Michigan Football: Wolverines Clamp Down On Badgers, 14-7
Michigan defused Wisconsin’s offense all afternoon long. But the Wolverines needed a bomb to bury the Badgers and dropped it at the perfect time.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight lit the fuse and fifth-year senior wideout Amara Darboh handled the detonation, hauling in a 46-yard strike for the game-winning score in Michigan’s 14-7 win over Wisconsin.
Defenses dominated the hand-to-hand combat between the No. 4 Wolverines (5-0, 2-0) and the No. 8 Badgers (4-1, 1-1), but Michigan unleashed the big play when it counted, with 7:56 remaining in a cliffhanger.
“Pre-snap, Coach [Jedd] Fisch dialed up a good one,” Speight (20-of-32 passing, 219 yards, one TD) said. “We all really love that play. It’s a play-action where I can take a shot. I saw single high, one-on-one with Darboh. That’s probably the best scenario as a quarterback I could see — one-on-one with Amara Darboh.
“I got back to the top of my drop, and I saw he won on his release. It was still solid coverage, so I knew I needed to put it in one spot and one spot only. He made a great play.”
“It was perfect,” Darboh (six catches, 87 yards) added. “It was one-on-one coverage, and the safety was in the middle. I got inside my guy, and Wilton threw the perfect ball. I just had to run underneath it.”
The play stood out like an emaciated Badgers offensive lineman on a day when the defenses — especially Michigan’s — dominated.
The Wolverines clamped down defensively, forcing Wisconsin redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook — who played admirably in the Badgers’ win at Michigan State a week earlier — into an absolutely miserable afternoon.
Hornibrook went 9-of-25 passing for 88 yards and three interceptions, with one touchdown toss. When your offense is netting 71 yards on the ground, that’s not going to win many games.
But three missed field goals by the Wolverines kept the Badgers in it until the end. What could have been a relatively comfortable 23-7 victory turned into a nail biter in the fourth quarter, but Michigan’s defense proved more than up to the challenge at every turn.
“Defensively, I would say A-plus-plus,” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said. “No question about it, the defense was a shining star today. That phase of our team was outstanding. Awesome with a capital A.”
If it hadn’t been for a big turnover, the Badgers might not have scored at all. Still, the Wolverines did what they had to do when they had to do it.
Michigan broke the scoring ice four seconds into the second quarter, redshirt junior fullback Khalid Hill crashing in from a yard out to cap a 77-yard, 11-play touchdown drive. Freshman tailback Chris Evans got things rolling, popping a 22-yard run up the middle, and Speight connected on four of five throws during the drive.
The Wolverines drove right down the field the next time they touched the football as well, but squandered a chance to cash in more points. Speight moved U-M from their own 44 to the Wisconsin 13, but the drive stalled there, and fifth-year senior placekicker Kenny Allen shoved a 31-yard field goal attempt right of the target.
Wisconsin turned the ball right back over after a three-and-out, but Michigan again couldn’t take advantage. This time around, Allen overcorrected and missed left on a 43-yarder, keeping the Badgers within a touchdown.
“Obviously, we left nine points off the scoreboard,” Harbaugh said. “You’ve got to put those points on the board. Points on the board are what really matter. We’ll have a little kicking competition this week, and it will be a little opportunity for [sophomore] Ryan Tice, and yeah … we’ll see if we can’t make them next time.”
The visitors’ offense remained effective as a cheeseball laxative, barely moving into Michigan territory following their game-opening possession. U-M’s kicking woes still left the game up for grabs.
The Badgers finally smashed down the scoring door, boosted by a huge turnover. Michigan had moved to the Wisconsin 25, the drive aided by a Badgers penalty for roughing the snapper on a U-M punt.
But a Badger tipped Speight’s pass down the middle, the ball tumbling into the hands of cornerback Derrick Tindal who raced back downfield all the way to Michigan’s 31, Speight knocking him out of bounds.
Five plays later, Hornibrook found running back Dare Ogunbowale on the wheel route, churning behind the defense for a 17-yard touchdown reception. Just like that, a game that the Wolverines had dominated in many ways stood dead even at 7-7, at the 8:03 mark of the third quarter.
Scarily for the home crowd, the script remained the same on Michigan’s would-be answering possession.
The Wolverines drove it from their own 14 deep into Wisconsin territory, but once again stalled on offense. This time, Michigan subbed in Tice for Allen, but without reward.
Tice missed a 40-yard field goal, bringing the Wolverines’ three-point tally to 0 for 3 on the afternoon. Under increasingly threatening skies, Michigan’s special teams effort added to the gloom.
“I never thought it was ideal for Kenny to do the punting, the kickoffs and the field goals,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a lot. It’s probably too much, and this will be an opportunity for Ryan Tice to step up this week and carry that duty. I think he’s more than capable of doing it.”
Darboh, meanwhile, dropped a big third-down pass, ending the Michigan drive just prior to the go-ahead score. But he more than made up for it on the Wolverines’ crucial next series.
Michigan’s defense did the rest, thwarting the Badgers on possession after possession. Senior cornerback Jourdan Lewis put the exclamation point on the effort, elevating and hanging in the air for what seemed an eternity to make a mesmerizing, one-handed interception to end Wisconsin’s final attempt. That supplemented senior cornerback Channing Stribling’s two previous pickoffs and bedeviled Hornibrook.
Michigan now takes its show on the road for the first time all season, heading to Rutgers for a night game next week.
“Two years ago, we went to Rutgers,” Speight recalled. “It was a hectic crowd, a blackout night game. We just need to keep our composure and play football.”
Top Five Players Of The Game
1. Senior cornerback Channing Stribling — Stribling represented well a host of Michigan play stoppers and playmakers. His two interceptions and two pass breakups contributed mightily to an afternoon Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook will want to soon forget.
2. Senior cornerback Jourdan Lewis — Lewis secured the aforementioned highlight-reel pickoff, but he remained a thorn in the Badgers paw all day. His tight coverage made it very tough to getting a passing attack going, increasing the pressure on Hornibrook.
3. Fifth-year senior defensive lineman Chris Wormley — Wormley got credited for 1.5 sacks and four tackles, staying strong in a Michigan defensive line that limited the Badgers to 71 yards rushing and delivered four sacks.
4. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight — Speight made one big mistake, throwing an interception on a tipped pass that set up Wisconsin’s only touchdown. But in a duel of QBs, he made far fewer mistakes and frequently put the Wolverines in position to enjoy a more comfortable afternoon, had the kickers come through.
5. Fifth-year senior wideout Amara Darboh — Darboh caught the game-winner, a 46-yard touchdown pass that proved the difference. But he also easily out-distanced all other receivers from both teams with a half-dozen grabs for 87 yards.