Blake Corum rushed for a 17-yard landing on the second snap of additional time, and top-seeded Michigan superior to its first Faculty Soccer Playoff championship recreation with a 27-20 victory over fourth-seeded Alabama within the Rose Bowl on Monday.
Michigan’s protection ended solely the second additional time recreation within the 110 editions of the Rose Bowl when Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was emphatically stopped for no achieve when he tried to sneak up the center on fourth down from the Michigan 3.
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Wolverines will play for first championship in additional than a quarter-century
Coach Jim Harbaugh‘s Wolverines (14-0) will play for his or her faculty’s first nationwide title since 1997 towards Washington or Texas on Jan. 8 in Houston, however solely after a late comeback and a hair-raising end to the Granddaddy of Them All.
Roman Wilson made a 4-yard TD catch with 1:34 left in regulation for the Wolverines, who hadn’t scored within the second half till that gritty 75-yard drive led by J.J. McCarthy.
Corum then wanted solely two snaps to attain within the first additional time interval, breaking tackles and spinning wildly on his second carry into the top zone.
Milroe linked with Jermaine Burton on the Michigan 3 on third-and-goal in additional time, and Alabama leaned on its quarterback’s athleticism on the ultimate play name – however Milroe ran straight right into a Michigan protection that was ready for him.
Jase McClellan rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns for Alabama (12-2), which fell heartbreakingly in need of the possibility to play for Nick Saban‘s seventh nationwide title on the faculty. The Tide led 20-13 on Will Reichard‘s 52-yard area purpose with 4:41 to play, however their protection could not protect the lead.
McCarthy handed for 221 yards and three touchdowns for Michigan, incomes the Offensive Participant of the Recreation award. Milroe handed for 116 yards and rushed for 63 for the Tide, whose 11-game profitable streak ended.
The Alabama protection additionally could not step up at key moments to cease Corum, who caught an early TD cross after which rushed for 83 yards, capped by his additional time heroics. Corum has been at Michigan for 3 straight appearances within the CFP, however he barely performed two years in the past when the Wolverines have been routed by Georgia, and he was injured once they have been upset by TCU final 12 months.
The Wolverines additionally survived a handful of probably disastrous errors that undercut their lengthy stretches of superiority on this matchup – together with a muffed punt by Jake Thaw, who was tackled on the Michigan 1 with 43 seconds left in regulation and barely averted what would have been one of the vital spectacular safeties in soccer historical past.
Michigan is the sixth straight No. 1 seed to win its semifinal recreation within the CFP’s 10 years of existence.
Michigan is one win away from reaching the first purpose set by Harbaugh when he returned to his alma mater in 2015 after his meteoric teaching profession flamed out with the 49ers. The previous Wolverines quarterback was decided to revive his faculty to nationwide prominence and dominance, however he received no Large Ten titles in his first six seasons amid frustration from a fan base that anticipated issues to occur sooner.
Michigan has been elite since 2021, profitable three straight convention titles and advancing to a few Playoffs. The Wolverines misplaced their first two semifinals, however they’ve lastly reached their sport’s greatest stage after their second consecutive unbeaten common season.
And so they did it this season with Harbaugh serving a pair of three-game suspensions – the second over allegations of sign-stealing and in-game scouting.
