalling Nittany Lions’ drives. Because of that heavy-handed defensive mindset, the Wolverines took a 7-6 lead into halftime.

Penn State had won 3 of the previous 4 meetings and 6 of the past 10 in the series.

Following the triumph in Happy Valley, Michigan remains in the hunt for a Big Ten title and in good position to make a run at the CFP postseason party.

Don’t write off Michigan just yet! UM hasn’t left the conversation.

Let’s take a look what led the Wolverines to a win over Penn State and hand out some grades.

Offense: C-

Back from an undisclosed injury, TE Erick All came through in the clutch with a 47-yard TD reception, giving Michigan a 21-17 lead with 3:29 to play. It was his first career TD and a score desperately needed by the Wolverines.

That throw was one of QB Cade McNamara’s best throws of the day, despite All doing the majority of the work after the catch. McNamara read the defense and made the best play possible. Credit to All, of course, but McNamara used his smarts on that play by taking what was given and not trying to do too much.

He had another in the first half that was equally impressive, a spot-on throw in a tight window to a speedy receiver. The 21-yard TD strike to WR Roman Wilson was the highlight of McNamara’s passing game in the first half. He completed 9 of 13 passes for 105 yards and didn’t turn over the ball. Not bad in the cold and windy conditions at Happy Valley.

Things got a little rockier for McNamara, though: In the late 4th, Penn State came up with a fumble recovery after McNamara was strip-sacked for an 8-yard loss. PSU got a FG by Jordan Stout for a 17-14 lead with 5:55 to play.

Earlier in the 4th quarter, and from his 1-yard line, McNamara couldn’t move the chains and the Wolverines had to punt. There were chances but UM’s offensive line couldn’t provide enough protection for its quarterback.

His dive on 3rd-and-1 with 3:32 to play basically sealed the win.

It wasn’t McNamara’s prettiest performance but he rebounded and controlled the offense the rest of the way, finishing 19-of-29 for 217 yards and 3 TDs.

Coming off a career-high 168 rushing yards vs. Indiana, RB Hassan Haskins reminded everyone why he’s a great candidate for team MVP. Haskins had 5 catches for 45 yards and rushed 31 times for 156 yards, most of them after halftime. Without Haskins, the Wolverines’ offense would have been lost during much of the game.

Haskins continued to pick up yardage and move the ball during crucial scenarios. He was critical during Michigan’s final drive, helping to milk the clock with a 21-17 lead with about 2 minutes remaining. The 31 carries were a career high and he topped 150 yards for the second straight week, making up for the absence of Blake Corum. Corum has been spotted in a walking boot and is believed to have a high-ankle sprain.

Defense: A-

Penn State rushed for 39 yards during the first half, with the majority coming from an 18-yard rush by Clifford and a 10-yarder by RB John Lovett. Other than that, the Nittany Lions couldn’t get much going on the ground during the first 30 minutes of game time. Those problems continued in the second half as well. PSU had just 78 rushing yards at the end of the 3rd, finishing with 109 on the afternoon.

Michigan sacked Clifford 5 times in the first half (3 on the first drive). Hutchinson and Ojabo both got him on the first drive, and LB Junior Colson added one later in the first half. Pressure continued throughout the afternoon.

Relentless pressure.

We’re talking 7 sacks through 3 quarters, with Hutchinson leading with 3 and Ojabo with 2.

Penn State wasn’t getting much of anything Saturday.

If not for the right foot of Jordan Stout, Penn State would have been scoreless in the first half. He hit 52- and 42-yard field goals, plus he pulled off a fake punt that helped keep a drive alive in the first quarter. Stout lived up to his last name, turning in a rock-solid performance for Penn State in the opening half. He missed a FG attempt in the 3rd quarter but he was PSU’s best weapon vs. Michigan, not only for points but also for field position. He pinned the Wolverines at their 1-yard line to open the 4th quarter.

Stopping the run wasn’t an issue, but stopping the pass was a bit of concern for the Wolverines, who had trouble covering PSU WRs Parker Washington and Jahan Dotson, arguably the best wideout Michigan has faced all season. Washington had 4 catches for 92 yards and Dotson had 9 grabs for 61 yards.

On 4th-and-2 with 8:40 to play, Clifford hit Dotson for a 15-yard gain, putting PSU at the 7-yard line and resulting in a 2-yard TD toss from Clifford to TE Tyler Warren. Penn State then tied the game with a 2-point conversion pass to Dotson, tying the game at 14-14.

Special teams: C

Michigan allowed Stout to move the sticks during a fake punt. UM knew it was coming but still couldn’t stop it. It was 4th-and-6 on UM’s 39-yard line. The announcers called it before it happened too! Then Stout completed an 18-yard pass to Curtis Jacobs, setting up Stout for the 42-yard field goal.

Michigan didn’t have the pizazz of past games. No big returns on punts or kickoffs. However, Brad Robbins turned in another solid effort, averaging 52.4 yards on 5 punts.