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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, December 1, 2021 — 11
With historic day, Hassan Haskins guides Michigan to victory KENT SCHWARTZ
Managing Sports Editor
All season, this Michigan team has had an identity: run the ball. With two players at the center of that ethos, sophomore Blake Corum and senior Hassan Haskins, the ‘thunder and lightning’ running back duo became a bellwether for the offense. On Saturday, Haskins led the Wolverines’ to a 42-27 victory over Ohio State. His performance, which totaled 169 yards on 28 attempts for five touchdowns, will go down in the record books — it’s the most rushing touchdowns in The Game’s history, as well as tying Michigan’s all-time single-game record.
But his historic performance went beyond the stat sheet. Haskins dictated the pace of the game from the very start. He touched the ball on five of nine plays, including three 3rd-and-short downs. In those three downs he ran for 35 yards total, keeping a crucial opening drive alive, a drive that ended with the only Michigan touchdown Haskins wouldn’t take in himself. His quick cuts found holes and broke through a Buckeye defense that had yet to stack the box, demoralizing a defense that held Heisman candidate Kenneth Walker III to just 28 rushing yards a week ago. Yet when Ohio State adjusted, stacking the box, Haskins still found a way to fall forward. “They thought they saw a ghost but it was
number 25, Hassan Haskins,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “He has great determination, great purpose. Creatability.” On a crucial drive to reestablish itself in the game, down 10-7, Michigan faced a fourth-and-one. Following a timeout, the Wolverines set up in a three tight-end set with Haskins in the backfield. Clearly, there was one place the ball would end up. Yet after a push and a twist, the chains moved and the drive stayed alive. Four plays later, Haskins dove over a pile to stretch the ball in for his first touchdown of the afternoon. Michigan never trailed again. “It was a big emphasis to be able to run the ball this week,” fifth-year offensive lineman Andrew Stueber said. “We thought that a lot
At last, Aidan Hutchinson has his moment offense. Once again, no one listened — this publication included, of course. Daily Sports Editor Saturday, though, Hutchinson realized his vision. In the fifth-ranked Wolverines’ Despite first-round projections in the 42-27 upset of the second-ranked Buckeyes, NFL Draft last season, senior edge rusher he recorded three sacks — including his 13th Aidan Hutchinson returned to Michigan of the season, which set the Michigan alltime record — on Ohio State quarterback for one reason: to beat Ohio State. “I told you guys at Big Ten Media Days and Heisman frontrunner C.J. Stroud. Over those three-and-a-half hours, that we were emphasizing this game more,” Hutchinson said. “Everyone seemed to have as the Wolverines solidified themselves a lot of questions about that, in terms of how as a legitimate College Football Playoff we were doing it, but I told you to trust me, contender, Hutchinson himself solidified his position as one of college football’s we were doing it.” He was right — pretty much nobody top players, and maybe even stole some of outside Schembechler Hall bought his Stroud’s hype along the way. “(Hutchinson’s) performance was … optimism. It wasn’t Hutchinson’s own abilities that people doubted; it was the dominant,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Single-season sack record already — definitely should be in strong consideration for the Heisman Trophy.” In every moment where the Wolverines needed a play from their defense, Hutchinson was there to deliver it. After a first quarter interception sparked a long Buckeyes drive and a 3rd-and-goal at Michigan’s eight, Hutchinson recorded ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily his first sack and ability of his team to actually beat the forced Ohio State into a field goal. That stop Buckeyes. At the start of the season, national preserved the Wolverines’ one-score lead media gave the Wolverines no shot in and helped the team carry its momentum The Game. This publication unanimously into the second quarter. In the third quarter, with Michigan picked Ohio State. And still, Hutchinson persisted. On nursing an eight-point lead and the Tuesday, he reiterated that the Buckeyes Buckeyes again finding some rhythm had been a focus since January. He opined offensively, Hutchinson notched another that, while a lot of teams play Ohio State sack that forced Ohio State to punt. On “fearful,” his defense would have no the next defensive possession, with the fear against the Buckeyes’ top-ranked Wolverines up 15, he recorded another sack. BRENDAN ROOSE
Even when he wasn’t sacking Stroud, Hutchinson’s drive was present on virtually every defensive snap. On one fourth down, as the Buckeyes worked to mount a comeback, Hutchinson was seen visibly jawing with the left tackle prior to the snap. As soon as Stroud took the snap, Hutchinson ran directly over the lineman into the backfield (Ohio State still converted, thanks to a borderline miraculous throw from Stroud). Even beyond the Heisman comments, Harbaugh continued to sing Hutchinson’s praises after the game. He named him among a group of players he called the “foundation” of the team — players who had been with Michigan through the struggles of 2020 and beyond and refused to give in. “If there was a train, like a locomotive going down the tracks, they literally stopped it, picked it up onto their backs, turned it around and started pushing,” Harbaugh said. “(Saturday), the rest of us started pushing, too.” More than anything, though, Hutchinson’s performance represents a clean resolution to a truly historic Michigan career. An athlete raised in Wolverine tradition — his father, Chris Hutchinson, was a Michigan captain and All-American defensive lineman in the early ’90s — Hutchinson had already achieved just about every individual accolade he could hope for entering Saturday. Like countless Wolverine greats in recent years, he only lacked the elusive win over the Buckeyes. Saturday, he sat grinning and shaking his head at the postgame press conference, as if in disbelief of what his team had just achieved. With his Michigan journey almost complete, he allowed himself to reflect on that sack record and the elusive rivalry win: “Man. It was crazy. I can’t really put it into words. I really just wanted to beat my dad, and I went a little farther. It’s so cool, and it’s a moment I can’t wait to share (with) my dad.”
of teams came out and played a little scared against them, a little timid, and that’s just not Michigan football. That’s not what we like to play as an o-line, as Michigan football, as a run game, as a unit.” As time wound down in the end of the game, Haskins played an even bigger part. Up eight with just 14 minutes left, the Wolverines needed to accomplish two things: drain clock and score. So they turned to Haskins. A nine-play, four-and-a-halfminute drive featured eight runs, six of them from Haskins. In one instance, he showed his patience, waiting behind a wall of blockers before finding a hole and darting for six yards. Other times, he showed his innate ability to fall forward,
turning a five yard rush into an eight-yard rush and keeping the chains moving. On its last drive of the game, Michigan needed to move the sticks twice in order to ice out Ohio State. Haskins listed off five rushes for 63 yards through a humiliated Buckeye defense, sealing the game. At the beginning of the season, it seemed as though the Wolverines’ reliance on its rushing game would be a hindrance against the best teams in the country. Against an explosive Ohio State offense? There was no question, Michigan would fail to keep pace. Instead, on Saturday, as Haskins walked in for his fifth touchdown, it became clear that this Wolverine running offense is capable of dominating just about everyone.
‘We want to go finish’: Harbaugh, Michigan begin shifting focus to Iowa JARED GREENSPAN
Daily Sports Editor
Following a thorough, dominant victory over Ohio State — the most important win in his seven-year tenure as Michigan coach — Jim Harbaugh went home. He spent the night surrounded by family, commemorating his parents’ 60th wedding anniversary. Festivities included watching football, as they “always do,” and a few episodes of “Heartland” with his daughter. Then Harbaugh went to sleep. On to Iowa. “The thing that hits me first is that this is a new beginning,” Harbaugh said on Sunday. “(We want to do) what we always do. We prepare, we practice, we try to have great days. One good day of meetings, practices, get ourselves healthy, get ourselves ready and go play the game.” That’s a mentality that Michigan has stuck to throughout the season, one instilled by Harbaugh. But as much as that quote feels familiar, something about Harbaugh seemed different. He conducted the press conference like a man who just had a burden lifted from his shoulders. He was downright giddy recounting his postgame interaction with Juwan Howard, laughing that the moment was “so cool.” He rattled off the congratulatory messages that flooded his phone, highlighting a memorable text from John Madden, who lauded the Wolverines’ offensive line for one of the best performances he’s ever seen. “They really like our team,” Harbaugh said of the common thread through the messages. “They really like how hard our players play. Kinda that’s been the theme. Comes through the TV set. See a bunch of guys that really like playing the game and playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played.” The “new beginning” phrase also speaks to his refined mindset. Harbaugh is cognizant of the implications looming this weekend, just as he was aware of the stakes against Ohio State.
Remaining levelheaded is difficult following a victory of such emotional magnitude. These situations are conducive for letdowns. That’s why, when Harbaugh thinks about the pending Big Ten Championship Game, he is reminded of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. The group famously stunned the heavily favored Soviet Union, but still needed one more victory to secure the goal medal. The Americans finished the job, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Finland. Harbaugh wants the Wolverines to follow their lead. “This is the championship this week,” Harbaugh said. “This week, that’s for all the marbles. That’s for the championship. It’s a continuation of the playoffs. … That’s the message towards the team this week.” Harbaugh carried that out in his press conference. He showed appreciation for Kirk Ferentz and his Iowa team, noting that there’s “pretty much no one” he respects more. And though Michigan opened as 10.5-point favorites, he’s not overlooking the Hawkeyes, either. “We know how good Iowa is,” Harbaugh said. “What stands out is how good and conscious they are in all three phases — offense, defense, special teams.” As Harbaugh flipped the page to Iowa, he allowed for moments of reflection, too. He thought back to the spring, when he realized the potential of this collection of players and coaches that no one else saw. “That’s one of those feelings that you have, and the guys start feeling it too,” Harbaugh said. “… The comments back then were, ‘Well, everybody says that.’ But we felt it.” And against Ohio State, they sure did show it. Now, if the Wolverines can do so one more time, they’ll be Big Ten champions. “Maybe we were better prepared, maybe we were stronger, maybe we were more talented, a lot of factors there,” Harbaugh said, reflecting on the victory. “The fact is that we’re here. We’re excited about it. We want to go finish.”
SportsWednesday: It’s a new team, is it a new program? Come late November, the Michigan fanbase is used to singing the same melancholy song: There’s always next year. But, as the Wolverines have espoused since the first day of the season, this year — and this team — is different. On Saturday, when Michigan led Ohio State at the half, fans started to believe that it could be true. The 14-13 score was hardly an indication of LANE the dominance to come, KIZZIAH but rather a hint that this time, maybe, their confidence wasn’t misplaced. The momentum in the stands continued to grow with each ensuing touchdown. When senior running back Hassan Haskins brought the score to 34-20 with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter — his fourth of the day — the feeling turned from excitement to one of surreal acceptance. Fans might not have to wait any longer. By the time Haskins ran into the end zone with the Wolverines’ sixth and final touchdown with just over two minutes
left on the clock, the spots of red began to disappear from the stadium as Ohio State fans tried to avoid the inevitable. Michigan was going to win and the field would fill with maize and blue. The fanbase that has sustained itself on blind hope and willpower for nearly a decade has finally gotten what it wants: a win against Ohio State. But what happens from here? When you’ve already surpassed your own bar for success, how do you gauge what comes after? It’s a question Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has surely had to ask himself several times this year. “Just everything about the team,” Harbaugh said. “Every day, every week, every month. Going back to the beginning of this year, it’s always felt like the beginning. Accomplish one goal then go to the next and the next and the next.” Coming into the season carrying mediocre expectations, the Wolverines have raised their ceiling with each win. On Saturday, they shattered it completely. The win opened doors for the remainder of the season, doors Harbaugh has never walked through. A Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff berth are well
within reach. It’s been said before every big game in Harbaugh’s seven-year tenure, but this time the notion rings true more than ever: This is very possibly the turning point in the Harbaugh era, the moment the former-Michigan quarterback has been waiting for, a chance to elevate this program into the upper echelon of college football. Or it could be a repeat of 2011, a good team and a good season that ended one Ohio State drought just to start another. The difference between this being a different Michigan team and a different Michigan program will be decided in the coming weeks. A different Michigan team can end the season 11-2 with a win over the Buckeyes and an appearance at a Big Ten Championship. A different Michigan program has to prove to recruits that Harbaugh has made good
largest barrier to success since the turn of the century — opening a whole new box of challenges. There’s a different feeling about this team, obviously. If anyone can pass through the challenges ahead, it’s this team. A team that’s kept its fans on their feet and sent them out onto the field at the end of the game. And players feel confident that they can keep it going. “Long term, we’ve set the expectation now,” MADELINE HINKLEY/Daily junior quarterback Cade on his promise and made the Wolverines a McNamara said. “It’s been real national contender. That would mean so long since we beat Ohio State, but we did capturing the program’s first Big Ten that today. For the guys coming back, now Championship since 2004 and notching its we’ve got to do that every single year. We first-ever berth in the playoff. know what it took.” When Harbaugh said in his postgame The Wolverines proved they knew what press conference that this felt more like the it took to turn the page on Ohio State. In the beginning than the culmination, this was coming weeks, we will find out if they have what he meant. Michigan has moved past what it takes to start a whole new chapter of its biggest hurdle under Harbaugh — and its Michigan football.
