|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- It didn't hit Anthony Thomas until hours
before kickoff that he was playing his last game at Michigan's Big
House.
|  | | Anthony Thomas was emotional after playing his last game in Ann Arbor, where he racked up 171 yards Saturday against Penn St. |
"It's a little emotional by myself, sitting and thinking about
what's going to happen," the running back said. "I just tried to
go in and play my best game."
Penn State isn't disputing that he did.
Extending the Nittany Lions' doldrums, Thomas rumbled for 171
yards on 35 carries and scored once, carrying the Wolverines (No. 21 ESPN/USA Today, No. 20 AP) to a
33-11 victory Saturday in front of the 110,803 fans who came to bid
farewell to their big running back.
"It's already over so fast," Thomas lamented afterward, a
46-yard reception also to his credit. "There's a lot of little
things going through my head at the same time, but I knew it was
the end.
"Now it's over. Got to move on."
Penn State feels the same way about itself, aware Thomas would
be handful but ultimately finding few ways to stop him from helping
send the visitors to their worst record in nearly 70 years.
"Anthony Thomas is a big, strong back," said Justin Kurpeikis,
a senior Penn State defensive end. "He's tough, and we knew that
he would be."
Drew Henson passed for 212 yards and two TDs to help Michigan
(7-3, 5-2 Big Ten) send Penn State (4-7, 3-4) to its worst record
since the Nittany Lions finished 2-5 in 1932.
Penn State had the chances but blew them, missing three
first-half field goals and having another one blocked while
committing five turnovers.
"We didn't give ourselves chances to win," said Joe Paterno,
now with his first seven-loss season in his 35 years as the Nittany
Lions' coach. "Our problems in converting come from a lack of
confidence."
Said Kurpeikis: "We've had enough losing. It's tough, and the
rest of the guys are at the ends of their ropes. This is a horrible
loss, and there's nothing to feel good about."
Henson completed 14 of 29 passes but threw three interceptions,
the first one snapping his streak of 193 tosses without a pick
since October 1999 against Michigan State.
"I thought we were careless with the football," said
Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr, his team part of a bottleneck atop the
Big Ten, with Michigan to play next weekend at Ohio State.
Michigan topped 50 points in two of its previous three games,
but struggled early Saturday before the offense warmed, eventually
rolling up 444 yards to Penn State's 408.
The Wolverines trailed 3-0 after an opening quarter in which
Henson misfired on his first seven passes for an offense that
mustered just 35 yards -- 32 by Thomas.
"We dominated the first quarter, and we had nothing to show for
it," said running back Eric McCoo, who led Penn State with 102
yards on nine carries and caught six passes for 51 yards. "It came
down to capitalizing on chances, and we didn't."
With the wind at his back the next quarter, Henson completed all
five of his throws for 54 yards in an 11-play, 78-yard march capped
by Thomas' 7-yard TD run.
After Ryan Primanti missed a 39-yard field goal -- one of his
three in the first half -- Henson completions and Thomas runs of 15
and 19 yards led to Henson's tossing a 15-yard TD to Bill Seymour
with 1:32 left in the half, upping the score to 14-3.
On the next play, an errant pass by Penn State's Rashard Casey
was intercepted by James Whitley, who returned the ball 13 yards to
the Penn State 17.
Four plays later, Hayden Epstein's 33-yard field goal upped
Michigan's halftime margin to 17-3, and the Wolverines never looked
back.
By intermission, Thomas had 104 yards on 18 carries.
Leading 20-3 by the fourth quarter, Michigan sealed it on
Henson's 40-yard TD pass to B.J. Askew with 14:14 left.
Penn State countered five minutes with Matt Senneca's 50-yard
scoring pass to wide receiver Bryant Johnson, but Michigan closed
out scoring with a 1-yard TD run by Chris Perry with a second left.
Casey had 158 yards on 16-of-28 passing but had three
interceptions for Penn State, which wraps up its season Saturday
against visiting Michigan State.
"I wish we had 12 more games left," McCoo said. "I'm not
happy with what's happening, and I think any guy on this team will
say the same thing. We don't want to go out like this."
|
|
ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Penn State Clubhouse
Michigan Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Michigan's Anthony Thomas goes in untouched for six.
avi: 839 k
RealVideo: ISDNT1
The Wolverines' Drew Henson hits Bill Seymour for a quick TD.
avi: 658 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Penn State's Matt Senneca airs it out and connects with Bryant Johnson for a 50-yard touchdown.
avi: 940 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Michigan's Drew Henson throws to B.J. Askew for a 40-yard TD.
avi: 941 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
|
