BRENDAN ROOSE
Daily Sports Editor
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M
ADISON
—
The
narratives
entering Saturday’s game were
plentiful.
Despite
five
different
opportunities,
the Michigan football team hadn’t won
at Camp Randall Stadium since 2001. In
those matchups, Wisconsin outscored the
Wolverines by a combined 75 points, and
in the last two meetings specifically, the
Badgers emphatically exposed Michigan’s
greatest flaws, from its weak run defense to
its inept rushing offense.
Each time, it seemed, the worst version
of the Wolverines would arrive in Madison,
take a punch and fall helplessly to the mat.
On Saturday, Michigan punched back.
The Wolverines (5-0 overall, 2-0 Big
Ten) trounced Wisconsin (1-3, 0-2), 38-17,
earning a marquee road win for coach Jim
Harbaugh’s rebuilding program. Unlike in
previous years, Michigan managed to absorb
the Badgers’ best shots while remaining in
control the whole way.
“They did beat us the past two years,”
junior receiver Cornelius Johnson said. “…
So we really wanted to make sure we put
a special emphasis on this one, to come
into their building and make sure we put
something good on tape.”
Somewhat surprisingly, many of the
Wolverines’ best strikes came through the air.
After averaging a meager 164 passing yards
per game going into Saturday, Michigan and
offensive coordinator Josh Gattis recognized
that Wisconsin would try to stop the run — it
was best in the country in doing so.
So, from the start, Gattis opted for a
closer balance between the run and the
pass. Despite some early hiccups, junior
quarterback Cade McNamara boosted the
offense when needed.
He had help from sophomore receiver
Roman Wilson, who used his speed to create
separation where he hadn’t in previous
games. On a 3rd-and-14 midway through
the first quarter, McNamara hit Wilson on a
quick out for a 12-yard gain, then found him
again on a crossing route to convert on fourth
down. A play later, McNamara connected
with junior receiver Cornelius Johnson on
a perfectly executed flea flicker to open up
the scoring. A pair of field goals from senior
kicker Jake Moody extended that lead.
“I think the difference in us this year is
that, when we’re expecting to be in a fight,
we’re confident we’re gonna win that fight,”
McNamara said. “And I think this team
didn’t panic at all. When the fight came to us,
we attacked back.”
Still, the Badgers didn’t lie down. Despite
finding practically no offense for much of the
first two quarters, the usually unreliable arm
of quarterback Graham Mertz led Wisconsin
to a field goal and one touchdown drive
that cut Michigan’s lead to three at the half.
For the first time all game, the Wolverines
appeared vulnerable.
In the second half, though, Michigan
came out swinging. After a 38-yard deep
ball to Wilson set up a 1st-and-goal from
the 10, freshman quarterback J.J. McCarthy
ultimately snuck it in for the Wolverines’
second touchdown of the game.
“It’s a tribute to our brotherhood, man,”
junior edge rusher David Ojabo said. “We
came into the locker room (at halftime), and
we just said like, ‘Let’s not panic. We got
each other’s back through ups and downs.’
We really weren’t worried.”
From there, it was Wisconsin that failed
to recover. After a blistering sack from
Michigan junior safety Daxton Hill knocked
a struggling Mertz out of the game, the
Badgers’ already poor offense slipped into
full-on anemia, tallying two punts, a fumble
and an interception from Hill on its next four
drives.
The
Wolverines’
offense,
meanwhile,
continued to deliver blows — first with a field
goal after the fumble recovery and then with
a back-corner touchdown pass to Johnson
that sealed the victory.
“They had that kind of vibe about them
from when they first stepped in the locker
room when we got there early this morning,”
Harbaugh said. “The vibe was they weren’t
gonna be denied, and they weren’t gonna
flinch when punches were thrown.”
Even if Wisconsin isn’t the marquee
opponent it normally is — Mertz’s struggles
throughout the season have mostly derailed
the team’s offense — Michigan’s win still
represents a turning point for the program.
The Badgers entered this game as the
nation’s top rushing defense; the Wolverines
were an offense intent on keeping the ball on
the ground. It was clear Michigan would face
a barrage of quick hits.
For what feels like the first time in forever,
the Wolverines dealt some knockout blows of
their own. We’ll see how they deal with the
heavyweights later on.
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