The second-ranked Wolverines scored on a pick-six seconds into the game and did not take their foot off the gas even as starters departed in the second half.

By Randy Johnson

October 8, 2023 at 4:52AM

For the Gophers to pull off an upset of second-ranked Michigan on Saturday night, they would need to not give away free points to the Wolverines defense.

That plan lasted all of 12 seconds.

Michigan cornerback Will Johnson intercepted an Athan Kaliakmanis pass and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown on the second play from scrimmage, kick-starting the Wolverines in their 52-10 victory over the Gophers in front of an announced 52,179 at Huntington Bank Stadium.

The Wolverines (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) limited the Gophers (3-3, 1-2) to 169 total yards, including 7 in the third quarter. Safety Keon Sabb added a second pick-six of Kaliakmanis late in the third quarter.

Michigan's offense got in on the act, too. J.J. McCarthy rushed for two touchdowns and completed 14 of 20 passes for 219 yards and a TD. Blake Corum rushed nine times for 69 yards and a TD as the Wolverines retained the Little Brown Jug.

"They're as good as advertised,'' Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said. "… They're the best football team I've seen in 11 years of being a head coach."

There were few highlights for the Gophers against a team that has won the past two Big Ten titles and is seeking its third consecutive College Football Playoff berth.

Daniel Jackson's diving 35-yard touchdown catch with 6 seconds left in the second quarter cut Michigan's lead to 24-10. Minnesota became the first team this season to score in double figures against the Wolverines, who had allowed a total of 30 points in their previous five games. And Dragan Kesich kicked a 54-yard field goal, the fifth longest in school history.

Kaliakmanis had a rough game, finishing 5-for-16 for 52 yards, with the two interception returns going for 64 yards. "I've just gotta be more accurate in those situations," he said.

Redshirt freshman Zach Evans led the Gophers in rushing with 12 carries for 45 yards.

The night belonged to Michigan from the start, when Johnson jumped the route on a pass intended for Gophers wide receiver Corey Crooms Jr.

"We just didn't execute at a high enough level," Fleck said.

The Wolverines increased the lead to 10-0 on James Turner's 31-yard field goal that capped a 10-play, 59-yard drive. Michigan converted a fourth-and-1 situation when McCarthy hit Kalel Mullings for a 13-yard gain.

On their third possession, the Gophers received a jolt from Evans, who ripped off successive runs of 12, 14 and 8 yards. Minnesota reached the Michigan 36, but Evans was dropped for a 4-yard loss on first down, followed by an incomplete pass and a 5-yard run by Kaliakmanis. Kesich then kicked his 54-yarder, cutting Michigan's lead to 10-3 with 2:35 left in the first quarter.

"I'm really proud of our running backs," Gophers center Nathan Boe said. "They've got some of the hardest jobs in college football. It's always the mentality of next man up, and they keep running really hard."

In the second quarter, Corum showed how explosive he can be by gaining the edge and outrunning the Gophers defense for a 40-yard gain to the Minnesota 22. Five plays later, Corum leaped over the top for a 1-yard TD run and a 17-3 Michigan lead with 10:08 left in the half.

"They took advantage of the holes that were there," Gophers defensive lineman Jalen Logan-Redding said. "Not only that, they've got good backs."

Michigan used another explosive play to set up a TD that boosted the lead to 24-3 with 5:50 left in the second quarter. McCarthy connected with Cornelius Johnson for a 49-yard gain to the Gophers 5, and the QB dived in for the touchdown on a sweep.

The Gophers responded by driving to the Michigan 40 late in the first half. Facing fourth-and-2, Fleck let the clock run down to 22 seconds left before calling timeout, drawing boos from the fans. Bryce Williams converted the fourth-down situation with a 5-yard gain, and Kaliakmanis spiked the ball with 13 seconds left.

Those boos turned to cheers on the next play when Kaliakmanis lofted a pass to the right side of the end zone, and Jackson made a spectacular catch for a touchdown.

"When the play call came in, I was excited because I knew he was going to make the play,'' Kaliakmanis said of Jackson. "I just had to get him the ball."

The Gophers forced Michigan to go three-and-out to start the third quarter, giving a glimmer of hope that they could get back into the game. The Wolverines answered by forcing their own three-and-out.

"Possessions are everything against them," Fleck said. "It's almost like playing a triple-option team that doesn't run the triple option but scores at will."

Michigan seemingly scored at will in the rest of the third quarter, padding the lead to 31-10 on McCarthy's 7-yard TD run, making it 38-10 on McCarthy's 24-yard TD connection with tight end Colston Loveland, and boosting it to 45-10 on Sabb's interception return with 1:43 left in the third.

Leon Franklin's 2-yard TD run made it 52-10 with 9:21 to play with fans already streaming out of the stadium.

Afterward, the Gophers were left to contemplate a 42-point defeat with the bye week upcoming and a trip to Iowa the following week.

"We got beat tonight, period,'' Fleck said. "We didn't lose the game. They beat us in every facet of the game."

Added Boe: "We're a really tight group. … This doesn't change anything for us. It's all about just staying positive, getting better and learning from this."