Michigan football: PSU game means more for Ronnie Bell

As a sophomore, Ronnie Bell dropped the game tying pass at Penn State. At the time, Bell’s drop seemed like a far bigger deal than it turned out to be — the Wolverines beat Notre Dame 45-14 the following weekend — but it is still a play that resonates with Michigan fans. Now in his final season with the Wolverines, this year’s Penn State game should just mean more.

Few plays have broken the heart of Michigan fans the way Ronnie Bell’s 2019 drop at Penn State did. The Wolverines trailed most of the way and had mounted a massive comeback that ended in a 4th down within scoring distance. Former Michigan QB Shea Patterson rolled out and made a play — the ball was as perfect as it gets — but was dropped by Bell.

Heart shattering, yes, but in the scheme of things it was not a very big deal. Michigan finished the 2019 season 9-3 and blew out two of its rivals at home (Notre Dame and Michigan State).

In 2020, the Covid year, Bell did not see much playing time (as did the entire Michigan football team, who only played six games).

Last year, however, was supposed to be the Ronnie Bell breakout season, and only a few plays in it was looking bright.  Bell caught one pass last season — a 76 yard bomb against Western Michigan — had an insane one-handed catch called back, and had an impressive punt return before tearing his ACL and missing the season.

For Bell, 2022 is much more than a senior season. Bell lost out on nearly all of Michigan’s 12-2 run last year and is coming off of injury trying to prove that he still has it — and so far its working. Ronnie Bell leads Michigan in receptions (30) and receiving yards (390) so far this year. He also has caught one touchdown pass.

This year’s Penn State game is much more than just a game for Ronnie Bell. One of his first memorable moments at Michigan was dropping that pass in the end zone during Penn State’s “White Out,” and facing the adversity that came with it. Now, after facing and overcoming many more challenges and much more adversity, Bell’s story at Michigan could come full circle this weekend against Penn State in the “Maize Out.”