Indianapolis (NWN) – Hassan Haskins ran for two second-half touchdowns and broke a school record while running back. Donavan Edwards threw a 75-yard TD pass that helped No. 2 Michigan clinch its first Big Ten title in 17 years and a potential 15 berth to a 42-3 lead on Saturday at Iowa.
Resurgent Michigan (12–1, No. 2 CFP) has won five straight and if he reaches the playoffs, as expected, he will be forced to return to Indianapolis to play for his first national championship since 1997. Victory will be required.
“Nobody else believed us,” Starr and Aidan Hutchinson said before learning he had been selected as the first defensive MVP. “We all knew, we all knew we were going to wear these T-shirts.”
It has been an impossible run since coach Jim Harbaugh took a pay cut following a disappointing 2020 run. The Wolverines started the season without a rank and chose to finish in the middle of the Big Ten East, whose champions have won nine previous conference crowns. And it came on an emotional night as Michigan paid tribute to the victims of Tuesday’s school shooting, which resulted in the deaths of four students at Oxford (Michigan) High School.
They lost their second straight title game to the Hawkeyes (10–3, No. 13) and prevented coach Kirk Ferrantz from securing his first conference crown since 2004. Iowa lost to Michigan State in the 2015 title game, and it came on a night where both quarterbacks, Spencer Petras and Alex Padilla, struggled against the Wolverines.
“We knew we had to play our best and things would go our way,” Ferentz said. “Obviously, it didn’t materialise.”
Blake Corum made two cuts to the right and ran for 67 yards to make it 7-0. In Michigan’s next offensive game, Cade McNamara overtook Edwards and the freshman threw a 75-yard TD pass to Roman Wilson at a wide open for a 75-yard score and a 14-0 lead.
Iowa eventually responded with a 22-yard field goal but Hawkeye could not hold onto the field.
Hawkins broke the game with a 4-yard TD run in the middle of the third quarter, then sealed the victory on a 1-yard run in the fourth, becoming the first Michigan to score 20 TDs in a season. Ron Johnson had set the previous mark of 19, in 1968.
takeaway
Michigan: After ending a losing streak to rival Ohio State and a 17-year title drought over the past eight days, the Wolverines are waiting to see where the CFP selection committee puts it in the four-team playoff break.
Iowa: It was a bitter end for the No. 2 team in October. Yes, Iowa won four straight and needed help from Minnesota to make it to Indy. But the offense fought hard and the defense finally gave up.
in Memoriam
Michigan honored Oxford victims with a patch on the right shoulder of their jersey.
The patch contained the letters Tate Myere, a football player and wrestler, and his jersey number 42, as well as four hearts – one for each student who died in the shooting – inside the school’s Block ‘O’. Myre’s family also joined the Michigan captains for the pregame toss and wore T-shirts that read Oxford Strong.
The high school is about an hour north of Michigan’s campus.
stat pack
Michigan: Quorum’s 67-yard run was the longest of his career, and Edwards’ TD pass came on the first throw of his career. … The Wolverines improved to an all-time 3-0 in Indy, defeating DePauw in 1892 and the Wabash in 1907. … Hutchinson added another sack to his single-season school record, earning him 14.
Iowa: Second interception of the game and finished the first half this season with number 24, breaking school records in 1986 and matches in 1987 and 2008. A straight victory over the top 25 enemies ended. This was the second longest active streak in FBS (Alabama, 11). ,
next
Michigan: Will find out on Sunday where the CFP selection committee has ranked it.
Iowa: Waiting to see who and where will play in its bowl game.
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