It had old-school Big Ten football written all over it.
The Wolverines (13-0) entered the Big Ten Championship as the second-ranked team in the nation, and celebrated the return of head coach Jim Harbaugh after a three-game suspension from the sidelines that ran through the end of the regular season. As for the Hawkeyes, their 10-2 record had earned them a top-20 spot in the CFP rankings, the top seed in the Big Ten West, and, most importantly – the opportunity to serve as the last line of defense between Michigan and a third consecutive conference championship.
And, if both teams ranking top five nationally in points allowed wasn’t an indicator – these defenses are the stuff of nightmares for opposing quarterbacks. Saturday night was no exception.
For JJ McCarthy, it meant tying a season-high for sacks and setting a season-low in rushing yards.
For Deacon Hill, it meant suffering two fumbles forced inside the Iowa 20-yard line.
And for The Team, it meant a third consecutive Big Ten title at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, winning 26-0.
Michigan’s longest drive of the night would also be their first. After methodically leading the offense down the field and going 6 of 7 in the passing game, McCarthy and the Wolverines would leave the field facing a 4th-and-1 after losing offensive lineman Drake Nugent on the previous play, electing for a James Turner field goal from 35 yards to get on the scoreboard early.
After a costly penalty on the offense forced the Hawkeyes into a 3rd-and-long from their own 35, the ensuing punt would lead to one of the high-leverage plays that allowed Michigan to run up the score while only producing 213 yards for the game: enter Semaj Morgan.
The true freshman receiver would take the punt from the Wolverines’ 8-yard line, and dodge two tackles at the catch point before running 87 yards until he was tackled out of bounds at the Iowa 5-yard line.
Two plays later, Blake Corum would find the endzone, extending Michigan’s lead to 10-0.
“I didn’t have nerves, I just didn’t want to mess up,” said Morgan after the game. “I was more just thinking about making the right and best decision. I know I’m young, so I just have to build trust. When my time comes, I just make the best (of) opportunities I can. A couple of weeks back, coach told me he liked how I practiced, so I wanted to show them they were right.”
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Michigan, though. Of their five drives in the second quarter, three ended with McCarthy getting sacked – and the other two were stymied after drops by tight end Colston Loveland.
“Me personally, I just need to do better at staying in the pocket,” McCarthy offered, “not moving too early, and trusting my receivers down field all the time. Just back to the drawing board. Like Blake said, that was a great defense, and I can’t wait to learn from a great defense.”
With their offensive struggles continuing into the start of the second half, the Wolverines needed another difference maker to step up and flip the field in order to lead the rout.
With the ensuing punt from Tommy Doman pinning Iowa inside their own 10-yard, the Michigan defense would turn things from bad to worse for the Hawkeyes.
Dropping back to pass on a 2nd-and-7, Hill’s pass would get broken up by Mike Sainristil, flying straight into the air before getting snatched off the turf by Wolverines cornerback Josh Wallace. But, following a review, it was determined that Hill never completed a forwarded throwing motion before Sainristil swatted the ball from his hand.
One of the Iowa assistant coaches got penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, moving the ball from the Iowa 12 to its 6-yard line.
A fumble and clear recovery for Michigan, once again setting them up with a lucrative field position to reach the endzone. One play is all it took for Blake Corum to break off a 6-yard house call to put the visiting Wolverines up by 17 – and they never looked back.
“Just a playmaker. When a play has to be made, when the magic needs to happen, Mikey makes it happen,” said Harbaugh of Sainristil. “It’s been game after game. Especially down the stretch here these final four games, he has been a stalwart. He intercepts. He makes the big hit. He makes the big hit in the fumble, causes a fumble. Just an incredible player.”
Field position was the story of the evening for what separated Michigan from Iowa. While the Hawkeyes’ average drive started from their own 25, the Wolverines added more than 20 yards to that benchmark, nearly getting the ball at midfield on their average possession.
For Sainristil, his two forced fumbles in critical situations would earn the senior the B1G Championship MVP honors.
“This team is constantly maturing, getting better as men every single day,” he stated postgame. “It’s been a process, but it’s been a very great process, a learning process, a learning experience. I don’t think that you could paint a better picture, but the picture also isn’t done being painted.”
