In our weekly segment of KNOW THY RIVAL, we continue with a big fourth quarter for the Buckeyes and a fight marred win for the Wolverines! First, we tackle what happened in Ann Arbor!
Michigan had this game circled on the calendar from the day AFTER they lost to the Spartans last year. Focusing their efforts all summer, the team was ready for a Big Brother/Little Brother showdown.
Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press
Despite a slow start that saw them down 7-3 at the end of the first quarter, Big Blue dominated the remaining quarters to pull out a big win, 29-7, in Ann Arbor Saturday night. The Wolverines (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) stay in a first place tie in the East with Ohio State. Michigan State finds their season of chaos (3-5, 1-4) continuing and possibly without a few of their starters. More on that later.
Michigan is, always has been, and always will be 𝐨𝐮𝐫 state!#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/jfC4mRsuLw
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 30, 2022
“We Can’t Put the Ball in the Endzone!”
After being down, Michigan went on an 80 yard drive with Blake Corum delivering the touchdown blow.
But two more red zone trips saw arguably the best kicker in the country, Jake Moody, kick two field goals. Settling for 3 won’t help Michigan in their quest to defeat Ohio State.
Blake Corum said it best in his press conference Saturday.
“We gotta score…I wanted to blow them out. And it should’ve been a blowout. But I’m not gonna make any excuses, we got to get better at the red zone. And we will.”
2nd Half
As the Wolverine offense struggled to find the endzone, the defense started to clamp down on State. Sparty never scored after the first quarter TD, and their offense only managed 37 TOTAL rushing yards all day! Heck Michigan State finally had a first down in the middle of the fourth quarter!
The offense was still settling for field goals. Moody hit from 39, 33 and 54 yards.
It wasn’t until Michigan State had their OWN botched punt that helped secure a win and a touchdown!
Botched Punt – How’s that feel, Little Bro?
Michigan came up BIG on special teams and offense 😤 pic.twitter.com/X0Ow8oXwBO
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 30, 2022
On fourth down and another three and out, Michigan State set up for a punt deep in their own territory. The snap back went over the out-stretched arm of the Spartan punter just as ABC’s Gary Danielson exclaimed, “Oh Boy!” It went down as a 21 yard run loss! But to the special teams who have had some of the most injuries this year, it was a sign of their grit and hard-nosed play on this rival game day.
After the turnover on downs and two Blake Corum four yard runs, the TD was secured…as was the game!
My view of Blake Corum’s touchdown #GoBlue #michiganvsmichiganstate pic.twitter.com/pgXjCPaKyA
— Rick Delonis (@RickDelonisESQ) October 30, 2022
Defense!
Asked later in the week about the defense, coordinator and passing game coordinator Steve Clinkscale had the following gems about this unit.
On freshman Will Johnson:
But he doesn’t play like [a first year], he plays like a vet. So we’re just gonna continue to give him more of those and give him the opportunity to go out there and impact the game like he’s been showing us. But I’ve been very pleased with where he’s at, and I want to continue to push him.
On where they are improving as a unit:
Well, I think we’ve been doing a really good job of getting our alignments right…Where I’d like to continue, I think we’re tackling, I’d like to continue to be a lot more physical in that department. And then interceptions and takeaways — we’ve got to get more takeaways.
On how halftime adjustments work:
[W]e go in the back as an offensive, defensive unit, special teams, we talk about what we see, what we’ve already corrected, and then what we can do to counter what we’re seeing, and then what to expect…we anticipate the things that they’re about to do to us…[T]hey grasp it, they understand the game plan.
The Fight in the Tunnel
https://twitter.com/FOX17/status/1587263183051698177
But the game was marred by a fight in the tunnel afterwards where almost a dozen Spartan players began to hit and kick Ja’Den McBurrows and Gemon Green from Michigan. In fact, Green was hit with a Spartan helmet swung by MSU’s Khary Crump.
Here is Fox17 Online’s story with video not seen prior.
Jim Harbaugh made a strong statement later in the week.
“I’m coming from this from a perspective of being a parent. These young men are entrusted to me by their families and to our program, and we have the responsibility to each player to treat them like our own, and I take that responsibility very seriously. An apology will not get the job done in this instance. There should be serious consequences for the many individuals that are culpable.”
Where things stand
Right now, four MSU players have been suspended with the possibility of more. Green’s family has hired an attorney to represent the player. Investigations are ongoing and both law enforcement and the Big Ten are conducting a thorough review of the incident. Stay tuned for more on this.
Statistics for Blue
JJ McCarthy 15/25 167 yards 1 TD 50 yards rush
Blake Corum 33 carries/177 yards 1 TD
Luke Schoonmaker 5 catches 70 yards
Statistics for Green
Payton Thorne (QB) 17/30 215 yards 1 TD 1 INT
Keon Coleman 5 catches 155 yards 1 TD
Next Games
Michigan – They head East to battle Rutgers. Then, they host Nebraska, Illinois, and travel to Columbus for The Game.
Ohio State Crushes Penn State
by Garrick Pitt
Another October weekend, another classic showdown between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions.
No. 2 Ohio State rolled into State College on Saturday afternoon looking to keep their undefeated season intact against the #13 Nittany Lions. The Buckeyes, riding a five-game winning streak against their division rival, rallied late behind a pair of TreVeyon Henderson touchdowns to put Penn State away 44-31. Wide receivers were on full display, turnovers seemed to happen on every other drive, and both team’s quarterbacks left it all on the field for their respected teams.
Defense Defense Defense
It may not look like it from the box score, but Ohio State’s defense was actively aggressive on Saturday. The Buckeyes forced SIX Nittany Lion turnovers, three fumbles and three Sean Clifford interceptions, one of those interceptions being returned to the house by J.T. Tuimoloau for a 16-yard score late in the fourth quarter. Tuimoloau finished the game with 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions and 1 touchdown. This dominant performance earned him Defensive Player of The Week by Coach Ryan Day.
Despite intercepting Clifford three times, the Buckeyes were unable to contain him from airing it out all afternoon. The Penn State QB finished the game with 371 yards and 3 touchdowns on the day including two touchdowns in the second quarter to give Penn State their first lead of the afternoon. Ultimately, the Buckeyes defense was just good enough to disrupt any momentum PSU was planning on building and pulled away late to seal the game and leave State College with another victory
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week
J.T. Tuimoloau – Defensive Player of the Week
YOUR @B1Gfootball DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK @JT_Tuimoloau 🗣️#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/6jbhftipod
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 31, 2022
Stroud
C.J. Stroud continues to impress those across the country and add on to his Heisman quality resume. The star QB’s fourth quarter heroics are what separate him from so many others in college football. Against the Nittany Lions, Stroud went 6/8 for 128 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter and helped orchestrate drives that resulted in a pair of Henderson touchdowns.
Heisman Hopefuls
Stroud and Tennessee’s QB Hendon Hooker are two of the top favorites to attend the Heisman ceremony this year and neither show signs of slowing down. Both teams are currently ranked #1 and #2 and could be on a collision course for an anticipated showdown. Keep an eye on both teams as the season winds down and the playoff picture becomes a little clearer.
Coach Ryan Day had high praise for his QB and talked about Stroud’s clutch play and his performances in close games
Ryan Day on C.J. Stroud’s Clutch Play
C.J. Stroud (@CJ7STROUD) hasn't been in many close games.
The last three (Utah, ND & PSU), the QB has been nearly perfect in 4Q to lead @OhioStateFB to victory.
Ryan Day was asked about his QB's clutch play today. pic.twitter.com/bsP2oTaEHc
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) November 1, 2022
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