Corum, Late-Game Heroics Lift Michigan to Another Victory Over No … – MGoBlue

Michigan
Ohio State
11/25/2023 4:21:00 PM | Football
By: Dave Ablauf, Chad Shepard
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: #3 Michigan 30, #2 Ohio State 24
Records: U-M (12-0, 9-0 B1G), Ohio State (11-1, 8-1 B1G)
Attendance: 110,615
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Dec. 2 — vs. Iowa – Big Ten Championship Game (Indianapolis, Ind.), 8 p.m. (TV: Fox)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan football team used a pair of Blake Corum touchdown runs and a Rod Moore interception with 25 seconds left to clinch a 30-24 victory over No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday (Nov. 25) at Michigan Stadium.
The Wolverines’ win, their third consecutive over their rival, secured the Big Ten East Division crown and a trip to the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 2 against No. 20 Iowa.
Ahead by six points and with the game on the line, Moore came up with the big play, diving to pick off a Kyle McCord pass at the U-M 21-yard line to secure the victory.
U-M clawed its way to victory with an explosive second-half offensive attack of 219 yards after having totaled just 119 in the first.
Crucial to the late-game explosion on offense and to the Michigan victory was a 22-yard rushing touchdown by Corum with 1:55 remaining in the third quarter to push the Wolverines ahead by two scores. Corum finished the contest with 22 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns, making him the sole FBS player with a touchdown in every game this season.
Through the air, quarterback J.J. McCarthy completed an efficient 16-of-20 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown, while tight end Colston Loveland led the receiving attack with five catches for 88 yards.
After the teams traded punts on the game’s first four drives, Michigan hit paydirt just over nine minutes into the contest with a fourth-down one-yard Corum touchdown run — his 21st of the 2023 campaign, setting a new U-M single-season record for rushing touchdowns. The scoring drive began at the Ohio State seven-yard line following an interception in traffic by defensive back Will Johnson — his third of the season — returned 18 yards to set up the scoring play.
The Buckeyes responded with points of their own on the very next drive, stringing together a trio of rushing plays with a 24-yard pass completion to march into Wolverines territory. Michigan held OSU to a field goal following a near interception by linebacker Michael Barrett in the early defensive stand and it led 7-3.
The next U-M drive spanned 14 plays for 75 yards and nearly seven minutes of clock time, including fourth-down conversions on a Corum one-yard rush and a seven-yard reception by Loveland. The drive concluded with a 22-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Roman Wilson — his 11th of the season — on a McCarthy pass fired between a pair of Buckeye defenders.
Ohio State concluded the half’s scoring with a 3:50 touchdown drive to close within four points of Michigan on its next drive. Despite posting 74 fewer yards than Ohio State, U-M went into the break with a 14-10 advantage following a missed 52-yard field goal by the Buckeyes as time expired in the first half.
The Maize and Blue opened the second half with a pair of 20-yard plays, but the drive stalled on an overturned third-down conversion to set up a 50-yard made field goal for kicker James Turner — tying his career long — to give U-M a 17-10 advantage.
For a third time, Ohio State followed a Michigan scoring drive with one of its own, recording a three-yard touchdown on a six-minute drive which concluded with a string of eight straight rushing plays to tie the game.
The Wolverines extended their lead to 10 points, 27-17, following Corum’s second touchdown and a 38-yard Turner field goal three minutes into the fourth quarter. The score was preceded by a 34-yard pass completion on a trick play where running back Donovan Edwards ran right and found Loveland through the air.
Yet again, the Buckeyes responded with points of their own, putting together an eight play, 65-yard drive culminating in a 14-yard passing touchdown and bringing the score to a 27-24 Michigan advantage.
The Maize and Blue then produced a seven-minute drive compiling 56 yards on 13 plays and Turner’s third field goal of the game (37 yards). The Wolverines came up with an interception on Ohio State’s final drive to secure the 30-24 victory.
Michigan will face the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game next Saturday (Dec. 2) in Indianapolis. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on Fox.

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