No. 5 Michigan tops No. 10 Penn State 41-17, runs for 418 yards

Associated PressOct 15, 2022, 8:02 PM EDT

Kirthmon F. Dozier/USA TODAY NETWORK

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan’s massive offensive line opened huge holes and its speedy running backs took full advantage.

Donovan Edwards ran for a go-ahead, 67-yard touchdown and Blake Corum had a 61-yard run for a score on consecutive snaps in the third quarter as the fifth-ranked Wolverines pulled away and beat No. 10 Penn State 41-17.

“I can’t remember back-to-back touchdown runs like that,” coach Jim Harbaugh said.

The Wolverines (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) finished with 418 yards rushing, gaining 7.6 yards per carry, against a team that was giving up fewer than 80 yards rushing per game to rank among college football’s leaders.

Penn State coach James Franklin lamented that his undersized defensive line did not disrupt the running game.

“Everyone thinks they’re Aaron Donald now and they’re not,” Franklin said.

Michigan was dominant for much of the first half, but led by just two points because it settled for field goals after stalling at the 5 twice and at the 11 once.

Despite having only one first down, the Nittany Lions (5-1, 2-1) took a 14-13 lead late in the first half after scoring two touchdowns in a 1-minute, 44-second span.

Penn State went ahead again after the opening drive of the third quarter, but Edwards answered with a 67-yard run on the next play. Edwards darted to the right behind excellent blocking to get to the sideline and used his speed on a cutback that gave the Wolverines a 24-17 lead with a 2-point conversion.

“Seeing the gap open up like it did, I knew it was going to be his big gain, but his cut at the end was just crazy,” Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy said.

On the ensuing drive, Franklin went for it on fourth-and-6 from the Michigan 39 and asked Sean Clifford to attempt a difficult pass to Parker Washington downfield and toward the sideline that fell incomplete.

“You get to a point form a score perspective, you’re trying to win the game,” Franklin said.

On the next play, Corum sprinted through a huge hole and broke away on a 61-yard run that gave the Wolverines a two-touchdown lead midway through the third.

Edwards scored twice and had career highs with 16 rushing attempts and 173 yards on the ground. Corum finished with 166 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries.

“The offensive line knows that if they give Blake and Donovan space, any kind of crack, they’re going to make the most of it,” Harbaugh said.

Michigan’s Jake Moody made his fourth field goal early in the fourth for a 34-17 lead.

McCarthy was 17 of 24 for 145 yards with an interception that was deflected by an end, caromed off a defensive tackle and returned 47 yards by linebacker Curtis Jacobs to give Penn State a 14-13 lead with 4:27 left in the first half. McCarthy had a career-high 57 yards rushing.

Penn State’s go-ahead pick-six followed Kaytron Allen‘s 1-yard touchdown run that was set up by Clifford’s 62-yard run.

Clifford was 7 of 19 for 120 yards and was replaced due to an injury by freshman Drew Allar, a five-star recruit, with a 17-point deficit in the fourth.

THE TAKEAWAY

Penn State: The run defense that helped the team get off to an undefeated start was exposed.

“It hurts any time a team rushes for that amount of yards,” Penn State defensive tackle PJ Mustipher said. “As a defensive line, we pride ourselves on stopping the run and we didn’t do that.”

Michigan: Harbaugh’s team no longer has to answer questions, or hear criticism, about beating inferior opponents.

“There’s still things that keep us humble,” he said.

HART RETURNS

Michigan running back Mike Hart, who left last week’s game at Indiana with a medical emergency, returned to coach against Penn State.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Michigan slipped a spot in this week’s AP Top 25 despite winning by 21 points at Indiana, but might move back up a little with the impressive win. The Nittany Lions’ lopsided loss Will Likely lead to them plummeting in the poll.

UP NEXT

Penn State: Hosts Minnesota and No. 2 Ohio State over the next two weeks, giving it a chance to stay in the Big Ten race.

Michigan: After an open date, plays rival Michigan State at home aiming for its first win over coach Mel Tucker in three years with the Paul Bunyan Trophy at stake.

“We want Paul back,” McCarthy said.

Georgia extends contract for AD Josh Brooks, plans two new football practice fields

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 9:14 PM EDT

Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

ATHENS, Ga. – On the heels of a second straight national football championship, Georgia has rewarded athletic director Josh Brooks a contract extension that ties him to the Bulldogs through at least 2029.

The athletic association board, wrapping up its annual spring meeting Friday at a resort on Lake Oconee, also announced plans for a new track and field facility that will free up space for two more football practice fields.

Brooks’ new contract will increase his salary to $1.025 million a year, with annual raises of $100,000.

The 42-year-old Brooks, who took over the athletic department in 2021 after Greg McGarity retired, called the Georgia job “a dream for me” and said he hopes to spend the rest of his career in Athens.

“I am extremely grateful,” Brooks said. “I got into this business 20-plus years ago as a student equipment manager. My first job at Louisiana-Monroe was making $20,000 a year in football operations.”

The Georgia board approved a fiscal 2024 budget of $175.2 million, a nearly 8% increase from the most recent budget of $162.2 million and the sign of a prosperous program that is flush with money after its success on the gridiron.

The school received approval to move forward with its preliminary plans for a new track and field facility, which will be built across the street from the complex hosting the soccer and and softball teams.

The current track stadium is located adjacent to the Butts-Mehre athletic facility, which hosts the practice fields and training facilities for the football program.

Georgia lost a chunk of its outdoor fields when it built a new indoor practice facility. After the new track and field stadium is completed, the current space will be converted to two full-length, grass football practice fields at the request of coach Kirby Smart.

“He wants to find efficient ways to practice, and there is a lot of truth to the issues we’ve had with our current practice fields,” Brooks said. “There is a lot of strain on our turf facilities staff to keep that field in great shape when half the day it is getting shade, so that has been a challenge as well. For our football program, it is better to practice on grass fields than (artificial) turf, so to be able to have two side-by-side grass fields is huge. It makes for a much more efficient practice.”

The new track and field complex, which will continue to be named Spec Towns Track, will also include an indoor facility, the first of its kind in the state of Georgia.

Iowa AD Gary Barta announces retirement after 17 years at Big Ten school

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 9:11 PM EDT

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa athletic director Gary Barta will retire on August 1 after 17 years at the university, the school announced Friday.

Barta, 59, is one of the longest-tenured athletic directors in a Power Five conference. He was hired by Iowa in 2006 after being the AD at Wyoming.

An interim director will be announced next week, Iowa said.

In September, Iowa hired former Ball State athletic director Beth Goetz to be deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer, putting her in position to possibly succeed Barta.

“It has been an absolute privilege and honor to serve in this role the past 17 years,” Barta said in a statement. “This decision didn’t come suddenly, nor did it come without significant thought, discussion, and prayer.”

“That said, I’m confident this is the right time for me and for my family.”

Iowa won four NCAA national team titles and 27 Big Ten team titles during Barta’s tenure. The women’s basketball team is coming off an appearance in the national championship game and the wrestling team is coming off a second-place finish at the NCAA championships.

Barta served as the chairman of the College Football Playoff committee in 2020 and 2021.

He faced heavy criticism over more than $11 million in settlements for lawsuits in recent years alleging racial and sexual discrimination within the athletic department.

Lawsuits filed by former field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum and associate athletics director Jane Meyer led to a $6.5 million payout.

Iowa had to pay $400,000 as part of a Title IX lawsuit brought by athletes after it cut four sports in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the agreement, Iowa reinstated the women’s swimming and diving program and add another women’s sport.

Iowa added women’s wrestling, the first among Power Five schools to compete this year.

A lawsuit brought by former football players alleging racial discrimination within the program was settled for $4.2 million last March, which prompted state auditor Rob Sand to call for Barta’s ouster.

“Gary Barta’s departure is a long time coming given the four different lawsuits for discrimination that cost Iowa more than $11 million,” Sand posted on Twitter.

The university did not allow taxpayer money to be used for the settlement with the former players.

Barta led Iowa through $380 million of facility upgrades, including renovation of Kinnick Stadium, the construction of a new football facility, a basketball practice facility and a training center for the wrestling teams.

Under Barta, Iowa has had just one head football coach (Kirk Ferentz), women’s basketball coach (Lisa Bluder) and wrestling coach (Tom Brands). All were in place when he arrived.

Barta has also come under scrutiny for allowing Ferentz to employee his son, Brian Ferentz, as offensive coordinator. To comply with the university’s nepotism policy, Brian Ferentz reports to Barta.