By Lauren Merola, Max Olson, Austin Meek, Jim Trotter and Nicole Auerbach
It’s been 26 years, however lastly, nobody has it higher than Michigan.
The Wolverines, who ranked second in passing yards allowed per sport with 150.0 heading into title city, confronted their hardest activity but in taming the flamethrower that’s Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Michigan answered the bell, subduing Penix to 255 yards and one landing — the one Washington TD on the night time — towards two interceptions on 27-of-51 passing, an unlimited divergence from the same old efficiency of the nation’s chief in passing yards per sport (332.0) and passing yards (4,648).
Couple that with the Wolverines’ run sport they usually downed the Huskies 34-13 to emerge because the 2023 Faculty Soccer Playoff nationwide champion on Monday night time at NRG Stadium in Houston. It’s Michigan’s first title since 1997 and beneath coach Jim Harbaugh.
Down 27-13 with lower than 5 minutes to play, Penix tried to throw a cross to large receiver Jalen McMillan however was picked off in double protection. Michigan defensive again Mike Sainristil ran it again 80 yards earlier than operating again Blake Corum punched it in for the solidifier.
Corum completed with 134 dashing yards and two touchdowns whereas his counterpart Donovan Edwards added 104 yards and one other two scores on the bottom.
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Popping out of the half down 17-10, Penix was swallowed by the Wolverines’ defensive position on the primary play. He threw an interception to Michigan defensive again Will Johnson, giving up the ball on Washington’s 32 whereas Penix hobbled to the sideline after a teammate stepped on his ankle throughout the play. The Huskies protection then got here up huge, with the assistance of two Michigan penalties, to solely give up a area purpose and maintain the sport at bay, 20-10. It wasn’t sufficient, and Michigan reclaimed the swaying momentum to carry the wire-to-wire lead.
“I simply really feel prefer it got here all the way down to executing,” Penix mentioned postgame. “I missed a few throws, simply a few reads on routes and stuff like that. Simply small particulars inside our system that we do nice on a regular basis.”
After the sport, Penix had noticeable hassle strolling off the sphere however mentioned that “it doesn’t matter what, I used to be going to verify I completed it for the blokes.”
“I’m not wholesome, however I’ll be there. I’m good. It’s nothing main. I do know that for certain,” he mentioned. “I talked with the docs and stuff like that. It’s nothing main. If I needed to play tomorrow, I’ll play.”
41 YARDS TO THE HOUSE 🏠
Michigan’s Donovan Edwards strikes first within the #NationalChampionship
🎥 @espn pic.twitter.com/SCuRDbtWRV
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) January 9, 2024
Michigan set the tone as early as doable, gaining 5 first downs on an eight-play drive with its first touches on ball to leap out to a 7-0 lead. By the point Michigan held a 14-3 benefit with 2:23 to go within the first quarter, it had 115 dashing yards. By the top of the primary, Edwards had 87 yards and two touchdowns after solely having three TDs on the season getting into the sport. It was an off-brand job by Washington, which allowed solely two rush performs of 40-plus yards all season earlier than Monday, when it let up three such rushes within the first half.
Within the air, a fairly forgotten a part of Michigan’s first half, quarterback J.J. McCarthy accomplished his first three passes of the sport however then simply two of the subsequent 9. He was 0-for-4 on third and fourth downs at half. He completed 10-of-18 for 140 yards.
On the day, Washington posted 301 whole yards to Michigan’s 444. Almost 85 p.c of Washington’s yards got here within the air, whereas Michigan, inversely, racked up almost 68 p.c of its yardage on the bottom.
“I’m simply tremendous pleased with this staff and the way far we’ve come, all the time being the underdog,” Penix mentioned. “That is the one time you all have been proper, however we have been in a position to combat and push by a lot adversity and simply individuals doubting us and never believing us all through the season. To get thus far, it’s a blessing.”
What the title means for Michigan
Michigan lastly broke by and introduced dwelling a nationwide championship in a yr that at occasions felt extra like a wild season of actuality TV. This staff had the precise stuff to complete the job after consecutive CFP semifinal losses in 2022 and 2023, received its third consecutive Huge Ten title due to gritty wins over Penn State and Ohio State, stored preventing for an time beyond regulation triumph towards Alabama within the Rose Bowl and, in its largest take a look at but, shut down Washington and its prolific offense. This was a particular staff on a path to future.
And that path was plagued by drama, from Harbaugh serving a three-game suspension to start out the season to the in-season investigation into Connor Stalions’ impermissible sign stealing operation to a different three-game Harbaugh suspension served up as his staff landed in State Faculty, Pa. By means of all of it, regardless of who was teaching or who they have been taking part in, these Wolverines have been undeterred. They’d the No. 1 protection in faculty soccer, skilled leaders who refused to lose and the poise to play their greatest of their largest video games. — Max Olson, faculty soccer senior author
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Edwards shines when the highlight is brightest
Edwards has a repute for exhibiting up in huge moments. He wasn’t a lot of an element for a lot of this season, averaging simply 3.5 yards per carry in a restricted function. However within the nationwide championship sport, big-game Edwards reappeared in gorgeous style.
Edwards opened the sport with a 41-yard landing burst and scored once more on Michigan’s subsequent drive with a 46-yard run. Edwards laid the groundwork for Michigan’s victory and Corum completed it, plunging into the top zone from 12 yards out to present the Wolverines a two-touchdown lead.
The 2-headed dashing assault Michigan envisioned with Corum and Edwards didn’t materialize for a lot of the season, nevertheless it confirmed up within the largest sport of the yr. Each gamers topped 100 yards on the bottom, with Edwards dashing for 104 and Corum dashing for 134. When the Wolverines run the ball that method, no person can cease them. — Austin Meek, Michigan beat author
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What occurred to Penix?
Statistically, it was not the worst efficiency of Penix’s sensible season. However contemplating the stakes, it felt prefer it.
One week after placing on a stunning efficiency in a Faculty Soccer Playoff win over Texas, Penix was crushed and crushed down, with he and his Washington teammates falling to Michigan within the nationwide title sport. The pinpoint accuracy and explosive performs that wowed observers towards the Longhorns have been nowhere to be discovered Monday night time.
He appeared in bodily ache by the top, although the lack of an ideal season possible damage extra. There have been alternatives for large performs, however Penix was uncharacteristically off on a number of alternatives. And when he was on track he was damage by dropped passes. — Jim Trotter, senior author
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Credit score Washington’s protection
It regarded early like Michigan was going to run away with the sport — actually, after two Edwards landing runs of greater than 40 yards. However credit score Washington’s protection for its resilience and toughness for permitting the Huskies to hold round on this sport, even with Penix not almost as crisp as he was per week in the past within the Sugar Bowl.
After all of the fireworks within the sport’s first 17 minutes, Michigan went punt, turnover on downs, punt, area purpose, punt, punt, punt; the longest drive the Wolverines put collectively solely went 41 yards … till that landing drive on the midpoint of the fourth quarter that resulted in a Corum landing and put Michigan up by two scores. — Nicole Auerbach, faculty soccer senior author
A Pac-12 swan track
Monday night time’s sport was such a bittersweet second for the Pac-12 convention. The Huskies lastly broke by to succeed in the CFP and snap a seven-year drought for the convention they usually win an exhilarating semifinal to succeed in a nationwide championship sport … and it’s the final sport for the Pac-12 as we’ve all the time identified it, with 10 of its 12 groups set to depart for different energy conferences subsequent season. This Washington staff has been a blast to look at all season, as was your complete Pac-12 convention, with surging groups like Oregon, Oregon State and Arizona and the nationwide phenomenon that was Colorado. It’s a tricky capsule to swallow as a result of it appears like if the Pac-12 had the season it did this fall a yr or two in the past, its demise would have by no means occurred. Alas.
However the Huge Ten is worked up it is going to boast each title sport contributors as league members come August. A nationwide championship sport rematch will likely be a Huge Ten convention sport, on Oct. 5. — Auerbach
Required studying
(Picture: Maddie Meyer / Getty Pictures)