PRESENTED BY 
PRESENTED BY
Penn State turned Michigan's two first-half turnovers into zero points. It rushed for 65 yards all afternoon. And when Michigan finally needed something more than another stop, the defense started handing the offense the football.
Michigan's defense did enough to win, and it did considerably more for long stretches.
For three quarters, Michigan's defensive plan worked almost exactly the way it was supposed to.
Iowa could not run the ball. Hank Brown was uncomfortable whenever Michigan pressued him. Tony Diaz, the receiver most capable of creating an explosive play, was largely contained. The Hawkeyes had 129 yards, six first downs and zero offensive points through three quarters.
Michigan survived Western Michigan, but the more useful question now is what from that game actually carries forward. The Wolverines have a much different test coming Saturday against Oklahoma, and a few of the strongest individual performances from Week 1 came at positions Michigan desperately needed to feel better about entering the season.