Michigan Beats The Buckeyes
Michigan didn't let this fourth-quarter slip away.
Drew Henson threw three touchdown passes and ran for a clinching score as No. 19 Michigan made a 19-point lead stand up in a 38-26 victory over No. 12 Ohio State on Saturday, giving the Wolverines a share of the Big Ten title.
"We never get comfortable," tailback Anthony Thomas said. "We've seen things happen."
Three times this season, Michigan (8-3, 6-2) lost after taking the lead into the final quarter of a big game. Each of the losses was by seven or fewer points.
"Coach (Lloyd) Carr told us all week that we had to win this game, that it would come down to a play in the fourth quarter and we'd have to make a stop," linebacker Larry Foote said.
The Buckeyes (8-3, 5-3), who could have tied for the league title with a win, scored the first 14 of the fourth quarter to make it interesting. But Michigan stopped Ohio State tailback Jonathan Wells at the Buckeyes' 18 on a fourth-and-1 run up the middle with just over three minutes left to seal the outcome.
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Henson, who completed 14 of 25 passes for 303 yards with one interception, then scored on a 1-yard bootleg with 1:18 remaining.
"Each year, no matter what happens early on, this game essentially comes down to the last few minutes sometimes even the last play," Henson said.
Michigan took a 31-12 lead into the fourth quarter on a 17-point flurry in the third quarter. David Terrell caught his second TD pass of the day from Henson, Hayden Epstein kicked a 25-yard field goal, and Julius Curry sped 50 yards after intercepting Steve Bellisari's pass.
"He was going to Rambo the whole time," Curry said. "Anything on the inside, I'm going to take.">
As in all three of the losses, Michigan played conservatively, choosing to run Anthony "A-Train" Thomas on first and second downs and then relying on Henson to pass against the Big Ten's top pass rush. Needing 166 yards to become Michigan's career rushing leader, Thomas was limited to 60 yards on 29 attempts.
The Buckeyes almost made them pay for that approach, with Wells scoring his second touchdown on a 2-yard run to cut the lead to 31-19 and Bellisari hitting Ken-Yon Rambo on an 18-yard pass to draw Ohio State to 31-26 with 7:03 remaining. Bellisari was 21-of-47 passes for 251 yards with three interceptions.
On its last possession, Ohio State gained 9 yards on three plays and coach John Cooper elected to go for it on fourth down. But on a deep handoff from Bellisari, Wells ran into linebackers Victor Hobson and Larry Foote and noseguard Eric Wilson, silencing a record crowd of 98,568 in expanded Ohio Stadium.
"Our defense was tremendous when they had to be," Carr said. "That last stop was tremendous penetration from a very young defensive front. I think it was as big as any play in the game."
Cooper's record fell to 2-10-1 against Michigan as Ohio State's coach. It was the eighth time as head coach of the Buckeyes that he his team has lost an outright title or a share of the Big Ten title with a loss to Michigan.
"My record against Michigan speaks for itself. Obviously, it's awful," Cooper said. "To play here at home and to have a chance to beat Michigan one time, obviously I'm disappointed."
Michigan won for the fifth time in the last six years in the series, all under coach Carr. Four of those victories came with Ohio State having the better record.
The game started out as if that would all change. In the opening five minutes, Ohio State had two fumbles (recovering them both), threw an interception and had a punt blocked and still led 9-0.
Nate Clements took the opening kickoff, faked a handoff on the reverse, and went 80 yards before stepping out of bounds. Four plays later, on fourth-and-inches from the Michigan 11, Wells bolted up the middle for the touchdown.
On Michigan's first possession, Henson's pass for Terrell bounced off the receiver's helmet and ricocheted to Ohio State cornerback David Mitchell, who returned the ball 21 yards to the 15.
After Ohio State settled for Stultz's 37-yard field goal, Henson tossed a short screen that Thomas turned into a 70-yard touchdown and a 21-yarder to Terrell for a lead that the Wolverines wouldn't surrender.
Two years ago, Ohio State had blistered the Wolverines 31-16, turning the 200-mile ride back to Ann Arbor into a bleak few hours.
"The last time I was here it was a long ride home," cornerback Todd Howard said. "You could hear a pin drop on the bus ride home. It's great to get that taste out of my mouth."
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