BLACKBOARD » his second of the game 1:20 after Vesey scored, fol

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight took a beating last week against Colorado. This week, he spent most of the day standing back and watching his teammates do all the work.DeVeon Smith led an overwhelming ground game with 107 yards rushing and a touchdown and Karan Higdon ran for two scores and No. 4 Michigan routed Penn State 49-10 on Saturday in both teams Big Ten opener.We were looking for a way to be more careful out there so I wasnt getting hit as much as I did last week, Speight said. Luckily, our offensive line and our running backs were great. I think there was one time where we called the same play eight straight times, just flipping the sides, and we were picking up nine or 10 yards a pop. I was just laughing every time I got the same signal.Michigan (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) finished with 326 yards rushing and scored six of its seven touchdowns on the ground. Five different backs scored on the ground.I was really impressed by all of our running backs, coach Jim Harbaugh said. We were moving the chains and breaking off big runs.The Nittany Lions (2-2, 0-1) were simply running out of bodies on defense. They came into the game missing three starting linebackers, lost Brandon Smith to a second-quarter targeting penalty then lost Jan Johnson to injury.I dont know if Ive ever been through or seen anything like this, Penn State coach James Franklin said. Weve got three guys out, and then Brandon gets thrown out going for an interception. Then Jan Johnson comes in, and we lose him, too.Penn State was overmatched on the other side of the ball as well. Saquon Barkley rushed for 59 yards and caught five passes for 77 more, but no one stepped up to help.They are just physical on both fronts, Franklin said. The offensive line is big and strong, and their defensive line is more of the same. Plus theyve got one of the most talented secondaries in the country.Jabrill Peppers gave the fans an early thrill by returning Penn States first punt to the 9, although a bench-interference penalty moved the ball to the Nittany Lions 24. Seven plays later, Khalid Hill dove in on 4th-and-goal from the 1.The Wolverines also scored touchdowns on their next two drives. Penn State finally got a couple stops, but the Wolverines took a 28-0 halftime lead on Higdons 2-yard run.The Nittany Lions got on the board with a field goal early in the third, but Chris Evans made it 35-3 with a 3-yard run and the Wolverines cruised to the win.THE TAKEAWAYPENN STATE : The Nittany Lions couldnt compete on either side of the ball. Depth is becoming a serious issue at linebacker, with four players injured, so the defensive staff is going to have to find a new way to stop teams on the ground and on short passes.MICHIGAN : The Wolverines dominated in the trenches, with their defensive line continuously overrunning Penn States offensive line. They registered five sacks while building their first-half lead. Speight, meanwhile, had all the time he needed. I thought we blocked things well, and I thought the defensive line was really good, Harbaugh said. I was very pleased tonight.POLL IMPLICATIONSMICHIGAN: The Wolverines came in at No. 4 and there seems little chance that will change much with No. 1 Alabama winning earlier in the day in a blowout and No. 2 Ohio State on a bye. No. 3 Louisville was at Marshall.ANTHEM PROTESTSeveral players held up a fist on the Michigan sideline during the national anthem.Theres a freedom of expression, and people can speak their mind, said Harbaugh. I can tell you what I believe, but Ive thought about this for a few weeks, and just because Im the football coach, I cant dictate what other people believe. I support them speaking their mind.INJURY REPORTMichigan: WR Jeremy Clark suffered what the Wolverines believe was a torn ACL. This would have been an A-plus-plus-plus day if we werent saddened about Jeremy, Harbaugh said.UP NEXTPENN STATE: Returns to Happy Valley for the first of three straight home games. The Nittany Lions face Minnesota next Saturday in the Golden Gophers first trip to Penn State since 2009.MICHIGAN: Plays its fifth straight game at the Big House, but will have a tougher test against Wisconsin. The 11th-ranked Badgers routed No. 8 Michigan State 30-6 in East Lansing. Texans Jerseys China . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Cheap Texans Jerseys . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. http://www.customtexansjersey.com/ . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. Custom Texans Jerseys . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. Cheap Custom Texans Jersey . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. NEW YORK -- When the New York Rangers selected Chris Kreider with the 19th pick in the 2009 draft, stardom was expected.Entering his fourth NHL season, the left wing may be beginning to live up to the projections.Hes a power forward who is playing to his strengths, New York coach Alain Vigneault said after Kreider had a goal and an assist for the third straight game as the Rangers beat the San Jose Sharks 7-4 on Monday night.Hes tough to handle right now, whether on the initial rush or down low in the oppositions end. He makes it real challenging for the other team.Kreider, who signed a four-year, $18.5 million contract on July 22, has three goals and three assists in New Yorks first three games. According to the team, he is the first Ranger since Brian Leetch in 1992-93 to tally six points in New Yorks first three games. He also became the first New York forward to record six points in three games to start a season since Bernie Nicholls and Darren Turcotte in 1990-91.You want to play instinctually, Kreider said. You simplify your game; you get back to the stuff you know you do well. A lot of time that adversity helps you focus. From there, lock in on what you do well and do on a consistent basis.Kreider was one of seven Rangers to score, along with Marc Staal, Rick Nash, Kevin Hayes, rookie Jimmy Vesey, Mats Zuccarello and Michael Grabner. Twelve Rangers finished with at least one point, led by Zuccarello, who recorded a goal and two assists.New York has won two of its first three games this season.Im hoping were going to get better, Vigneault said. If youre going to get into the playoffs you have to be one of those teams that continues to improve. Some teams improve. Some teams dont improve and fade away. We need to be one of those teams that continues to improve.Tied 1-1 early in the second period, New York took the lead for good on Nashs first of the season 4:15 of the period. The sequence began when Rangers captain Ryan McDonaghs shot ricocheted off the end boards to Nash, who was in front of Martin Jones net.Jones finished with 22 saves.The lead grew to 3-1 6:06 later when Kreiders off-wing drive ticked off Jones stick and into the net.New York was 1 for 3 on the power play, and San Jose was 1 for 4.We are finding our way, Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said of his sspecialty units.dddddddddddd I probably like our penalty kill better than our power play.Staals one-timer 12:06 into the game put the Rangers ahead 1-0.Following Staals goal, though, the Sharks outshot the Rangers 7-2 for the remainder of the period, culminated by Logan Coutures 5-on-3 power-play tap-in with 57.5 seconds left.San Jose, which lost for the first time in three games this season, cut the deficit to 3-2 on Brent Burns second of the season at 9:13 of the third.We had it early, then we didnt, said San Jose captain Joe Pavelski, who finished with a goal and three assists. We were chasing it a little bit too much.New York struck back quickly as Hayes and Vesey scored 21 seconds apart to push the lead to 5-2. The goals were the first of the season for both, and for Vesey, the first of his NHL career. The Rangers signed the Hobey Baker Award winner from Harvard to a two-year, free agent contract on Aug. 19.It was definitely just pure joy, Vesey said. I just couldnt be happier to get that one out of the way.Im really happy to get that one.The tack-on goals were significant as Burns scored his second of the game 1:20 after Vesey scored, followed by Pavelskis first of the season at 15:31.Despite watching his team score three third-period goals, DeBoer wasnt enthralled with the Sharks performance.We got what we deserved, DeBoer said. The team that competed the hardest won and thats the way it should be.Zuccarello and Grabner added empty net goals.New York goaltender Antti Raanta made 26 saves on 30 shots.Game notes New York played without D Dan Girardi and D Kevin Klein, along with rookie LW Pavel Buchnevich, due to injuries. Before the morning skate, the Rangers announced Girardi was day-to-day with a strained groin and Buchnevich had back spasms. Klein has missed the first three games of the season with back spasms. ... San Jose scratched D Dylan DeMelo, and C Ryan Carpenter and C Micheal Haley. . Saturday Night Live actor Michael Che was among the announced 18,006 in attendance.UP NEXT:SHARKS: visit Brooklyn on Tuesday night for a game against the New York Islanders.RANGERS: host Detroit in a nationally televised game Wednesday night. ' ' '