'Heroes' help No. 3 Wolverines remain unbeaten

ANN Arbor, Mich. -- Michigan recovered itself down 17-16 against Illinois successful the 4th fourth with lone 9 seconds to spell Saturday, erstwhile elder kicker Jake Moody ran onto the tract for what would beryllium the past footwear of his assemblage vocation astatine Michigan Stadium.

Moody had ne'er kicked a game-winning tract extremity successful his full career, but helium lined up for the 35-yarder from the close hash and enactment it consecutive done the uprights to support Michigan's undefeated play live with a 19-17 win. It was Moody's 4th tract extremity of the game, but helium said determination hasn't been different footwear he's had that compares to this 1 against Illinois.

"For it to beryllium successful my last crippled astatine the Big House, it was beauteous magical," Moody said. "I'm conscionable gladsome we could nonstop retired the seniors connected a bully note."

Last season, Moody won the Lou Groza Award, fixed to the nation's champion kicker, and had made 25 of 30 tract goals anterior to making each 4 against Illinois.

After his squad gutted retired a triumph successful the last seconds, Jim Harbaugh said helium had a locker country "full of heroes," which included Moody and his heroics connected the day. There had lone been 1 different top-five College Football Playoff squad to flooded a last-minute shortage coming into Saturday, erstwhile Alabama bushed LSU successful 2014, and Harbaugh's squad had accomplished the aforesaid connected the ft of his prima kicker.

Harbaugh highlighted astir of his players, but spent astir 3 minutes discussing Moody and the show helium enactment connected to support the No. 3 Wolverines' playoff hopes intact.

"I don't cognize if immoderate of america truly rather comprehend what that feeling's similar that helium experienced today," Harbaugh said. "When helium came into the locker room, each feline was chanting his name. It was a tremendous celebration."

Despite the information that backmost J.J. McCarthy completed conscionable 53% of his passes and prima moving backmost Blake Corum suffered an evident genu wounded precocious successful the 2nd quarter, Harbaugh lone focused connected the positives and described this play arsenic a blessed travel with a squad of heroes.

Harbaugh wasn't acrophobic astir the wounded to Corum oregon antiaircraft extremity Mike Morris oregon choky extremity Luke Schoonmaker, saying that whoever is connected the fringe volition apt play successful the last contention against Ohio State. Corum's X-rays came backmost antagonistic and the lone update Harbaugh did springiness was that determination wasn't thing earnestly injured structurally.

Harbaugh brought the speech close backmost to his kicker, though, and described successful item each of the 4 kicks from Moody and however awesome it was with acold and windy conditions.

He compared the precocious comeback to the contention Michigan had with Penn State successful the 2021 play erstwhile Michigan was trailing the Nittany Lions by 4 points successful the 4th quarter. Tight extremity Erick All caught a walk from backmost Cade McNamara and ran it successful for a 47-yard touchdown to enactment the Wolverines up and springiness his squad the win.

The passing crippled had its struggles this clip astir and the squad was without its champion moving back, looking to its astir accordant subordinate to bring location the triumph successful Moody. He noted helium wasn't immoderate much tense than helium would beryllium for immoderate different tract goal, but Moody noted helium understood what this footwear meant for his team.

He lined up, with the upwind astatine his back, and enactment 3 points connected the committee to nonstop his squad to Columbus, Ohio, undefeated and a accidental astatine extending their season.

"Legend. I've been watching Michigan shot since I was a kid, beauteous decent historiographer of Michigan football," Harbaugh said. "I americium nominating him for legendary presumption astatine the university."