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By Lauren Merola, Max Olson, Austin Meek, Jim Trotter and Nicole Auerbach
It’s been 26 years, however lastly, nobody has it higher than Michigan.
The Wolverines rushed for 303 yards and held flame-throwing Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in test to emerge because the School Soccer Playoff nationwide champion with a 34-13 defeat of the Huskies on Monday night time at NRG Stadium in Houston. The win marked Michigan’s first nationwide title since 1997 and the completion of a long-anticipated return to the highest of school soccer beneath head coach Jim Harbaugh.
The Wolverines, who entered the night time ranked second within the FBS in passing yards allowed per recreation, held the Heisman Trophy runner-up Penix to 255 yards, one landing and two interceptions on 27-of-51 passing, nicely under the same old output from the nation’s passing yards chief (4,648). Washington’s explosive offense completed with simply 301 complete yards, as accidents to Penix and working again Dillon Johnson restricted the Huskies’ effectiveness.
Michigan working again Blake Corum completed with 134 dashing yards and two touchdowns to set the varsity’s single-season landing report (28), padding the margin after backfield mate Donovan Edwards scored the primary two touchdowns of the sport, almost doubling his personal season complete in a single quarter. By the point Michigan held a 14-3 benefit with 2:23 to go within the first quarter, it had 115 dashing yards. Washington had allowed solely two rush performs of 40-plus yards all season earlier than Monday, when it let up three such rushes within the first half, together with Edwards’ two touchdowns.
41 YARDS TO THE HOUSE 🏠
Michigan’s Donovan Edwards strikes first within the #NationalChampionship
🎥 @espn pic.twitter.com/SCuRDbtWRV
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) January 9, 2024
Washington appeared to regain some momentum by reducing its deficit to 17-10 earlier than halftime, however Penix threw an interception to Michigan defensive again Will Johnson on the primary play of the third quarter, then hobbled to the sideline after a lineman stepped on his ankle in the course of the play. The Huskies protection got here up large, with the assistance of two Michigan penalties, to give up solely a area objective and maintain the sport inside attain. Down 27-13 with lower than 5 minutes to play, Penix tried to string a move to broad receiver Jalen McMillan on fourth down however was picked off by Michigan defensive again Mike Sainristil, who ran it again 80 yards earlier than Corum punched within the last rating of the night time.
“I simply really feel prefer it got here right down to executing,” Penix mentioned. “I missed a few throws, simply a few reads on routes and stuff like that. Simply small particulars inside our system that we do nice on a regular basis.”
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After the sport, Penix had noticeable bother strolling off the sphere however mentioned that “it doesn’t matter what, I used to be going to verify I completed it for the blokes.”
“I’m not wholesome, however I’ll be there. I’m good. It’s nothing main. I do know that for certain,” he mentioned. “I talked with the docs and stuff like that. It’s nothing main. If I needed to play tomorrow, I’ll play.”
He added: “I’m simply tremendous happy with this crew and the way far we’ve come, all the time being the underdog. That is the one time you all have been proper, however we have been capable of battle and push by way of a lot adversity and simply folks doubting us and never believing us all through the season. To get up to now, it’s a blessing.”
What the title means for Michigan
Michigan lastly broke by way of and introduced dwelling a nationwide championship in a yr that at occasions felt extra like a wild season of actuality TV. This crew had the precise stuff to complete the job after consecutive CFP semifinal losses in 2021 and 2022, gained its third consecutive Huge Ten title due to gritty wins over Penn State and Ohio State, stored preventing for an additional time triumph in opposition to Alabama within the Rose Bowl and, in its greatest take a look at but, shut down Washington and its prolific offense. This was a particular crew on a path to future.
And that path was affected by drama, from Harbaugh serving a three-game suspension to begin the season to the in-season investigation into Connor Stalions’ impermissible signal-stealing operation to a different three-game Harbaugh suspension served up as his crew landed in State School, Pa. By way of all of it, irrespective of who was teaching or who they have been taking part in, these Wolverines have been undeterred. They’d the No. 1 protection in school soccer, skilled leaders who refused to lose and the poise to play their finest of their greatest video games. — Max Olson, school soccer senior author
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Edwards shines when the highlight is brightest
Edwards has a fame for displaying up in large moments. He wasn’t a lot of an element for a lot of this season, averaging simply 3.5 yards per carry in a restricted function. However within the nationwide championship recreation, big-game Edwards reappeared in gorgeous vogue.
Edwards opened the sport with a 41-yard landing burst and scored once more on Michigan’s subsequent drive with a 46-yard run. Edwards laid the groundwork for Michigan’s victory, and Corum completed it, plunging into the tip zone from 12 yards out to present the Wolverines a two-touchdown lead.
The 2-headed dashing assault Michigan envisioned with Corum and Edwards didn’t materialize for a lot of the season, but it surely confirmed up within the greatest recreation of the yr. Each gamers topped 100 yards on the bottom, with Edwards dashing for 104 and Corum dashing for 134. When the Wolverines run the ball that method, no one can cease them. — Austin Meek, Michigan beat author
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What occurred to Penix?
Statistically, it was not the worst efficiency of Penix’s sensible season. However contemplating the stakes, it felt prefer it.
One week after placing on a blinding efficiency in a School Soccer Playoff win over Texas, Penix was overwhelmed and overwhelmed down. The pinpoint accuracy and explosive performs that wowed observers in opposition to the Longhorns have been nowhere to be discovered Monday night time.
He appeared in bodily ache by the tip, although the lack of an ideal season possible harm extra. There have been alternatives for large performs, however Penix was uncharacteristically off on a number of alternatives. And when he was on track, he was harm by dropped passes. — Jim Trotter, senior author
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Credit score Washington’s protection
It regarded early like Michigan was going to run away with the sport — actually, after two Edwards landing runs of greater than 40 yards. However credit score Washington’s protection for its resilience and toughness for permitting the Huskies to hold round on this recreation, even with Penix not almost as crisp as he was every week in the past within the Sugar Bowl.
After all of the fireworks within the recreation’s first 17 minutes, Michigan went punt, turnover on downs, punt, area objective, punt, punt, punt; the longest drive the Wolverines put collectively solely went 41 yards … till that landing drive on the midpoint of the fourth quarter that resulted in a Corum landing and put Michigan up by two scores. — Nicole Auerbach, school soccer senior author
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A Pac-12 swan tune
Monday night time’s recreation was such a bittersweet second for the Pac-12 convention. The Huskies lastly broke by way of to succeed in the CFP and snap a seven-year drought for the convention, then win an exhilarating semifinal to succeed in a nationwide championship recreation … and it’s the final recreation for the Pac-12 as we’ve all the time identified it, with 10 of its 12 groups set to depart for different energy conferences subsequent season. This Washington crew has been a blast to observe all season, as was all the Pac-12, with surging groups like Oregon, Oregon State and Arizona and the nationwide phenomenon that was Colorado. It’s a troublesome capsule to swallow as a result of it looks like if the Pac-12 had the season it did this fall a yr or two in the past, its demise would have by no means occurred. Alas.
However the Huge Ten is happy it would boast each title recreation individuals as league members come August. A nationwide championship recreation rematch can be a Huge Ten convention recreation, on Oct. 5. — Auerbach
Required studying
(Picture: Maddie Meyer / Getty Pictures)
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