The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FULL HOUSE Michigan fans had plenty to be thankful for the Satur- day after Thanksgiving. They celebrated by taking over the Michigan Stadium field shortly after the Wolverines clinched a spot in the Big Ten championship game and snapped their losing skid in The Game with a 42-27 drubbing of Ohio State. FOX's postgame interviews were conducted on the field, with participating parties surrounded by jubilant fans taking selfies and exchanging high-fives. Highlighting U-M's dominant performance, redshirt sophomore running back Hassan Haskins tied a school record with five touchdowns, while on the other side of the ball, junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson tied a personal best with three sacks to claim the U-M single- season school record with 13. Pro Football Focus cred- ited Hutchinson with 15 quarterback pressures against the Buckeyes — the most in a contest since PFF started tracking college games in 2014. The victory snapped the Wolverines' eight-game los- ing streak against their rivals and gave them their first win in The Game since 2011. It also earned Jim Har- baugh and his squad a spot in Indianapolis for the pro- gram's first Big Ten title game appearance. The coach was certainly thankful for his two stalwarts. "Hassan Haskins, Aidan Hutchinson — two guys that have carried this team on their back all season long — and a group of guys that just played their hearts out," Harbaugh marveled of his squad. Hutchinson, meanwhile, was clearly moved to emo- tion near the end of his on-camera interview, with his mother proudly looking on in the background. "This is the best moment of my life," he said. "I mani- fested it. I'm here, with my family, with my teammates on this glorious day that we just beat Ohio State! "We want this more than anyone in the country. I can tell you that right now. … I'm at a loss for words. This whole crowd is just unbelievable." . PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN THE BIG PICTURE