The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1514918
20 THE WOLVERINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2024 "It's just all about focusing on the next play, one play at a time, and just staying in the present moment and wor- rying about the assignment that you have to go out and execute. "We weren't really getting things go- ing, but that never bothered us because it was all in the past. We were focusing on staying in the present and control- ling the future." He didn't need any rah-rah speeches, Michigan senior receiver Roman Wilson said — he just looked his guys in the eyes and said, "Time to go to work." And then the offense started mixing it up, adding some deception on sweeps with Corum, who to that point had been stifled in the second half. The Michigan offense had only aver- aged 0.8 yards per carry in the second half while going back to its bread-and- butter plays — some of the same ones that didn't work much of the year — but finally turned to McCarthy and his legs and some different looks to keep the game-tying drive alive. A critical fourth-and-2 conversion on a pass to Corum and an incredible, fingertip catch by Wilson on a tipped ball moved the Wolverines deep into Alabama territory. Wilson capped the 8-play, 75-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown reception to tie it. The fan base exhaled after the James Turner extra point — it was that kind of day for the special teams — and the defense had new energy after getting pushed around for most of the third and fourth quarters. Part of that had to be exhaustion after the offense continually went three-and-out. And make no mistake — the Crimson Tide had flipped the tide and gained control. A few bad snaps stalled drives, but the Michigan defense came up big when it mattered. Even after Turner missed a 49-yard field goal, leading to an Alabama field goal and a 20-13 lead, Harbaugh knew his team wasn't done, even if the fans might have been skeptical. "When it comes to these situations, I was calm that fourth quarter and over- time," Harbaugh said. "I just felt like there was nothing that we couldn't overcome inside of this stadium to- day. That was two teams that were re- ally physical, really tough up front. I really felt if the game was going to be won up front, it was going to be won with toughness and physicality, and our guys were just there in rhythm and got it done. Epic game." They took the momentum back, and Corum started to run like the Corum of old. He showed his burst and his tough- ness on his two carries in overtime, in- cluding a wicked jump cut, and carried Alabama defenders with him into the end zone on his 17-yard run. Junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) and sophomore defensive tackle Mason Graham (55) earned Rose Bowl MVP honors on their respective sides of the ball. McCarthy passed for 221 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Graham finished with 4 tackles, including a huge stop for a 5-yard loss on second-and-goal in overtime. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF Senior wide receiver Roman Wilson made a fingertip grab for a 29-yard gain on Michigan's game- tying drive in the fourth quarter, then two plays later scored on this 4-yard touchdown reception. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF