Michigan overwhelms Washington 34-13 for 1st national championship since 1997

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Mission: Accomplished. In a season that quickly took on the mantle of Michigan vs. The World, it is the Wolverines laughing last.

Michigan defeated Washington 34-13 in the College Football Playoff national championship Monday at NRG Stadium in Houston to go 15-0 for the first time in school history. The championship is the school's first since it won a share of the 1997 title shared with Nebraska, for the winningest team in college football history.

In the fourth quarter, a low-scoring defensive rock fight took hold with a feeling that the first team to make a mistake could flip momentum and the game.

It came with a Mike Sainristil interception 80 yards to the Washington 8-yard line. That set the table for Blake Corum's second touchdown run, as he barreled in from a yard out for the 34-13 lead. 

"We're 15-0, the last ones standing," Coach Jim Harbaugh told ESPN on the field in a storm of ticker-tape. "There are more than 100 Michigan men who are on this team," Harbaugh said. "What they've done is amazing. They will forever be known as national champions."

"It's a feeling I thought my boys and I would never have," said offensive tackle Trevor Keegan to FOX 2's Jennifer Hammond. "It is truly special. Everything we've done. These guys are my brothers. It means everything in the world." 

Corum was named the Offensive Player of the Game and Will Johnson the Defensive Player of the game. Corum capped his record-setting career with 133 yards and two touchdowns, as Donovan Edwards added 104 yards and two first-half touchdowns. 

"Michigan, this is for you," Corum told the Wolverines fans. 

The Michigan recipe was a vintage one- pound the ball and control the clock.

"Our mentality. We knew we were going to put the team on our back and have long possessions," Keegan said. "We knew we would have to rush for a lot of yards and maintain the clock. And we did that. We rushed for 300 yards and I am so proud of my guys and so proud of this team and the coaches."

The Wolverines defense had its hands full with the quarterback of the Huskies (14-1) - Michael Penix Jr. The star Washington quarterback was held to 27-of-51 for 255 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions as the Michigan defense clamped down and battered him with hit after hit in the second half. 

Michigan mounted a critical fourth-quarter drive capped by a Corum 12-yard touchdown run for a 27-13 lead with seven minutes left. 

The five-play, 71-yard drive was sparked by McCarthy's 41-yard completion to Colston Loveland for 41 yards to the Washington 30. One Corum run later, he hit Roman Wilson for a 12-yard gain to the Washington 15. One play later, the senior running back scored on a 12-yard run.  

In the fourth quarter, a low-scoring defensive rock fight took hold with a feeling that the first team to make a mistake could flip momentum and the game.

Washington's Grady Gross hit a 45-yard field goal pulling Washington to 20-13.

The third quarter opened with an interception by Michigan's Will Johnson off a tipped Michael Penix pass at the Washington 32-yard line.

The turnover led to a 38-yard James Turner field goal, giving the Wolverines a 20-10, two-score advantage. Johnson battled to control the ball along the sideline, gathering it in and cradling it, just as he hit the ground.

Michigan led 17-10 at halftime as the Huskies clawed back from an early deficit.

Washington scored its first touchdown on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Penix to complete to Jalen McMillan.

The score came with 42 seconds left in the second quarter, after an 11-play, 61-yard drive, cashing in on fourth down.

A failed fourth down attempt by the Wolverines ending on a pass breakup set up the Washington drive.

The fourth down fail came after both teams traded three-and-outs.

Washington had its own fourth down attempt come up short, when Michael Penix missed an open receiver on 4th and 7.

A 59-yard run by Blake Corum set up the Wolverines' 31-yard field goal by James Turner, making it 17-3 early in the second quarter.

Michigan went up 14-3 with a 46-yard touchdown run by Donovan Edwards late in the first quarter. The score was set up by a 37-yard pass from JJ McCarthy to Roman Wilson capping a 4-play, 86-yard drive.

Washington got on the board with a 25-yard field goal after its drive stalled inside the 10, making it 7-3.

On its opening drive, Michigan went up 7-0 with a 41-yard touchdown run by Donovan Edwards 10:14 left.

The tailback bounced the run outside and raced down the sideline with 10:14 left in the opening quarter.

Michigan 15-0, advanced to Monday's title game with its first CFP win ever, besting Alabama 27-20 in overtime. Washington hung on to beat Texas, 37-31 in the late semifinal.

The win also makes for sweet revenge for the Maize and Blue faithful who circled the wagons this season around Coach Jim Harbaugh.

Harbaugh was suspended by the Big 10 for violations of sportsmanship in the sign-stealing scandal, missing the final three games of the regular season. He also started the season suspended, after a separate NCAA investigation into alleged violations during the pandemic.

Despite the swirling distractions that included the resignation of staffer Connor Stallions who was connected to the advanced scouting investigation, the Wolverines only seemed to feed off the adversity.

First came a 24-15 win at Penn State in which Harbaugh was informed of the suspension with the team traveling by plane. Next came a 31-24 win over Maryland and in The Game, U-M downed Ohio State for a third straight year, this time 30-24.

Michigan then defeated an over-matched Iowa squad 26-0 in the Big 10 championship game.

The NCAA does not directly ban the stealing of signs, but there are rules against using electronic equipment to record an opponent’s signals and in-person, advanced scouting of future opponents in season. There are also rules against unsportsmanlike or unethical activities by coaches, and head coaches are generally considered to be responsible for violations that occur under them.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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