One of the most critical players in Michigan's 30-24 win over Ohio State on Saturday afternoon was kicker James Turner. A Saline, Michigan native, Turner returned back to the mitten after four seasons with the Louisville Cardinals.

His efforts on Saturday earned him the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week award.

Tuner has been nothing but dependable in his time with the Wolverines in 2023, and when Michigan needed him most in the biggest game of the season, he rose to the occasion and delivered.

He made field goals of 37, 38 and 50 yards. His 37-yarder came with 1:05 left on the game clock, and it extended Michigan's lead to six points, forcing Ohio State to score a touchdown rather than being able to tie the game with a field goal.

The Buckeyes, as they should've, then forced the ball down the field with urgency, but Jaylen Harrell got pressure on Kyle McCord. The Buckeye quarterback wasn't able to get enough power behind his attempted pass to Marvin Harrison Jr., and Rod Moore secured the game-winning interception.

Ohio State was already at the Michigan 37-yard line with roughly 30 seconds to go, and the odds are that Ryan Day and the Buckeyes would've been more conservative if they would've been able to tie the game with a field goal, but Turner's 37-yarder just moments earlier made that impossible.

All three of Turner's kicks were critical, but his 37-yarder late in the fourth quarter proved to be a key moment in the game.

He also connected on a 50-yard field goal, which tied his season best. Turner becomes the first Michigan Special Teams Player of the Week since Jake Moody won the award on Nov. 20, 2022.

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