The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1433691
32 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2021 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL difference in any way possible, and it just happened to be as a pass catcher. He got his opportunity at Maryland with second-year frosh Blake Corum on the sideline with an injury. "The work he's put in … he's got so many built-up reps," Harbaugh said. "I understand he and J.J. are throwing and catching all the time. So we had some good, designed plays today, some re- ally good looks to get the back out of the backfield. "As soon as he caught that [77-yard] pass, I could see the cutback coming because I'd seen it in practice a bunch of times. He was rolling. How fast did he look? Really fast." Edwards, a top-100 recruit out of high school, took the attention in stride. "Everybody makes plays," he said. "We have a lot of talented receivers on the team and a lot of talented running backs that can make catches in the passing game. We take great pride in that — to be able to catch and turn upfield and be able to help the team win." Harbaugh predicted bigger things to come for his frosh. "This will be a blip on the radar of the career of Donovan Edwards," he said. "He's destined for great things." — Chris Balas HASKINS, HUTCHINSON EARN NATIONAL HONORS IN OSU WIN The victory over Ohio State trans- lated into weekly honors for a pair of fourth-year standouts. Both pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson and running back Hassan Haskins were given Walter Camp Player of the Week honors for their role in the 42-27 win over Ohio State. Haskins rushed for 168 yards on 29 carries and scored five touchdowns in the contest, while Hutchinson had seven total tackles, three sacks and 15 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic "In late 2018, after 'retiring' from Ohio State to become a university professor in 'leadership,' [former OSU head coach Urban] Meyer — who loved to turn the knife — talked about how he couldn't imagine what his life would be like if he had just one loss on his record against Michigan. "'I just can't imagine losing,' Meyer said via 10TV-WBNS. 'How do you go out to dinner in Columbus?' "Ryan Day, party of one. "Your table is ready." Adam Rittenberg, ESPN.com "[Michigan football's] emphasis on and preparation for the Buckeyes generated a spirit that wouldn't be denied Satur- day. The Wolverines followed [offensive coordinator Josh] Gattis' brilliant scripts for touchdown drives to begin each half. They generated four sacks and eight tackles for loss, while not allowing a sin- gle TFL. The Michigan defense, under a mostly new staff led by first-time coordi- nator Mike Macdonald, held Ohio State's powerful offense to 64 rushing yards. "The Wolverines also were the more poised and disciplined team, drawing only two penalties to Ohio State's 10. Even a halftime alter- cation with the Buckeyes in the famous Michigan Stadium tunnel didn't deter the Wolverines. If anything, they gained more energy and fed off a frenzied crowd inside a large but rarely raucous stadium." Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports "Prior to Saturday, [head coach Jim] Harbaugh's history in this game had to wear on him. He went into Saturday with an 0-5 record coaching against Ohio State and not so much as a division title to his name in 11 years as an FBS coach at Michigan and Stanford. "You couldn't see the anxiety publicly. It was inside the program that Harbaugh hung a sign in the offseason that reminded his team who they had to beat. It was inside the program that Michigan began working on Ohio State right after New Year's in winter conditioning. "The team, the team, the team finally beat Ohio State for the first time in 3,654 days. Yes, it's been that long — a decade — since the last Michigan win in 2011. But Harbaugh had been responsible for only the last five in a losing streak that had reached eight and extended back to 15 out of the last 16 meetings. "The Wolverines' pent-up desire to win The Game manifested itself in 10 penal- ties by the Buckeyes, five of them false starts against a beleaguered offensive line. Michigan scored on the first two possessions of the second half to turn its anxiousness into a field storming in a snowstorm that raged into the night." Ivan Maisel, On3.com "After going 2-4 in the chaos of 2020, Harbaugh took a pay cut, revamped his staff and reemphasized the importance of this most famous of college football rivalries. Signs asked the Wolverines, 'What have you done today to beat Ohio State?' "Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara, who overcame a red-zone interception in the first quarter to play virtually flawlessly the rest of the way, said, 'We've been playing these dudes really every day since January.' "Harbaugh has won at Michigan, but he didn't win the right games. He hadn't beaten Ohio State in five tries, and he has never won a Big Ten Championship Game, mainly be- cause Michigan hasn't played in one since the league began holding them in 2011. "The victory Saturday solves a mystery that has bedeviled Wolverine fans for years. Here's the answer: To get from Ann Arbor to Indianapolis, you go west on U.S. 24, then south on I-69." — Anthony Broome Although head coach Jim Harbaugh's squad only outgained the Buckeyes by 29 yards, it was a thorough beatdown of their rivals. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL What They're Saying About Michigan's Win Over Ohio State