85 days until Michigan football: 'They will not catch Donovan Edwards!'
There’s much anticipation heading into the Michigan Wolverines football season, and TheWolverine.com is counting down the days until the Sept. 2 opener against East Carolina. We’ll discuss current Michigan events, the upcoming season and/or take a look at a significant number that correlates with how many days remain until kickoff, whether it be a player’s jersey number, a year, a date, a score, etc.
Michigan led Ohio State, 31-23, with the ball and just over seven minutes to play, when FOX analyst Joel Klatt, in a weird way, perfectly set up what was about to happen on the first play of the possession from the Wolverines’ own 25-yard line.
“[Ohio State defensive coordinator] Jim Knowles has to have the best series as a defensive coordinator he’s maybe had in his life,” Klatt said on the broadcast. “First year here at Ohio State. This is why he’s here. They have to get a stop.”
Less than 30 seconds later, running back Donovan Edwards was pointing to the sky, thanking God, after his 75-yard touchdown run to further put Michigan in the driver’s seat heading down the stretch.
“Well, he didn’t hurt his legs,” Michigan radio play-by-play man Doug Karsch exclaimed after the run, after analyst Jon Jansen noted that he was questionable to play with a right hand injury (and wore a big cast).
A few plays into the next drive — after a Michigan interception — Edwards burst free through the right side of the line and out-ran the Buckeyes again.
“… to the 30 to the 35 to the 40 to the 50,” Karsch yelled. “They will not catch Donovan Edwards! He will score!”
Edwards’ 85-yard touchdown was Michigan’s longest run from scrimmage since Denard Robinson — “shoelaces flapping in the wind,” as play-by-play man Frank Beckmann said — dashed 87-yards for a score in a win at Notre Dame in 2010.
It was a truly surreal scene at a stunned-silent Horseshoe. Fans began to file out, in disbelief at what had happened. The Buckeyes had control of the game early, and Michigan couldn’t run the ball with only 10 rushing yards in the first half. They used the passing game to stay in it, and closed things out with bully ball, behind the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line.
Edwards’ performance — particularly his two long touchdown runs in the second half — will forever live in Michigan lore.
“He could’ve taken a knee,” Harbaugh said the following Monday. “Instead, he wore a cast — and now he’s a legend.”
In the postgame press conference, Edwards was asked “what it felt like” on his long touchdown run.
“Which one?” the smiling Michigan running back chirped back — genuinely curious while making an incredible point.
Harbaugh told WXYZ’s Brad Galli the next week that he’ll remember that press conference moment “until they throw dirt over top of me.”
Many Michigan fans will look back fondly on Edwards’ afternoon just as long.
Here’s the Michigan radio team’s call from Columbus Nov. 26, 2022.
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
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