COLUMBUS — Just moments into the second quarter facing a fourth-and-1 on the Ohio State 3-yard line, Michigan coach Sherrone Moore made a bold choice.
Trailing the Buckeyes, 3-0, Moore decided to risk what would have been a chip-shot field goal in favor of going for it on fourth down, searching for four extra points. And in that moment, as graduate running back Kalel Mullings dove headfirst into the pile, the Wolverines’ offense fell just short — literally and figuratively — turning the ball back over to Ohio State and missing out on points.
But three plays later, it didn’t matter, because Michigan’s secondary earned those points right back — and then some. On an out route intended for Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith, Michigan graduate cornerback Aamir Hall jumped Smith’s route, intercepted the pass and returned the ball to Ohio State’s 2-yard line — exactly where the Wolverines would’ve ended up had Mullings’ earlier rush been successful.
And that moment — in which Hall and Michigan’s secondary rescued a stagnating offense while setting up an easy touchdown — captured a broader theme of the afternoon. Time and time again, the Wolverines’ offense gave the Buckeyes a chance to take control of the game, and time after time, Michigan’s secondary snuffed that opportunity out, guiding the way to a narrow victory.
“That was just another example of our defense having our backs,” Mullings said of Hall’s interception. “Time and time again on defense those guys just make plays and give us opportunities. … Shoot, you get the ball on the 3-yard line, you can’t ask for anything better.”
The Wolverines’ secondary finished the day with two interceptions, held Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard to 175 yards and was a defining factor in Michigan’s eventual victory. But in more than just pass protection, the Wolverines’ secondary brought a level of physicality that Ohio State’s offense couldn’t match.
Midway through the second quarter, Howard bolted left on a quarterback draw on a third-and-3. But before he could pick up the first down, Michigan graduate safety Makari Paige sprinted to the line and dropped Howard with a crunching hit — knocking the wind out of him and keeping him out for a play.
And play after play, that level of ferocity present in the Wolverines’ secondary eventually wore the Buckeyes out. After a first half in which it managed 10 points on pass-heavy drives, Ohio State began to falter with its screen passes going nowhere and its runs quickly snuffed out.
“We don’t talk about toughness,” Moore said. “You know, how we’re built in the weight room, what we do on the field, our physicality, how we practice, that (toughness) is just who Michigan is. So we don’t need to talk about it.”
While the Wolverines’ defense contained Howard and the Buckeyes in the first half — in the second, it shut them down.
Midway through the third quarter with Ohio State pressing and already within field goal range, the secondary struck again. This time it was Paige, again in the center of the action, who jumped a route, picked Howard off and kept the Buckeyes off of the board. And from there on out, even when starting drives at Michigan’s 16-yard line, the Buckeyes managed only one more yard through the air.
By shutting Howard’s offense down, the Wolverines’ secondary again assisted in making up for their offensive deficiencies. While Ohio State couldn’t move the ball and struggled with ball security in the second half, Michigan’ offense did the same thing — turning the ball over twice and managing just three points in the second half.
In a half in which the Buckeyes managed just 55 passing yards, however, three points proved to be enough. All afternoon, Michigan’s secondary had harangued Ohio State’s offense, forcing two turnovers, putting points on the board and shutting Howard down for the entirety of the second half.
And as the clock ran out on the Buckeyes, it wasn’t the Wolverines’ offense that had downed them. It was their secondary’s ability to anchor their defense and turn Ohio State’s offensive missteps into offensive opportunities.
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