Michigan, or “Mich-again” continues its dominance in the Big Ten by defeating Purdue 44 – 23. This is also the second Big Ten title in two years, as Michigan won it last year. This means Michigan extends its record to 13 – 0 this season, which incidentally is the first time Michigan has gone 13 – 0 in their history! That may come as a surprise given Michigan’s 11 national championship titles. Remember that the number of games required to win a national title has changed over the years. In 1997, for example, Michigan won the natty with a record of 12 – 0. For full highlights click this link, if you just want the significant Michigan plays click here.
There were some similarities to the Michigan/Ohio State game last Saturday. The game was close in the first half, with Michigan pulling away in the second half. Donovan Edwards again came up big, running for 185 yards (and won MVP for the game), while QB JJ McCarthy threw three touchdown passes and was able to scramble all over the place, to his credit. Purdue’s QB, Aidan O’Connell threw for 366 yards, which is huge number, but it didn’t result in a lot of points–similar to Stroud’s performance. O’Connell also threw two interceptions, just as Stroud did. Michigan even had something resembling a trick play to score a 2-point conversion.
Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm was able to exploit a weakness or two of Michigan however, namely their zone defense. O’Connell connected with one of the best receivers in the Big Ten, Charlie Jones, who had 13 receptions for 162 yards in an outstanding performance. The man could hardly be stopped from catching the ball, some of which was due to Michigan not adjusting to a man-zone mix until the second half. Purdue also pulled off a trick play–a fake punt–which netted some good yardage when they needed it.
JJ McCarthy is on his way to becoming the best Michigan quarterback since Denard Robinson, though he’s only a sophomore. He said something in the post-game interview that captures how the players feel about coach Harbaugh: “… he really does love us like his own sons and he means that. That just means a lot, cuz a lot of college football coaches out there that think of their players as numbers, and he sees us for the human beings that we are.”
One thing I want to mention is the offensive line. This was not a pretty game for Michigan, but the O-Line held all game long, and in the second half they were almost bullying the other team, grinding them down. They allows no sacks and only one tackle for a loss, think about that! They are easy candidates to win the Joe Moore award again, which honors the best offensive line in college football.
Let me also mention the front 7, in other words Michigan’s primary defensive players. Even though Purdue tried to get the ball out as fast as humanly possible, Michigan still notched four sacks and five tackles for a loss. Purdue averaged only 2.4 yards per carry. Let’s not forget cornerback Will Johnson, who intercepted the ball twice and was one of the only guys who could shut down Charlie Jones. While they weren’t perfect in this game, this is one of the best defenses in all of college football.
This is a wonderful team, students that really care for and about each other. During RB Donovan Edwards’ brief interview on the stand right after receiving his MVP award, who did he talk about? “Blake Corum is the best running back in college football. He deservedly needs the Heisman, if he didn’t get hurt he would’ve easily won the Heisman.” That kind of selflessness says all you need to know about Michigan football.
Last year beating Ohio State felt great, and the Big Ten Championship was a dream come true. This year I think Michigan has a real chance to win the National Championship for the first time since 1997, and honestly the game with Purdue felt like it was another step toward that goal.