Michigan junior cornerback Will Johnson made the highlight play of Saturday night's game between Michigan and Fresno State. Down 23-10 with just over four minutes to play, Fresno State was driving with a chance to make it a one-score game.
Earlier in the drive, Michigan had two interceptions taken off the board, and fans of the Wolverines were growing restless in the stands. Then, on 1st and Goal, Johnson beautifully jumped in front of a screen pass and took it to the house for an 86-yard pick six.
The interception sealed the victory for the Wolverines, and it proved to be the most exciting play of the evening.
"I wasn't too happy with my performance before that, so being able to finish it that way definitely made me feel a little bit better about the game," Johnson said during his media availability with reporters on Monday.
Interestingly, Johnson was targeted more often than he usually is, and there were moments when the First-Team All-American looked human. He got beat on a corner route and nearly allowed a touchdown if it wasn't for an inaccurate pass from Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene.
On Monday, Johnson evaluated his performance as a whole.
"I think I did good. I think I got a lot of room to improve. ... I don't like getting the ball caught on me at all, so anytime they catch the ball, it's definitely not a good thing to me, but gotta go onto the next play and try to make a play when my number's called."
When asked what he can improve upon, Johnson, a presumed top-10 pick in next year's NFL Draft, had an extreme response.
"Just not letting them catch the ball," Johnson said. "When the ball's thrown my way, going and making a play. I'm always expecting [to get targeted] — trying to stay ready at all times, so never thinking they're not gonna target me."
Texas will certainly provide a tougher test on Saturday when it visits the Big House. Longhorn pass-catchers hauled in 25 passes for 355 yards and four touchdowns in Saturday's 52-0 blowout of Colorado State.
Johnson offered his thoughts on the Texas receiving corps and the game in general.
"They got a lot — the receivers, played against [Isaiah] Bond last year. I've actually played — I was on the same 7-on-7 team with [Matthew] Golden in high school, so they're very explosive, a lot of experience, good set of guys."
"I think they've got a very explosive group, a very explosive team as a whole. Quinn Ewers is one of the best quarterbacks in the country, so we've got to be prepared for them, and we're ready to go out there and execute."
"I'm expecting it to be very exciting. ... It's gonna be a lot of people up here, all the TV crews; it's gonna be like the Rose Bowls, the Ohio State games, those type of games, and I feel like that's when we play our best football."
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