On the back of sophomore running back Jordan Marshall's massive game, No. 21 Michigan (7-2 overall, 5-1 Big Ten) scraped a victory over Purdue (2-7, 0-6) by a closer-than-expected score of 21-16.
For the second week in a row, the Wolverines passing game was out of sorts, as Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood threw 13-for-22 for 145 yards and an interception. Starting his second game of the season due to junior running back Justice Haynes's injury, Marshall picked up the slack in the run game. He rushed for 185 yards on 25 carries, and collected all three of Michigan's touchdowns.
The Wolverines and Boilermakers traded punts on the first two drives of the game, but Purdue definitely looked more comfortable, working into plus territory on its first drive. On their second drive, the Boilermakers pushed into Michigan territory once again, this time even entering the red zone.
But the Wolverines bailed themselves out, as senior edge rusher Derrick Moore got into the backfield and forced a fumble, which Michigan jumped on.
Michigan's offense finally found its rhythm as the first quarter wound down. After two empty trips with not much to show for, Marshall took matters into his own hands.
He caught a screen pass for 25 yards on the first play of the drive, then burst through a hole for a 54-yard touchdown rush on the second, giving his team a 7-0 lead with 1:25 left in the first quarter.
The Boilermakers continued to look comfortable on offense to start the second quarter, and this time, they turned their momentum into points. It took Purdue 16 plays to drive 75 yards, but running back Antonio Harris finally punched it in from the 2-yard line to tie the game at 7-7.
After an extended stint on the sideline while Purdue drove down the field, Underwood and the offense came back to the field looking much more confident and comfortable. But it didn't last for long.
On a third-and-6 in the red zone, Underwood was pressured, forcing him to scramble. He tried to fit in a pass over the middle, but it was picked off with 2:05 remaining in the half.
Michigan caught a massive break just over a minute later, however, as Purdue's punter shanked his kick, giving the Wolverines the ball 30-yards away from the end zone with 58 seconds left in the half. It took only five plays for Michigan to take advantage, as Marshall cashed in his second touchdown of the night with a 2-yard score. The Wolverines took the 14-7 lead into the break.
Purdue came out of halftime with more energy. Michigan went three-and-out and was forced to punt on its first drive, whereas the Boilermakers continued to break down the Wolverines defense and pushed the ball all the way to Michigan's 24-yard line. An intentional grounding penalty forced a 50-yard field goal try, but the Boilermakers knocked it through, cutting the Wolverines' lead to 14-10.
Both squads traded punts before either got another chance to score, and this time, it was Michigan's turn. After working down to Purdue's 23-yard line thanks to a 37-yard reverse-flea flicker caught by junior tight end Zack Marshall, Underwood fumbled the ball just a few yards short of a touchdown. The ball rolled out of bounds in the end zone, giving the Boilermakers a touchback, and marking Underwood's second red zone turnover of the night.
Still, the Wolverines took the 14-10 lead into the fourth quarter, and in a good position, too. On the first play of the quarter, Purdue went for a fourth-and-2 near midfield and failed to convert.
Taking advantage of the good field position and a rolling run game, Michigan once again worked into the red zone. This time, it turned the trip into points. After seemingly getting stood up at the 5-yard line, Jordan Marshall emerged from the scrum still on his feet and waltzed into the end zone for his third touchdown of the night, putting Michigan up by two scores, 24-10.
Purdue wasn't going to go away that easily, not after they'd given Michigan all it could handle for more than three quarters. In nine plays, the Boilermakers traversed 67 yards to cash in a 5-yard passing touchdown. They went for two to try to make it a three-point game, but the Wolverines came up with a stop to hold the score at 21-16 with six minutes remaining.
In response, the Wolverines ran the ball nine straight times for 66 yards to drain all six minutes off of the clock and secure Michigan's seventh win of the season. It wasn't exceedingly pretty, but the Wolverines have one more bye week to clean some things up before the final stretch of the regular season.
