The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 33 2022-23 YEAR IN REVIEW nah Sutherland in women's track and field (400-meter hurdles). U-M also boasted 35 individual Big Ten champions, 44 All- Americans and 116 All-Big Ten selections. We highlight the best of the best with our annual list breaking down team and individual accomplishments: COACHES OF THE YEAR MALE SPORT COACH OF THE YEAR JIM HARBAUGH, FOOTBALL The 2022 Big Ten Coach of the Year led his team to a second straight conference championship and College Football Playoff appearance. The Wolverines won 13 games, the most in any season in program history, with a lone loss coming to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl CFP semifinal, 51-45. U-M knocked off Ohio State in Columbus for the first time since 2000, out- scoring the then-undefeated Buckeyes 28-3 in the second half and 45-23 for the game. Before taking down Purdue in the Big Ten title game in December, the Wolverines hadn't been crowned outright confer- ence champs in back-to-back seasons since 1991-92. According to those within the program, the Maize and Blue's on-field success can be credited to the strong culture that's been built, which starts at the top with Harbaugh, who's entering his ninth year in Ann Arbor. They've now won 25 of their last 28 games with only one Big Ten loss and have lifted themselves into the nation's top tier of programs. FEMALE SPORT COACH OF THE YEAR KEVIN SULLIVAN, TRACK AND FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY In his second season at the helm of both men's and women's track and field and cross country, Sul- livan saw his women's team win both the indoor and outdoor Big Ten Track and Field Championships, just the sixth time in history that the Wolverines have ac- complished that feat. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor seasons. U-M's indoor Big Ten crown was its first since 2016. The Wolverines took home seven individual event titles and set five school records during the Big Ten Championships. In the outdoor campaign, five women won indi- vidual Big Ten titles, and the Maize and Blue placed 14th at the NCAA Championships with one individual national champ. BREAKOUT PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR MALE SPORT BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR DONOVAN EDWARDS, FOOTBALL With a cast on his dominant right hand, Edwards dished up a performance for the ages in Michi- gan's 45-23 beatdown of Ohio State Nov. 26 in Columbus, taking the lion's share of the carries due to Blake Corum being sidelined with a knee in- jury. Edwards started slowly but finished incredibly strong. He reeled off back-to-back 75- and 85-yard, lightning-strike touchdowns in the fourth quarter to stretch the Wolverines' lead from 31-23 to the final score of 45-23 and silence the scarlet-wearing and red-faced Buckeye faithful in attendance. With 216 yards and 2 scores on the ground, Edwards be- came the first Michigan player to amass 200-plus yards rushing in Columbus since Jamie Morris in a 26-24 triumph in 1986 (210). Jim Harbaugh, the quarterback in '86 and pres- ent-day head coach, said Edwards could've "taken a knee" due to his injury, but "instead he wore a cast, and now he's a legend." FEMALE SPORT BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR SAVANNAH SUTHERLAND, TRACK AND FIELD The pressure was off Sutherland, a sophomore, ahead of the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships June 10. That all eyes were on favorites Britton Wilson of Arkansas and Masai Russell of Kentucky helped calm her down, she said, before she clocked a lifetime- and school-best 54.45-second run, leading from beginning to end from her lane seven post. The Canadian crossed the finish line, put her right hand over her mouth in disbelief (and joy) and hugged her competitors. Sutherland, who earned first-team All-America honors, is U-M's first women's NCAA champion since 2017 (Jaimie Phelan; 1,500 meters). BEST WINS OF THE YEAR MALE SPORT BEST WIN OF THE YEAR FOOTBALL AT OHIO STATE Michigan was an eight-point underdog for its Nov. 26 tilt at Ohio State between two undefeated teams with 11 wins apiece. The Wolverines didn't receive much from star running back Blake Corum (five offensive snaps) or Big Ten Defensive Line- man of the Year Mike Morris (11 defensive snaps) — both of whom were dealing with injuries, with Corum trying to give it a go despite a knee ailment that eventually ended his season — but still won in blowout fashion, 45-23. The 22-point win was U-M's largest margin of victory over Ohio State since 1993 (28-0) and biggest in Columbus since 1976 (22-0). Michigan trailed 20-17 at the half before outscor- ing the Buckeyes 28-3 after the break, giving OSU its first home Big Ten loss since 2015. Buckeye head man Ryan Day is now 1-2 against his bitter rival. Running back Donovan Edwards scorched the Buckeyes for 216 yards rushing, including explosive fourth-quarter TDs of 75 and 85 yards to punctuate a 45-23 Michigan victory in Columbus. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Savannah Sutherland, a sophomore from Canada, turned in a school-record time of 54.45 seconds to capture the NCAA title in the 400-meter hurdles in June. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS