Screams, cheers, laughs, and boos, could all be heard at the Michigan vs. Penn State football game at Michigan Stadium at noon on Saturday, October 15th, 2022. With a crowd of precisely 110,812 spectators, this game surely impacted people miles away!
It all started on October 16th, 1993, when Michigan took on Penn State at Beaver Stadium, the home of the Penn State Nittany Lions. With the Michigan Wolverines and Penn State Nittany Lions being one of each other's biggest rivalries, both teams consider the game a critical one.
This year’s game between the two schools was the third game they faced each other in which both teams ranked in the Big Ten. The teams have faced each other 26 times, with Michigan in the lead, 16-10. People across the country (many are alumni of one of the schools) come to this yearly event, decked out in spirit wear.
This year, Michigan held what it called a “maize out.” Since Michigan’s colors are blue and yellow, almost every person who came to support Michigan emboldened the team by wearing a maize-yellow sweatshirt, jacket, or t-shirt. The students of Michigan University could be seen taking Instagram pictures in various spots near the stadium in their outfits and contemplating their captions as they walked towards their seats in the student section of the stadium. The Penn State supporters, however, wore solely white, perhaps with Penn State logos covering their clothes.
As the Michigan cheerleaders waved their pompoms, the crowd went haywire, stirring up commotion to try and encourage the team. Here’s a fun fact for those who don’t know – this is called home advantage. In this case, since most of the stands were rooting for the home team, it is more likely for Penn State to feel intimidated by Michigan.
During the first quarter, Michigan did not let Penn State score any touchdowns and looked to dominate the game. The score was 6-0 by the end of the first quarter. During the second quarter, the teams were neck and neck. At this point in the game, fans in the stadium and fans at home sat on the edge of their seats, waiting to see which player would make the next big move. By the third quarter, Michigan was leading; 31-17. Michigan took charge in the fourth quarter, and the final score was 41-17.
Ultimately, the Michigan Wolverines had the ball in their possession for a whopping forty-one minutes and fifty-six seconds, whereas the Penn State Nittany Lions had the ball in their possession for only eighteen minutes and four seconds. After their win, cries of happiness came from Michigan fans across the world, while cries of sadness came from Penn State fans.
At the time of this exhilarating game, Penn State was seeded number ten, and Michigan was seeded number five in the college football rankings. As of now, a lot has changed. Their current rankings would not be where they are without the game on October 15th, 2022. Currently, Penn State ranks number sixteen, while Michigan ranks number four. Michigan has not only moved up in the rankings but knocked Penn State out of the top ten.
After the game ended, there was a lot of commotion, as everyone poured out of the stadium, eager to return to their tailgate party. Each parking lot near the stadium was filled with large trucks and tents; the tents with tables covered in snacks and half-empty red plastic cups. Chatter and laughter came from all directions, and upbeat music played from various speakers around the campus of the University of Michigan.