Michigan football’s 4th-down stand in first half the pivotal moment in 29-7 win
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Michigan State called a timeout, just to be sure it had the right play call.
Facing fourth-and-1 from the Michigan football 5-yard line, down by three, the Spartans lined up to go for it instead of attempting a field goal — after the Wolverines had already stuffed Elijah Collins on a fourth-and-1 try in the previous quarter. (The initial spot on the field was called a first down, but it was overturned after review.)
MSU ran Jaden Reed in motion in an effort to get the defense moving, then tried a delayed counter the opposite way with running back Jalen Berger. Michigan wasn’t fooled at all.
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The Wolverines’ defensive front mauled MSU’s interior into the backfield, linebackers Junior Colson and Michael Barrett shot through the vacancies and dropped Berger for a loss of two, sending the crowd of 111,803 into a pom-pom shaking craze with 7:31 left to play in the second quarter.
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It was the tone-setting play in Michigan’s 29-7 victory as the Wolverines (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) got the Paul Bunyan Trophy back for the fist time since 2019, ending Michigan State’s (3-5, 1-4 Big Ten) two-game winning streak in the series in the process.
As significant as any aspect of the moment, the exhale from the maize-and-blue faithful in the stands. The crowd sat on its hands in the first 20 minutes after Michigan had an early turnover and MSU was in the midst of consecutive drives of more than 70 yards.
There was a fearful energy in the air given what has happened in this rivalry’s recent history, but the stop sent a message, as well as a sigh of relief, across the stadium.
The Wolverines then took the ball, along with control of the game.
Blake Corum ripped off a gain of 18, breaking multiple tackles while carrying the pile on the first play. Four plays later, J.J. McCarthy appeared to be bottled up before he ripped off a 21-yard rush up the middle of the field into MSU territory. On the next set of downs, McCarthy and the Wolverines faced fourth-and-3 when he again made magic with his legs and scampered for a gain of 16 to get into the MSU red zone.
While the Wolverines were stopped and ultimately settled for a 24-yard Jake Moody field goal, the damage was done. MSU had had a chance to tie or take the lead, but instead it was Michigan going up by six.
That signature fourth-down play was representative of the critical third- and fourth-down plays which proved to be the difference in the contest. Through three quarters, when it was still a two-possession game, Michigan was a combined 8-for-13 on the key situations. MSU was 2-for-10.
When Michigan wasn’t converting key downs and distances, it was often in the red zone, or at minimum in MSU territory. The Wolverines didn’t punt until there were fewer than six minutes left in the game, but did frequently use a special teams weapon: Jake Moody.
The reigning Lou Groza Award winner went 5-for-5 on kicks, the longest of which came from 54 yards with 14:45 to play before Corum’s final four-yard touchdown rush put the game that was controlled by Michigan long before.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football’s 4th-down stand in first half the pivotal moment in 29-7 win