The Michigan Wolverines staged quite the second half rally to give the Penn State Nittany Lions a game, but the comeback bid fell short on account of a crushing drop by wide receiver Ronnie Bell.
The Wolverines trailed 21-7 at halftime and 28-14 in the fourth quarter, but the Penn State offense went stagnant in the second half and Michigan got back into it. They drove to a 4th and goal situation with just over two minutes left, and quarterback Shea Patterson, under heavy pressure, looked to Bell in the end zone.
Just one problem: Bell couldn’t hang on.
Michigan WR Ronnie Bell lets the game pass between his hands on this 4th-down incompletion with 2 minutes left #MICHvPSU pic.twitter.com/qtrF27sYxU
— Kevin Boilard (@247KevinBoilard) October 20, 2019
A second look shows that Bell had the ball in his hands and just couldn’t keep it there.
You can't drop that, you just can't. pic.twitter.com/qtWrB1wtF7
— Isaac (@WorldofIsaac) October 20, 2019
This game will end up being encouraging for Michigan. They nearly tied the game on the road against a favorite after looking done for in the first half, and they did it in spite of some weird coaching decisions. The fact that they couldn’t quite tie it is just heartbreaking for them.
