Defense / ST notes: Red-zone stops, two Will Johnson interceptions highlight Michigan's win over Purdue

Michigan Wolverines football allowed 456 total yards, the second-most it has given up all season, including 366 through the air (most this year), in a 43-22 win over Purdue to capture the Big Ten championship for a second straight season. But opportune stops and takeaways held the Boilermakers to just 22 points, their fourth-lowest scoring output of the campaign in what wound up being a blowout defeat.

Purdue sixth-year senior quarterback Aidan O’Connell came out on fire, completing 16 of his first 17 passes. He was 19-of-22 passing for 183 yards with Purdue trailing 14-13.

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Sixth-year senior wideout Charlie Jones, an Iowa transfer who had 2 catches in the championship game against Michigan a season ago, hauled in 13 grabs for 162 yards, burning the Wolverines time and time again. Nine of his 13 receptions went for first downs, including three third-down pickups.

Michigan used its same formula from last week’s 45-23 win over Ohio State, though, keeping the ball in front of them and limiting big plays. The Boilermakers had 8 passes of 20-plus yards, but the longest went for 32.

That allowed the Maize and Blue opportunities to notch red-zone stops, something they did masterfully. Purdue got into the red area on six occasions but came away with only 1 touchdown, a 1-yard rush from running back Devin Mockobee. That score was sparked from a fourth-down pickup on a fake punt.

“They got up on us. They guarded us,” Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said of Michigan’s defense. “They got pressure. You couldn’t hold it too long. We weren’t really being real efficient running the ball in that area either, so it’s just they did a good job.

“So, unfortunately, I knew at some point [failing to convert with touchdowns in the red zone] was going to cost us, and, of course, in the second half it cost us because they turned it on on offense and really picked up the intensity on defense as well.”

Besides O’Connell and Jones, Purdue’s player of the game was kicker Mitchell Fineran. He was 13-of-19 on the season with a 45-yard long, having missed 5 of his 7 tries from 40-plus yards. Saturday night against Michigan, he connected on all 5 of his field goal attempts — from 33, 45, 43, 27 and 32 yards. Those numbers, of course, are indicative of Purdue’s issues with finishing drives, though.

The Michigan defense tightened up overall in the second half, too, a trend with the Wolverines all season. Purdue completed only 13 of its 25 passes for 183 yards after halftime.

“We hung in there. We had our chances,” Brohm said. “I thought we played hard. I thought we competed. Unfortunately, the other team came out in the second half and exposed their will on us a little bit and got after us. We couldn’t answer the bell.”

Will Johnson registers second, third interceptions of his career

Michigan freshman cornerback Will Johnson recorded his first career interception in his first-ever start Nov. 5 at Rutgers. He’s taken on more of a role as of late, starting three of the last four games, and has come into his own as a player.

The former five-star recruit came up huge with a pair of picks on O’Connell. The first came early in the third quarter with Purdue deep in Michigan territory. Johnson intercepted it at his own 1-yard line, saving a potential Boilermaker touchdown (or at least a field goal).

The second came with Purdue backed up deep in its own territory. O’Connell jumped the route and corralled the ball intended for wideout TJ Sheffield. Three plays later, Michigan scored a touchdown to extend its lead to 36-19.

Miscellaneous defense / special teams notes

• Purdue became the eighth Michigan opponent to fail to reach the 100-yard rushing mark with 90 on the night. No team has eclipsed the 150-yard rushing milestone against the Maize and Blue this season.

• Michigan had 7 tackles for loss, marking the fifth time the Wolverines have posted 7 or more in a game this season.

• Johnson is the first Michigan player to record multiple interceptions in a game since graduate linebacker Michael Barrett had 2, including a pick-six, against Rutgers Nov. 5.

• Michigan sophomore linebacker Junior Colson (15) and sophomore safety Rod Moore (14) set career highs in tackles.

• Michigan junior EDGE Jaylen Harrell recorded his first career multi-sack game with 2 in the first half.

• Graduate kicker Jake Moody recorded five PATs today, giving him 58 for the season to break his program record set last season (56).