HOUSTON – There's no problem here, not for the Wolverines.
The Michigan football season of turmoil and chaos, scandal and slander ended with falling confetti, streaming tears and a clear message: We told you so. In the College Football Playoff title game Monday night at NRG Stadium in Houston, Michigan outscored Washington early and then late, 34-13, to win the 2023 national championship in Jim Harbaugh's ninth season in Ann Arbor.
It is the program's first national title since going 12-0 in 1997 and is only the fourth time in NCAA history that an FBS champion has gone 15-0 (Clemson, 2018; LSU, 2019 ; Georgia, 2022).
“It couldn’t have gone better,” Harbaugh said afterwards. “It went exactly the way we wanted it to win every game. The off-field issues: We are innocent and we stood strong and steadfast because we knew we were innocent. And I want to emphasize that.” “
The Wolverines, whose ground game this year didn't quite match the results of the last two seasons, put it all together when it mattered most. They ran 38 times for 303 yards and four scores, including three runs of more than 40 yards in the first quarter.
Donovan Edwards, best known for his two-touchdown performance against Ohio State in 2022, will now be known for his title-winning night in Houston. The West Bloomfield graduate took his first touchdown of the night 41 yards to the house in what was heralded as the second-longest touchdown run in CFP title game history.
That record stood for less than 8 minutes when he fired a 46-yard shot to the right side to give UM a two-point lead with 2:23 left in the first quarter.
“I was so happy for Donovan because I just felt like he needed this,” running back Blake Corum said. “Trusted agent, known friend for life. That's my type. I'm glad I got to share the backfield with Donovan. I wish Donovan nothing but the best, if he ever needed anything I have every confidence I would be there for him.”
The Huskies had cut UM's lead to seven points when James Turner hit a 38-yard field goal with 11:55 left in the third, only for Washington to counter with a 45-yard field goal of its own three minutes later it 20-13.
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The Huskies got the ball and had a chance to take the lead with 11:52 left, and on the second play of the drive, Michael Penix Jr. appeared to find wide receiver Rome Odunze on a 40-yard pass that fell through Pass thwarted was a holding penalty.
Three plays later the Huskies had to punt. On the first play of the next drive, Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy found Colston Loveland on the left seam as he deflected the pass with both hands above his head, tucked the ball firmly into the pocket and rumbled for a gain of 41, the longest pass play of AROUND the day.
Three plays later, Corum, UM's most decorated running back in history and modern touchdown record holder, broke a tackle and powered his way in from 12 yards out for a 27-13 lead with 7:09 to play.
“Speechless,” he told the Free Press. “Blessed. God has blessed this team.”
Corum finished with 21 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns, while Edwards had six carries for 104 yards and two scores; They became the first teammates to rush for more than 100 yards in a CFP title game.
Defensively, the Wolverines held off one of the nation's most potent offenses with just 20 carries for 46 yards (2.3 yards per attempt) and two of 14 third-down conversions, forcing a crucial turnover on the first play of the second half.
Penix, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, completed just 27 of 51 passes for 255 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
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The defense is strengthening
Washington came into the game with the No. 1 passing attack (350 yards per game) and a top-10 scoring offense (37.6 points per game), but the Huskies had yet to see a defense like UM's Ranked No. 1 in scoring and No. 2 against the pass.
The Huskies needed 14 plays to go 67 yards on their first drive – a drive that would have stalled at midfield had Keon Sabb not missed a third-and-5 tackle – and ultimately had to settle for a 25th -Yard field goal settle A third-and-goal shot into the end zone was incomplete.
Even when things went wrong for Jesse Minter's unit early on, things went well.
The Huskies were facing fourth-and-7 at the Michigan 47 midway through the second quarter when a miscommunication occurred in UM's secondary. It left a wide field for Odunze to move downfield. But Penix's throw was one shot behind the Biletnikoff Award runner-up and the two failed to score on the supposed walk-in touchdown.
On the next possession, Kenneth Grant scored a sack on a bull rush up the middle that quickly forced another three-pointer.
“He’s the best defensive coordinator in the nation,” Grant said of Minter after the game. “We have proven that we are the best defense in the country. Not only the players, but also the coaches played a big role in this.”
UM almost seemed like it would hold Washington without a touchdown in the first half, but the Huskies put together an 11-play, 61-yard drive and scored with 42 seconds left.
Mike Sainristil was cited for pass interference to give UW the lead inside the Michigan 10, then Penix found Jalen McMillan on fourth-and-goal to cut the deficit to 17-10.
Will Johnson had an interception early in the second half and the Huskies didn't really get going from there. After their second-half field goal, the Huskies scored on three straight possessions before gasping for air again with seven minutes to play.
Penix found Odunze on the right side for a 44-yard bomb to move into UM territory, but a false start on the next play put Washington behind the uprights. UM called a timeout on fourth-and-13 with 4:53 to play when compensating penalties led to another play.
On that play, Sainristil threw an 81-yard interception, his sixth of the year, to seal the win.
“If a play needed to be made, Mike Sainristil made it,” Harbaugh said. “If a play needs to be made, Blake Corum makes it. When a play needs to be made, Will Johnson makes it. If a play needs to be made, JJ McCarthy makes it.”
“We just have great players. We have great players who unanimously support each other.”
Offensive is enough
McCarthy wasn't as crisp as he was against Alabama in the CFP semifinals in the Rose Bowl, but he made just enough plays.
He completed both passes on the first eight-play, 84-yard touchdown drive and then connected with Roman Wilson on a 37-yard post route from the left slot in the first quarter for Edwards' second score.
After a rough stretch midway through the contest in which he completed just two of 10 passes, McCarthy hit three straight times in the second half and later had scrambles of 22 yards and 12 yards when he was assisted. That didn't score any points, but they turned the board around and ate up the clock.
Then, in the fourth, he found Loveland for the deepest pass of the game.
McCarthy completed 10 of 18 passes for 140 yards.
“I’ll leave you guys with this,” Corum said, standing on a stage as maize blue confetti fluttered in the air around him. “The deal is done.”
Contact Tony Garcia: [email protected]. Follow him at @realtonygarcia.