​Oct 3, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Jordan Marshall (23) runs with the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Both Michigan and Penn State are heading into Saturday’s matchup without a win in conference play. The Wolverines are looking to right the ship, especially on offense, coming out of the bye week. Aside from 2020, the Nittany Lions haven’t had a losing season since 2004 and could fall under .500 with a loss at The Big House.Both teams are going into their matchup with a ton of pressure to deliver for two fan bases that are certainly getting antsy. As Michigan looks for its first Big Ten win of the season in a matchup between two first-year coaches, here are the keys to victory against Penn State.Establish the runNow, I’ve been saying this for basically the entire season. But against Penn State, the run game is really going to matter.Michigan’s offensive line is still a bit banged up with Andrew Sprague still out and multiple players questionable for the game — Andrew Babalola, Jake Guarnera and Brady Norton, with Nathan Efobi listed as probable. But that shouldn’t be an excuse for running backs Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter, who are both still looking for a true breakout performance.Marshall still hasn’t had a game with more than 60 rushing yards, and Hiter has only averaged more than four yards per carry in one game so far. Penn State has the 105th-best run defense in the country, so the Wolverines are going to need to exploit that weakness because the pass defense ranks sixth in the country and will make it nearly impossible for Bryce Underwood to get going.The Wolverines don’t need both Marshall and Hiter to break out and have 100 yards. But against a pass defense as strong as the Nittany Lions, Michigan is going to need to generate offense somehow — and that should start with the run game.Win the turnover battleThe turnover battle has been a struggle all season long for Michigan. The only game in which the Wolverines won the turnover battle was against Oklahoma, and it was one of the main reasons they won. The interception by cornerback Jyaire Hill allowed the Wolverines to score the game-winning touchdown a few plays later.Then in the last game, Underwood threw two crucial interceptions at the beginning of the second half against Minnesota that accounted for a 10-point swing and, ultimately, the game. Michigan’s offense also only scored seven points, as the other touchdown came from a pick-six by linebacker Nathaniel Staehling. Turnovers had a huge impact on the Wolverines’ loss to the Golden Gophers and was the Achilles’ Heel in an offense that never truly found its footing.So far this season, Michigan has committed nine turnovers, ranking 102nd nationally with an average of 1.8 per game. Penn State had one turnover in the first four games