Best And Worst From Michigan's CFP Win Over Alabama
By Clayton Sayfie
PASADENA, Calif. — Michigan Wolverines football came from behind to force overtime and beat Alabama, 27-20, in an instant classic Rose Bowl, and the Maize and Blue are headed to their first-ever national championship game. Here are the best and worst from the Granddaddy of Them All.
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Drives for the ages
Michigan had amassed just 41 total yards and 2 first downs in the second half, until it had the ball with 4:39 on the clock and a chance to tie.
The Wolverines found something late, got Alabama on its heels, scored to tie and put seven on the board with a senior running back Blake Corum touchdown that put the pressure on the Crimson Tide, who had to drive toward a huge U-M contingent in the north end zone.
The Michigan offense looked downright pedestrian the entire second half. Alabama head man Nick Saban and Co. made adjustments after allowing 197 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half, shutting the Maize and Blue down. But junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who completed a fourth-down pass and made other key plays, and the offense didn’t get down on themselves and had the poise to put together two special drives.
Tone-setters
All the talk coming into this game surrounded Alabama and redshirt sophomore quarterback Jalen Milroe. His speed and overall athleticism were nothing the Wolverines had seen all year, was the conversation, which was true. But Milroe hadn’t faced a front like U-M’s, apparently.
The Crimson Tide had more success on the ground (129 rushing yards) and moving the ball in the second half, but the Michigan defense set the tone early on, notching 5 first-half sacks including 2 on the first drive. That didn’t allow Milroe to get into a rhythm. He finished with only 63 rushing yards on a career-high 21 attempts.
Finishers
When the game or a drive is on the line, Alabama has turned to Milroe to get it done. The Wolverines knew that, having watched film for a month, were prepared and executed in stonewalling him on fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line in overtime.
Two redemption stories
Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter took loads of criticism after the Wolverines’ 51-45 loss to TCU in the CFP semifinal last season. Uncharacteristically, the Wolverines were blitz-happy and burned by it on several occasions.
Minter has said throughout the season that he put that loss behind him, but deep down it had to feel a little extra sweet to come out on top this time around, due in large part to his unit’s effort.
Alabama accumulated only 288 total yards — its lowest total on the season — with only 116 through the air (second lowest). The Michigan pass rush and coverage were fantastic, with 6 total sacks holding Milroe in check most of the game.
McCarthy, meanwhile, walked out of his press conference early after the TCU loss and promised that Michigan would be back. He got the Wolverines to this point again and this time finished the deal with an Offensive Player of the Game performance, completing 17 of his 27 passes for 221 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Fourth downs
Michigan has been aggressive on fourth down all season long, and it was those plays that lifted U-M to victory. The Wolverines needed one on their first touchdown-scoring drive, with senior Blake Corum picking it up on a short-yardage run, and McCarthy hitting the same running back for a 27-yard gain on the final drive of regulation.
Amazingly, Alabama had only gone on fourth down six times throughout the season, the least in the country. The Tide had to go for it down a score in overtime, resulting in Michigan’s game-sealing play.
Old news
We would use this space to write that Corum is a Michigan legend, but he has been for a while. He’s had so many signature moments in the Maize and Blue, including with his performance against Ohio State just over a month ago, but this one was just different and in a win unlike any other in U-M history, helping his team advance to the national championship game.
Corum dashed for 83 yards and the go-ahead score in overtime on 19 attempts. In overtime, the Wolverines had Alabama’s defense gassed, and it was obvious that putting the ball in No. 2’s hands was the right call. Michigan did on both plays, culminating in the 17-yard touchdown.
Worst unit
The Michigan special teams have been a secret weapon of sorts throughout the years, but the group nearly killed the Wolverines with crucial mistakes:
• Freshman return man Semaj Morgan muffed a punt that Alabama recovered, leading to a touchdown that put the Tide up 7-0 in the first quarter.
• A bad snap resulted in Michigan failing to even attempt an extra point after its second touchdown.
• A high snap didn’t help on a missed 49-yard field goal by usually-steady graduate kicker James Turner.
• Junior punter Tommy Doman averaged just 39.5 yards per punt and didn’t pin Alabama inside its own 20-yard line at all on 6 attempts.
• Senior Jake Thaw was inserted into the game for Michigan’s final punt return, muffed it and recovered at the 1-yard line — screwing up any shot of a game-winning drive in regulation.
It’s hard to believe all of that went wrong in one game. It’s also pretty impressive that the Wolverines were able to win despite all of it.
Best play
The margins are so razor thin in games like these. The best play of the night exemplified that. It came on fourth-and-2 from Michigan’s 33-yard line. The Wolverines were rolling the dice with three timeouts and absolutely had to have it. They got it, with McCarthy to Corum for a 27-yard gain that sparked the rest of the had-to-have-it game-tying possession.
Best stat
There are a few ‘best stats’ of the night, and they have to do with the Michigan defense. Alabama averaged just 1.5 points per drive, punting 7 times. It didn’t have a possession longer than 55 yards (thanks in part to winning the field position battle) and went three-and-out on five occasions.
Alabama’s 288 total yards are the least it’s had in a game since a win over Clemson Jan. 1, 2018 — six years ago to the day.
