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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Michigan didn't let this fourth-quarter
slip away.
Drew Henson threw three touchdown passes and ran for a clinching
score as Michigan (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 19 AP) made a 19-point lead stand up in a 38-26
victory over No. 12 Ohio State on Saturday, giving the Wolverines a
share of the Big Ten title.
|  | | Michigan's Julius Curry, left, scored on a 42-yard interception return to give the Wolverines a 31-12 lead in the fourth. |
"We never get comfortable," tailback Anthony Thomas said.
"We've seen things happen."
Three times this season, Michigan (8-3, 6-2) lost after taking
the lead into the final quarter of a big game. Each of the losses
was by seven or fewer points.
"Coach (Lloyd) Carr told us all week that we had to win this
game, that it would come down to a play in the fourth quarter and
we'd have to make a stop," linebacker Larry Foote said.
The Buckeyes (8-3, 5-3), who could have tied for the league
title with a win, scored the first 14 of the fourth quarter to make
it interesting. But Michigan stopped Ohio State tailback Jonathan
Wells at the Buckeyes' 18 on a fourth-and-1 run up the middle with
just over three minutes left to seal the outcome.
"My thinking was, if you kick the football you're probably not
going to get it back," Ohio State coach John Cooper said. "So we
gambled a little bit -- and lost."
Henson, who completed 14 of 25 passes for 303 yards with one
interception, then scored on a 1-yard bootleg with 1:18 remaining.
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Sat, November 18
This was a helmet game for the Ohio State Buckeyes -- that is, their problems were inside their headgear. They just didn't seem to believe they could win this game. Even when they got up on Michigan, once the Wolverines scored it just seemed like, "Uh-oh. They're back and we can't deal with it."
On the other side, Michigan's defense was finally able to close out a game after the Wolverines had leads in each of their three losses. There was a stretch when the Michigan offense couldn't keep the ball and the Buckeyes made the run, but Michigan played good pass defense and came up big on a key fourth-and-one. They brought eight men into the box and the defensive backs came up with the huge tackle. Michigan was finally able to close out a game with their defense.
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"Each year, no matter what happens early on, this game
essentially comes down to the last few minutes -- sometimes even the
last play," Henson said.
Michigan took a 31-12 lead into the fourth quarter on a 17-point
flurry in the third quarter. David Terrell caught his second TD
pass of the day from Henson, Hayden Epstein kicked a 25-yard field
goal, and Julius Curry sped 50 yards after intercepting Steve
Bellisari's pass.
"He was going to Rambo the whole time," Curry said. "Anything
on the inside, I'm going to take."
As in all three of the losses, Michigan played conservatively,
choosing to run Anthony "A-Train" Thomas on first and second
downs and then relying on Henson to pass against the Big Ten's top
pass rush. Needing 166 yards to become Michigan's career rushing
leader, Thomas was limited to 60 yards on 29 attempts.
The Buckeyes almost made them pay for that approach, with Wells
scoring his second touchdown on a 2-yard run to cut the lead to
31-19 and Bellisari hitting Ken-Yon Rambo on an 18-yard pass to
draw Ohio State to 31-26 with 7:03 remaining. Bellisari was
21-of-47 passes for 251 yards with three interceptions.
On its last possession, Ohio State gained 9 yards on three plays
and coach John Cooper elected to go for it on fourth down. But on a
deep handoff from Bellisari, Wells ran into linebackers Victor
Hobson and Larry Foote and noseguard Eric Wilson, silencing a
record crowd of 98,568 in expanded Ohio Stadium.
"Our defense was tremendous when they had to be," Carr said.
"That last stop was tremendous penetration from a very young
defensive front. I think it was as big as any play in the game."
Cooper's record fell to 2-10-1 against Michigan as Ohio State's
coach. It was the eighth time as head coach of the Buckeyes that he
his team has lost an outright title or a share of the Big Ten title
with a loss to Michigan.
"My record against Michigan speaks for itself. Obviously, it's
awful," Cooper said. "To play here at home and to have a chance
to beat Michigan one time, obviously I'm disappointed."
Michigan won for the fifth time in the last six years in the
series, all under coach Carr. Four of those victories came with
Ohio State having the better record.
The game started out as if that would all change. In the opening
five minutes, Ohio State had two fumbles (recovering them both),
threw an interception and had a punt blocked -- and still led 9-0.
Nate Clements took the opening kickoff, faked a handoff on the
reverse, and went 80 yards before stepping out of bounds. Four
plays later, on fourth-and-inches from the Michigan 11, Wells
bolted up the middle for the touchdown.
On Michigan's first possession, Henson's pass for Terrell
bounced off the receiver's helmet and ricocheted to Ohio State
cornerback David Mitchell, who returned the ball 21 yards to the
15.
After Ohio State settled for Stultz's 37-yard field goal, Henson
tossed a short screen that Thomas turned into a 70-yard touchdown
and a 21-yarder to Terrell for a lead that the Wolverines wouldn't
surrender.
Two years ago, Ohio State had blistered the Wolverines 31-16,
turning the 200-mile ride back to Ann Arbor into a bleak few hours.
"The last time I was here it was a long ride home," cornerback
Todd Howard said. "You could hear a pin drop on the bus ride home.
It's great to get that taste out of my mouth."
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Michigan Clubhouse
Ohio State Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Michigan's Drew Henson throws 21 yards to David Terrell for the TD.(courtesy: ABCSports)
avi: 1188 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Michigan's David Terrell converts this 32-yard pass from Drew Henson into a touchdown.(courtesy: ABCSports)
avi: 1334 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Michigan's Anthony Thomas takes a screen pass 70 yards through the Ohio State defense for a touchdown. (courtesy: ABCSports)
avi: 1965 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Michigan's Julius Curry stomps 42 yards for the TD on this interception return against Ohio State.(courtesy: ABCSports)
avi: 927 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Ohio State's Jonathan Wells goes 11 yards for the TD against Michigan.(courtesy: ABCSports)
avi: 1058 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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