JJ McCarthy threw three touchdown passes and Donovan Edwards rushed for 185 yards and scored in No. 2 Michigan’s 43-22 win over Purdue on Saturday night, resulting in the Wolverines’ second straight Big Ten title and a likely No 2 led.
Michigan, college football’s most successful program, secured its first 13-win season in school history. Two more wins would give the Wolverines (13-0, No. 2 CFP) their first national championship since 1997.
And with injured star Blake Corum injured in his left knee at the end of the season, Edwards stole the show for the second straight week.
After shredding rival Ohio State for 216 yards and two points last week, Edwards opened the game with a 60-yard rush in the first game of the second half to score a point. He added a 27-yard TD sprint on Michigan’s next series to make it 28-13.
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Donovan Edwards #7 of the Michigan Wolverines runs the ball during the first half of the Big Ten Championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Purdue (8-5) never recovered from Michigan’s rapid onslaught in seven games after trailing 14-13 at halftime, but quarterback Aidan O’Connell and receiver Charlie Jones helped the Boilermakers keep things interesting for a while.
O’Connell was 32 of 47 with 366 yards and two interceptions after missing some practice time earlier this week to mourn the death of his eldest brother. Jones, who lost to Michigan in last year’s game while playing for Iowa, had 13 receptions for 162 yards.
It just wasn’t enough.
Showing no sign of a hangover after the Buckeyes’ loss last week, Michigan took a 7-0 lead with a 25-yard TD pass from McCarthy to Colston Loveland.
Purdue responded with a 1-yard rush to level the score and then took the lead with Mitchell Fineran’s 33-yard field goal.
Roman Wilson #14 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after catching a pass during the first half of the Big Ten Football Championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images )
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Michigan responded by capitalizing on an offside call in fourth and sixth by aiming for the first dismount, canceling it and eventually converting the drive into a 7-yard TD pass from McCarthy to Luke Schoonmaker. You never chased me again.
A big run by Edwards set up Kalel Mullings’ 1-yard TD fall before Edwards celebrated his own scoring run.
All Purdue could muster was three more field goals.
McCarthy was 11 of 17 with 161 yards and an interception.
Corum posted on Twitter on Saturday morning that his knee surgery went well.
THE TAKE AWAY
Purdue: The Boilermakers’ magical season ended with a solid showing in the championship game, where they played better than most expected. Still, they won both trophy games in the wild, wild west of the Big Ten and should be destined for a warm-weather bowl game.
Michigan: Yes, the Wolverines may already have secured a top-two seed thanks to losses from Southern Cal and TCU. Michigan is now off two conference crowns for the first time since 2003-04, though the hard part remains – ending its national title drought.
SELECT TRICKER
Brohm played a season in the now-defunct XFL and has acknowledged that his experience helped him understand how to bring personality and creativity to play calling. It was fully on display on Saturday.
A surprise ending provided Purdue’s first hit, a fake punt helped keep his second hit alive, and then Mockobee sprinted 25 yards on a fake flea flare in the third quarter.
Luke Schoonmaker #86 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after scoring a touchdown in the first half in the Big Ten Championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana (Justin Casterline/Getty Images )
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Purdue: Will find out his bowl game, goal and opponent on Sunday.
Michigan: Waiting to see where it goes and who it will face in the national semifinals.