Michigan kicker Jake Moody (13) celebrates with tight end Joel Honigford and other teammates after Moody kicked the winning field goal against Illinois at Michigan Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.
After Michigan finished the 2021 season as Big Ten Champions with a 12-2 record and No. 3 final ranking, most wondered if the Wolverines’ success was sustainable. In 2022, U-M proved that it was. Here’s a look at everything we saw from Michigan football during its historic 13-1 campaign in 2022.
Week 1: No. 8 Michigan vs. Colorado State
To kick off the new year, Michigan football hosted Colorado State. The CSU Rams came into the season as one of the worst teams in the country, so Michigan’s 51-7 win was unsurprising to most. The Colorado State game was Cade McNamara’s only start of the season — McNamara completed nine of his 18 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown.
On the ground, U-M running back Blake Corum led the way with 76 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries. The Wolverines defense held strong throughout the game, only allowing one touchdown which came with less than 9:00 to play in the game.
FINAL: Michigan 51, Colorado State 7 (1-0)
Week 2: No. 4 Michigan vs. Hawaii
After the Wolverines’ handled Colorado State, Michigan football hosted Hawaii in the Big House. For some reason, this game was a primetime game under the lights in Ann Arbor, and more importantly, it was JJ McCarthy’s first start in the Maize and Blue. Early on, it was clear that U-M was the far better team in just about every aspect. In fairness, Hawaii got blown out at home by Vanderbilt, so no one expected anything different from Michigan football.
In his first-ever start at Michigan, JJ McCarthy completed 11 of his 12 pass attempts for 229 and three touchdowns. On top of that, McCarthy carried the ball once for a gain of 16 yards. On the ground, Blake Corum again led the way with 88 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. By halftime, Michigan football held a 42-0 lead over the Warriors, and the Wolverines didn’t stop there.
FINAL: Michigan 56, Hawaii 10 (2-0)
Week 3: No. 4 Michigan vs. UConn
Michigan football saw its third-straight blowout win of the 2022 season in Week 3 as UConn came to town. Despite being one of (if not THE) worst teams in college football in 2021, UConn actually ended up making a bowl game this past season. Of Michigan’s three regular season nonconference games, the UConn game ended up being the most lopsided.
JJ McCarthy connected on 15 of his 18 passes for 214 yards, and Blake Corum tied the Wolverines’ single-game rushing touchdown record (5) against the Huskies. By halftime, Michigan football led 38-0, and like the Hawaii game, things only got worse for UConn from there.
FINAL: Michigan 59, UConn 0 (3-0)
Week 4: No. 4 Michigan vs. Maryland
To open Big Ten conference play, the 4th-ranked Wolverines hosted the 3-0 Maryland Terrapins. Though the game was a bit ugly at times, the Wolverines still managed to start 4-0 for the fourth time in eight seasons under Jim Harbaugh. After the Wolverines’ three dominant performances against nonconference opponents, no one saw this being as close of a game as it turned out to be.
When it was all said and done, Blake Corum carried Michigan football to a 7-point win over Maryland. Corum finished the game with 243 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 30 carries.
FINAL: Michigan 34, Maryland 27 (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten)
Week 5: No. 4 Michigan at Iowa
After the Wolverines narrow win over Maryland, Michigan football went on the road to face off against one of the best defenses in college football. It had been nearly two decades since the Wolverines won a game at Kinnick Stadium, yet the 2022 Michigan football team broke that trend. After struggling with Maryland, U-M needed to have a dominant showing against Iowa, and frankly, did exactly that.
Yet again, Blake Corum’s performance on the ground and the Wolverines’ stingy defense carried the Wolverines to a solid win. Iowa scored a last-minute touchdown to make the score a little closer, yet still lost by two possesions.
FINAL: Michigan 27, Iowa 14 (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten)
Week 6: No. 4 Michigan at Indiana
While Indiana may not be a powerhouse (by any means), the Hoosiers gave Michigan football a solid fight. At halftime, the 4th-ranked Michigan football team was tied with Indiana, 10-10, yet that all changed in the second half. After the Wolverines’ running backs coach, Mike Hart, went down with a medial issue during the first quarter, Michigan struggled to gain its focus.
Blake Corum broke 100 yards for the third-straight Big Ten game, yet it was JJ McCarthy that shined in this win. McCarthy threw for 304 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in Michigan’s 6th-straight win of the season.
FINAL: Michigan 31, Indiana 10 (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten)
Week 7: No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 10 Penn State
Michigan football walked through its nonconference schedule, yet since starting Big Ten play, the Wolverines appeared to be struggling. a 7-point win over Maryland, 13-point win over Iowa, and a horrid first half against Indiana was not impressive enough to keep U-M in the top-4 heading into its matchup against Penn State. The Nittany Lions started the season unranked, yet a 5-0 start with a few impressive wins got Penn State into the top-10 rather quickly.
Although Penn State will finish the season 11-2 overall and in the top-10 following its win over No. 8 Utah in the Rose Bowl, the Nittany Lions did not perform well in Ann Arbor. PSU kept it close at half — Michigan led 16-14 going into the 3rd quarter and actually trailed 17-16 for a bit in the 3rd quarter — yet the Wolverines managed to blow the game wide open in the second half.
After a hard fought three quarters, U-M put the final nails in the coffin with 10 4th quarter points en route to a 24-point win over Penn State. The Nittany Lions’ incredible rushing defense was not nearly enough to hold off Michigan’s rushing attack, and gave up over 400 yards on the ground to Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards, and the rest of the Wolveirnes’ ball-carriers.
FINAL: Michigan 41, Penn State 17 (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten)
Week 9: No. 4 Michigan vs. Michigan State
After dismembering Penn State in the Wolverines’ annual “Maize Out” game, Michigan football finally got a bye week. The weekend after — on the eve of Halloween — U-M hosted its in-state rival, the Michigan State Spartans. Although the Spartans’ season was not going as planned, MSU was still viewed as a dangerous team and needed to be taken seriously.
Michigan football dominated both sides of the ball all game long; however, the Wolverines’ red zone offense was subpar and Michigan settled for five field goals throughout the game. Still, U-M left the ‘Battle for Paul Bunyan’ with a 22-point win and improved to 8-0 on the season. It was Michigan’s first win over Mel Tucker’s Spartans ever, and the Wolverines’ first win over Michigan State since its 44-10 win in 2019.
SCORE: Michigan 29, Michigan State 7 (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten)
Week 10: No. 5 Michigan at Rutgers
To kick off the month of November, Michigan football traveled to New Jersey to face off against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Per usual, Rutgers was not very good this year, however the Knights managed to give U-M a scare. After a rocky, mistake-ridden first half of football, the Wolverines trailed Rutgers 17-14 at halftime.
Michigan football saw rocky performances from JJ McCarthy, Blake Corum, and more in the first half; however in the second half, U-M got back on track. The Wolverines forced a series of turnovers and retook the lead. Despite trailing by three at halftime, Michigan football walked away with a five touchdown win.
FINAL: Michigan 52, Rutgers 17 (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten)
Week 11: No. 3 Michigan vs. Nebraska
After dismantling Rutgers on the road, Michigan football returned to Ann Arbor to host the struggling Nebraska Cornhuskers. Despite entering the 2022 season with high hopes, Nebraska ended up firing Scott Frost after its home loss to Georgia Southern and only won three more games the rest of the way. Nebraska’s 4-8 record was indicative of the Huskers’ program over the past 10 years: hyped during the offseason yet immensely disappointing.
As most expected, this game was physical and slow. The game saw a series of violent snow showers throughout the night, and it was clear that this game was being played in Big Ten country. Still, another strong second half propelled the Wolverines to a 31-point victory.
FINAL: Michigan 34, Nebraska 3 (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten)
Week 12: No. 3 Michigan vs. Illinois
Despite starting the season with a 7-1 record and making its way to No. 16 in the CFP poll, Illinois came into Ann Arbor with a two-game losing streak. The Illini fell to 7-3 overall and were ousted from the top-25; however, the Fighting Illini still boasted a top-3 defense and a solid rushing attack. Michigan football came into this game with an extensive injury report — one that included Donovan Edwards, Mike Morris, a few offensive lineman, and more.
After totaling over 140 yards in the first half alone, Blake Corum missed the entire second half due to a knee injury suffered just before halftime. The game was ugly, and it was arguably Michigan’s worst offensive performance since the COVID-19 season two years ago. Still, U-M managed to overcome Illinois at the last second behind a Jake Moody field goal.
FINAL: Michigan 19, Illinois 17 (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten)
Week 13: No. 3 Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State (The Game)
After the Wolverines’ narrow win over 7-4 Illinois, Michigan football headed into the biggest game of the year: Ohio State. Like Michigan football, the Buckeyes were also riding an 11-game win streak in 2022 and came into the matchup undefeated. Ohio State was favored by over a touchdown against U-M, and every TV analyst aside from Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson picked Ohio State to win big.
Still, despite being on the road in Columbus, Michigan football managed to keep pace with Ohio State throughout the first half. With Blake Corum still out due to injury, Michigan was forced to rely on JJ McCarthy — a sophomore quarterback — to beat Ohio State’s top-10 defense. Luckily, McCarthy pitched his best ball game, and gave U-M its best chance of victory.
After heading into halftime down 17-20, Michigan football woke up like a sleeping giant in the second half and floored the Buckeyes throughout the game’s final two quarters. Four second-half touchdowns led Michigan to a 45-point performance on offense, meanwhile, the Wolverines defense limited the Buckeyes’ offense to a single field goal in the second half.
When it was all said and done, Michigan football beat the Buckeyes by 22 points in their own stadium — it was one of the best Michigan wins in the program history and the Wolverines’ first win in COlumbus since 2000.
FINAL: Michigan 45, Ohio State 23
Week 14: No. 2 Michigan vs. Purdue (BTCCG)
After embarrassing Ohio State in Columbus in front of the largest TV audience of the season, Michigan football headed to Indianapolis to face off against Purdue for the Big Ten Championship. The Boilermakers were obviously underdogs seeing as Michigan was ranked No. 2 and boasted a 12-0 record, while Purdue remained unranked with an 8-4 record.
Purdue football kept the game close throughout the first half, yet Michigan is a second half team, and the Wolverines managed to pull away late. JJ McCarthy and Donovan Edwards led the Wolverines to a three touchdown victory in Michigan’s second-straight Big Ten Championship win. The win improved Michigan’s record to 13-0 — the first time in program history that Michigan football won more than 12 games in a single season.
On top of that, the win sent Michigan football to the College Football Playoff for the second year in a row.
FINAL: Michigan 43, Purdue 22
CFP: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU
After the Wolverines’ first-ever 13-0 start, Michigan football headed to the College Football Playoff to face off against Texas Christian in the Fiesta Bowl. U-M came into the matchup as a heavy betting favorite, yet another bowl game collapse by Jim Harbaugh ended Michigan’s incredible season a week early.T
The 12-1 Horned Frogs came into the game with loads of national disrespect seeing as they had just lost the Big 12 Championship game. On top of that, no one thought that a Big 12 team belonged in the mix with the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, and Georgia. Frankly, they were not wrong seeing as UGA beat TCU 65-7 in the title game a week after the Fiesta Bowl.
Still, many costly turnovers left the door wide open for TCU and eventually allowed the Horned Frogs to win. Was the officiating terrible? Yep, but JJ McCarthy’s two pick 6s were more to blame than anything. On top of that, Michigan fumbled on the 1-yard-line — a touchdown that would have won Michigan the game. At the end of the day, the Fiesta Bowl loss was shocking; however, it does not change the fact that the Wolverines had one hell of a season.
Dec 31, 2021; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh throws prior to the Orange Bowl college football CFP national semifinal game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
ANN ARBOR, MI — Over the past two seasons, the entire identity of the Michigan Wolverines’ football program has changed. Before 2021, the Michigan football team was coming off of a 2-4 season in 2020; before that, the Wolverines were managing 8-10 wins per season, though consistantly losing to Ohio State, their bowl game, and saw frequent losses to Michigan State and Penn State. Since that 2021 season, everything has changed for Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines — in fact, Harbaugh is now thought of as the best coach in his conference.
Jim Harbaugh changes everything for Michigan football in 2021
After arguably the worst season in Michigan football history (2020), Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines decided to go all-in on the 2021 season. At his Big Ten media presser, Harbaugh claimed that Michigan would accomplish its goals (beating Ohio State, Michigan State, winning the Big Ten, and more) or “die trying.” The Wolverines did exactly that — Michigan football finished the regular season with an 11-1 record after downing Ohio State 42-27 in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines then won the Big Ten title for the first time since 2004; however, were dominated by Georgia in the CFP.
A season later, Michigan football appeared to improve as Jim Harbaugh led his team to a 12-0 finish — including massive 20+ point wins over Michigan State, Penn State, and Ohio State — before winning the program’s first-ever 13th game in a single season. While the Wolverines still fell short against TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, the 2022 season was monumental for Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football.
Heading into the 2023 season, Michigan appears to have its best roster during the Jim Harbaugh era (since 2015). In fact, right now, the Wolverines come into the season favored against every major program that it must face: Penn State, Michigan State, and Ohio State. If the Wolverines aren’t competing for a Big Ten title this year, most fans will call the season a disappointment.
On3 ranks Harbaugh No. 1 in the Big Ten
Of the 14 coaches in the Big Ten, On3 claims that none are better than Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh. Here is what On3 had to say about Harbaugh and why he is ranked No. 1:
It took some time, but Jim Harbaugh fulfilled his promise of beating Ohio State and delivering his alma mater a Big Ten Championship.
Then he did it again last season. The Wolverines are 25-3 the last two years, with a pair of conference titles and College Football Playoff berths. While Harbaugh has downplayed some of the major cultural and philosophical changes he made before the 2021 season, he deserves credit for pivoting and overhauling his staff.
In eight years at Michigan, Harbaugh has five seasons with at least 10 wins. Although the yearly NFL rumors remain a distraction, the Wolverines don’t look like they’re going to slowdown at all under Harbaugh, either. They bring back a loaded squad in 2023 — with Harbaugh supplementing the depth chart with several key additions from the transfer portal — and will be the favorites to three-peat in the Big Ten.
While I weigh the present more than the past, Harbaugh’s coaching resume also includes jumpstarting Stanford’s program (12-1 season in his final year) and four years with the San Francisco 49ers where he never had a losing season, played in the NFC Championship Game three times and lost to his brother John Harbaugh in the Super Bowl.
Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other steaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!
Sep 17, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh laugh during warm ups prior to the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
It has been a few decades since former Michigan captain Tom Brady suited up in the Maize and Blue. From 1998-1999, the greatest football player of all time donned the winged helmet and led the Michigan football team to a 20-5 record, two bowl wins, a Big Ten title, and more during his time as a starter. Since then, the program has seen its ups and downs, and Tom Brady has seen action with two NFL franchises and won a league record seven Super Bowls — he also appeared in 10 Super Bowls. Now, decades after the fact, Tom Brady’s son is looking to repeat a bit history and attend the University of Michigan.
Tom Brady’s son, Jack, dreams of attending the University of Michigan
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Tom Brady’s ex-wife Gisele Bundchen claims that Tom Brady’s son Jack wants to attend school at his father’s alma mater. Brady, who recently played his final football game ever (assuming this retirement sticks, unlike his last one), played five years of football in Ann Arbor in the 90s. He was a part of a few Big Ten title-winning teams, as well as the infamous national championship team in 1997.
From Vanity Fair: The whole brood is thriving, and Jack remains her bonus child. “I love him so much,” Bündchen says of Jack, who is “quarterbacking”—very much a verb in this household—with aspirations of going to his father’s alma mater, the University of Michigan.
Tom Brady himself also mentioned that his son Jack has some better qualities than him — he claims that his only specialty in life, unlike Jack, is throwing a football. Like Tom, Jack Brady loves playing football and is currently a quarterback, which is something that his father plans on helping him with.
“I don’t have a lot of specialties in life other than probably throwing a football,” Brady joked. “He’s way smarter. He’s got a great work ethic. He’s just a great kid, but I can definitely help him at quarterback.”
It would be a massive move for the University of Michigan community to have Tom Brady’s son enroll nearly 30 years after his father attended. The school, program, and town have changed quite a bit since Tom Brady led his 1999 Wolverines to a 1-point win over Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl; however, Michigan’s profound love for Tom Brady has not subsided one bit. In fact, over the years, the school has grown to appreciate all that Tom does for it more and more.
Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other steaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!
ANN ARBOR, MI — Just before the start of spring ball, the Michigan Wolverines decided that — in order to address cornerback depth issues — a former three-star wideout would be moved to cornerback. Since making this call, the massive Amorion Walker has turned into a spring ball standout, and according to coaches and players, is a freak of nature on the football field. However good you think Amorion Walker is going to be, he will likely be better.
Michigan football converted DB Amorion Walker turning out to be a stud on the football field
Since the start of Michigan football spring ball, the Wolverines’ newly converted cornerback — Amorion Walker — has been turning heads among the players and the staff. Here are some of the comments that others have made on Walker’s ability per The Michigan Daily.
“(Walker) has gifts that a lot of people don’t,” standout defensive back Mike Sainristil told The Daily during Michigan football spring practices. Walker’s unique athletic ability and mix of an incredible frame (6-foot-4, 180-pounds) “He’s 6-foot-3, moves like he’s 5-foot-10. He plays like he’s 225, he’s tall, he’s lengthy. He runs a 4.2, 4.3 (40 yard dash). His skill set is rare.”
Just because Walker came to Michigan as a receiver does not mean that he has not dreamed of getting this opportunity for awhile. In fact, Amorion Walker would have things no other way — he is ready for his new challenge.
“I always wanted to play both ways,” Walker said last week. “I still love the defensive side of the ball. That was actually the first position I ever played. So, it’s kind of where I get my background.” He continued, “I’m trying to lose the receiver tendencies that I have from playing it for a long time … Just trying to get back into the DB motion and back to where I used to be before I made the switch.”
The praise for Amorion Walker and his athletic talent are not just from outsiders, either; Walker knows that he is an incredible athlete. “I definitely am one of the best athletes in the country, for sure,” Walker said. “As far as running and jumping and being able to change direction.”
Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other steaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!
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