kalel mullings

FORMATION NOTES: In general Bama was so multiple that I had a hard time deciphering whether something was a 4-3 with a standup end or a 3-4 with a SAM; they would go with a 5-1, they would shift constantly. Surely the thickest playbooks in college football went head to head in this game.

I called this weird thing 30 nickel slide SAM:

You've got your line shifted to the run strength, you've got a standup end in a SAM spot, and you've got your LBs shifted to run strength. This is Bama's "please run at Justin Eboigbe" formation.

SUBSTITUTION NOTES: Johnson, Wilson, Barner, and Loveland all got at least two-thirds of Michigan's snaps. Corum wasn't far behind. Morris, Edwards, Morgan, and Bredeson had 10-20; Mullings and Orji had cameos.

[After the JUMP: retired that so and so]

Bang, bang. Donovan Edwards put up two 40 yard touchdowns on Michigan's first two drives, and they were more or less the same thing: duo that sucks in Washington defenders followed by Edwards being insanely explosive. Number one:

There was an undercurrent of sardonic amusement amongst the twitterati after this one because it felt like Edwards missed the hole and only got to it by luck after making a mistake, but this is only a touchdown because Edwards initially presses the A gap. That action sucks in three different defenders and when Edwards changes direction, it's over. This is all I want from Donovan Edwards: change direction. If he does that he wins because no one is as explosive as he is.

Number two is all of the gaps (all of the gaps):

That's two TEs, a bonus OL, and Cornelius Johnson. If Zak Zinter was healthy I guarantee you Cornelius Johnson would not be on the field.

Washington does not know what the hell to do with this. They've clearly prepped for the Big Big Boys; all 11 defenders are within six yards of the LOS. But they do not see this and scout team only gets you so far. Edwards again presses a gap he is not going in. The LB level bites on the initial action, and when Edwards cuts back there's nothing but daylight.

There's a fair chance that Edwards scores even if the backside linebacker doesn't fling himself into the line, because that is a truck lane.

These two runs combine with the Penn State explosive to indicate a path forward for Edwards at Michigan if he does decide to return. Yeah, run at a friendly butt. Then do something else. Touchdown. Hooray.

[After THE JUMP: more stuff]

Things hadn't gone well for Michigan in the second half. Through 26 minutes of football, the offense hadn't scored a point and a three point halftime lead turned into a seven point deficit in the later stages of the fourth quarter. Michigan needed a drive to tie the game and as the eleven men took the field, it was fair to deem it a legacy drive for so many veteran heroes of this Michigan team, JJ McCarthy, Blake Corum, Roman Wilson, and the rest of the OL. They needed to make plays and tie the game. They would. Then a little while later with the score 27-20, Michigan's defense needed to get one stop to slam the door and win the game. They did.  

Backs against the wall, this Michigan team dug deeper than they've had to all season, battling their own errors and demons to rally against #4 Alabama and win the 110th Rose Bowl Game, 27-20. Touchdowns from Wilson and Corum late put Michigan in the lead and the defense shut down two potential Alabama drives to tie or win the game as this veteran Wolverine team had the necessary answers. 366 days after the heartbreak at the hands of TCU in the 2022 semifinals, Michigan got to give the great Crimson Tide their own dose of heartbreak. Michigan is 14-0 and headed to the National Championship Game. 

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It's hard to envision a more disastrous, BPONE start to the game than what nearly occurred on the first play from scrimmage. JJ McCarthy took the snap, rolled to his right, and despite having Roman Wilson open for free yards, held the ball looking for Cornelius Johnson. Johnson was not open but McCarthy threw it anyway, right to Alabama safety Caleb Downs, who toe-tapped for an interception deep in Michigan territory. Catastrophe... or not. It was pointed out shortly thereafter that Downs had stepped out of bounds on his last step before catching the ball, never re-establishing himself in the field of play, which made the pass incomplete instead. Michigan was let off the hook. 

[Patrick Barron]

The drive that followed after the mulligan Michigan had been gifted was a dud. The Wolverines ran a quick screen to Semaj Morgan with TEs blocking in front of him and he was tackled promptly. That set up 3rd & 8 and McCarthy threw short of the sticks to a well-covered AJ Barner, which was an easy PBU by the Bama defense. The Wolverine offense was out of sorts early and needed the defense to pick them up, which happened. Michigan sacked Jalen Milroe twice on the opening Alabama drive, one from Braiden McGregor and one from Josaiah Stewart, forcing a quick three-and-out. 

Then came the deadly mistake that did count. Alabama punter James Burnip lofted a rather short kick and Semaj Morgan ran up to field it, sensing the opportunity for a good return. Perhaps Morgan had his eyes pointed downfield too early but he never secured the catch and put the ball on the ground. Alabama recovers, taking over at the Michigan 44. Gifted great field position, the Tide grinded out a first down on the ground and then hit a home run shot when the right side of Alabama's OL caved in the Michigan DL and Mike Sainristil blew a tackle on Jase McClelland, who was off to the races and into the end zone. 7-0 Alabama and about as bad of a first five minutes for Michigan as you could have imagined. 

With the team reeling, the Michigan offense needed to step up and they did, utilizing a well-crafted scripted drive from OC Sherrone Moore that used all kinds of tricks to put Alabama's defense in conflict. A neat pitch play to Blake Corum picked up 21 and then a designed run for JJ McCarthy picked up 7 on 3rd & 8. Michigan paved Bama on 4th & 1 to pick up the first down and two plays later they got Kalel Mullings running a route matched up on a LB, which McCarthy identified and targeted for 19. That got Michigan into the red zone and they needed just two plays to get it in the end zone, a jet sweep to Morgan and then a pass to Corum who was wide open underneath for a walk-in TD. 7-7 tie. 

[Patrick Barron]

Alabama's third drive looked a lot like their first, utter domination at the hands of the Michigan defense. The first down run was stuffed, then a quick incompletion, and finally pressure forced Milroe to scramble, falling down short of the line to gain. Three-and-out and another punt. Michigan did appear to be let off the hook on the punt when Kechaun Bennett made contact with the Alabama punter, who did his best to sell the call. Referees didn't buy it and the Wolverines took over. They had another solid drive brewing near midfield when Max Bredeson was called for a personal foul after jumping on the player he had been blocking, making helmet-to-helmet contact. That erased a first down run and turned it into 2nd & 11 for a foul unrelated to the play. Michigan ended up getting to 4th & 1 despite the setback but opted to punt on their half of midfield. 

Still no dice, for the Bama offense, though. Mike Barrett sacked Milroe on first down, then Milroe was sacked by Kris Jenkins on 2nd down. Faced with 3rd & 23, Michigan conceded the 12 yard QB draw from Milroe and forced another punt. Michigan's offense was still missing an effective McCarthy and that killed their next drive. They gained four yards on first down thanks to an Alex Orji run but McCarthy missed an open Cornelius Johnson down the field, airmailing it over his head. On 3rd & 6 McCarthy targeted Roman Wilson, who was not open, and the ball fell incomplete. Punt. 

The defensive struggle continued. Michigan shut down Bama runs on first and second down and then Mike Sainristil sniffed out a 3rd & 9 Milroe keeper to force yet another Alabama punt. Michigan took the ball back over and began what would be a much busier close to the half for the two teams after a long stretch of defensive dominance. Michigan started it on the ground, Blake Corum churning out yards and then McCarthy delivered a missile to Colston Loveland for 12 yards over the middle. Michigan then dialed up a double pass, with Donovan Edwards throwing laterally across the field to McCarthy. His throw was nearly too high for McCarthy, who had to catch it, step backwards, and throw, all with Alabama EDGE superstar Dallas Turner bearing down on him. Amazingly, JJ did so and got it complete deep down the field for Wilson into Alabama territory. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: more recap]