This is the 143rd season for Michigan, the winningest program in college football history. It’s the first time the Wolverines have won 13 games.
“To be 13-0, I mean, my mouth has a hard time even forming that,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “It’s just very unfamiliar to say that in relation to football. It sounds like a hot start to a basketball season.”
The reward for such a fantastic season? Another game (or two). Michigan will play TCU in a College Football Playoff semifinal on Dec. 31. The winner will play for the national championship.
Here’s a game-by-game recap at how Michigan got to this point:
Sep. 3: Colorado State
Michigan opened the 2022 season at home against Colorado State. Harbaugh announced before the season that returning starter Cade McNamara will start at quarterback against the Rams, but that J.J. McCarthy would get a chance too. The situation would flip in the second game, giving Harbaugh more information before making a decision on the starter after that.
McNamara was fine (9-for-18, 136 yards, a touchdown), but McCarthy looked even better, completing all four of his passes and rushing for 20-yard touchdown. Fifteen different Wolverines caught a pass, as Michigan more than doubled Colorado State’s yardage in a 51-7 blowout.
Sep. 10: Hawaii
Not even the appearance of a rainbow -- which followed a lightning delay that pushed kickoff from 8 p.m. ET to just after 9 -- could help the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Roman Wilson, a Hawaii native, scored twice on big plays as Michigan raced to a 21-0 first-quarter lead.
McCarthy was near-perfect (11-for-12, 229 yards, three touchdowns), while McNamara threw an interception in relief. Five different Michigan running backs ran for a touchdown in a 56-10 win that looked a lot like the last week.
Harbaugh announced in the postgame press conference that McCarthy, a sophomore, had won the job.
Sep. 17: Connecticut
Michigan’s nonconference schedule was one giant cupcake, and the Wolverines feasted. Connecticut was the final opponent. Like the previous two, the Huskies had a new coach. He left Michigan Stadium, after a 59-0 beatdown, believing Michigan was a national championship contender.
Blake Corum ran for five touchdowns. Michigan had 26 first downs to UConn’s six and outgained the visitors by more than 4-to-1.
Sep. 24: Maryland
Maryland, despite botching the opening kickoff -- it went off the returner’s face mask -- and allowing Michigan to score just eight seconds into the game, took a second-quarter lead. It was the first time the Wolverines had been tested in any way.
They responded very well. Corum ripped off a long touchdown run just before half to reclaim the lead. The junior finished with a whopping 246 yards on 30 carries, both career highs, in a 34-27 win. It was only September, but Corum was an early Heisman Trophy frontrunner.
Oct. 1: at Iowa
Michigan’s first road test of the season came against what was supposed to be a stingy Iowa defense, particularly against the run. Michigan marched right down the field to open the game with a touchdown and send a message.
The Wolverines cracked 200 yards on the ground, McCarthy was efficient, and Michigan won 27-14.
Oct. 8: at Indiana
In what would become a theme for Michigan, a road trip to Indiana proved to be a tale of two halves. Tied at 10 at halftime, Michigan dominated the final 30 minutes to win 31-10.
For the first time all season, Michigan leaned on its passing attack, with McCarthy completing 28-of-36 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns.
Running backs coach Mike Hart -- a former Indiana assistant -- collapsed on the sideline in the first half and was taken to a hospital. He was back on the sideline for Michigan’s next game.
Oct. 15: Penn State
A couple of momentum-swinging plays -- including a pick-six on a pass that deflected off a defender’s helmet -- kept then-No. 10 Penn State in the game at halftime, at which point there was some trash talking in the Michigan Stadium tunnel.
If anything, it only inspired the Wolverines. They ran for more yards against Penn State (418) than the Nittany Lions had allowed in their previous five games combined. Michigan unleashed its two-headed attack, with Donovan Edwards rushing for 177 yards and Blake Corum tallying 172. They each had two touchdowns in Michigan’s 41-17 blowout.
Oct. 29: Michigan State
After a bye week, Michigan hosted its in-state rival under the lights. Much like the previous week, Michigan allowed a few big plays in the first half but dominated the second half for a 29-7 win to reclaim the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
A game that didn’t feature many memorable moments will be remembered for what happened immediately after. Several Spartans attacked a pair of Michigan players in the tunnel.
Nov. 5: at Rutgers
I know this is getting repetitive, but Michigan trailed at halftime (17-10, thanks to a blocked punt getting returned for a touchdown) but scored early and often in the second half.
The result was a 52-17 victory. Fifth-year linebacker Michael Barrett intercepted consecutive Rutgers passes, returning one for a touchdown.
Over the last four Michigan games, the Wolverines have outscored their opponents 100-3 in the second half.
Nov. 12: Nebraska
I’d argue this was Michigan’s most forgettable game. Make no mistake, though, it was another impressive performance. Corum ran for 162 yards to further cement his status as a Heisman candidate. Nebraska managed just 146 yards of offense and was shut out in the second half.
Michigan won 34-3 to improve to 10-0 for the first time since 2006.
Nov. 19: Illinois
In what turned out to be Michigan’s most challenging game of the season, by far, the Wolverines needed three fourth-quarter field goals from Jake Moody, the last one with nine seconds left, to escape with a 19-17 win.
Corum got hurt late in the first half. With Edwards not dressed for the game with an injury of his own, Michigan had to rely on C.J. Stokes and other unproven backs. They, along with McCarthy, Moody, and Michigan’s defense, did just enough to win on a cold, windy day in Ann Arbor.
Nov. 26: at Ohio State
The Game of the Century Part II. Both teams entered 11-0. Ohio State was ranked No. 2; Michigan 3. For the second straight season, the winner would earn a spot in the Big Ten championship and be in prime position to reach the College Football Playoff.
The Wolverines hit big play after big play in Columbus. Of Michigan’s five touchdowns, the shortest was 45 yards. Trailing 20-17 at half, Michigan struck first in the third quarter and never looked back. Edwards put the game away with touchdown runs of 75 and 85 yards in the fourth quarter.
For the second year in a row, Michigan had stunned its archrival. The final: 45-23.
Dec. 3: vs. Purdue
The Big Ten West was a jumbled mess, but Purdue emerged as the representative. The Boilermakers hung around for a half, trailing by just one. But like so many Big Ten foes, they couldn’t sustain it after halftime.
McCarthy was great, Edwards had another big day in place of the injured Corum, and freshman cornerback Will Johnson intercepted two passes in the second half.
The Wolverines were back-to-back Big Ten champs and headed back to the playoffs.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm1saXZlLmNvbS93b2x2ZXJpbmVzLzIwMjIvMTIvZ2FtZS1ieS1nYW1lLWhvdy1taWNoaWdhbi1yZWFjaGVkLXRoZS1jb2xsZWdlLWZvb3RiYWxsLXBsYXlvZmYuaHRtbNIBe2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm1saXZlLmNvbS93b2x2ZXJpbmVzLzIwMjIvMTIvZ2FtZS1ieS1nYW1lLWhvdy1taWNoaWdhbi1yZWFjaGVkLXRoZS1jb2xsZWdlLWZvb3RiYWxsLXBsYXlvZmYuaHRtbD9vdXRwdXRUeXBlPWFtcA?oc=5
2022-12-23 14:30:00Z
CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm1saXZlLmNvbS93b2x2ZXJpbmVzLzIwMjIvMTIvZ2FtZS1ieS1nYW1lLWhvdy1taWNoaWdhbi1yZWFjaGVkLXRoZS1jb2xsZWdlLWZvb3RiYWxsLXBsYXlvZmYuaHRtbNIBe2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm1saXZlLmNvbS93b2x2ZXJpbmVzLzIwMjIvMTIvZ2FtZS1ieS1nYW1lLWhvdy1taWNoaWdhbi1yZWFjaGVkLXRoZS1jb2xsZWdlLWZvb3RiYWxsLXBsYXlvZmYuaHRtbD9vdXRwdXRUeXBlPWFtcA
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Game by game: How Michigan reached the College Football Playoff - MLive.com"
Post a Comment