Two Viral Plays, Stubborn Defense Lead Michigan To Blowout Of BYU
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
It's a nice week for Michigan football when the Internet at large starts comparing its players to NFL stars Odell Beckham Jr. and Marshawn Lynch.
After several weeks of offensive questions surrounding the Wolverines -- specifically Jake Rudock, who has struggled to throw the ball downfield this season -- the team put together two dazzling plays that SportsCenter will be interested in, a 31-0 first-half blowout of BYU (the margin held as the final score) and an answer to the question of whether or not Rudock can put points on the board.
Michigan harpooned the Cougars early with downfield passing that fans have been anxious for all season. On the Wolverines' second series, staring at a 3rd-and-5, Rudock chucked the ball down the left sideline for Amara Darboh to leap up and snag with one hand before hauling it into his chest at the BYU 19-yard line for a 21-yard gain. Those on social media immediately started comparing the catch to Beckham Jr.'s, which was considered one of the best plays in the NFL last season.
"Coach (Jedd) Fisch, Coach (Jim) Harbaugh – they all talk about on third down giving the receiver the chance (of) going up and making the play, and I think that helped us," said Darboh, who also officially received his U.S. citizenship this week.
After that catch, the Wolverines amassed a 14-0 lead off a Rudock rushing touchdown and then a Rudock toss to Darboh in the back of the end zone. The fifth-year senior quarterback has heard plenty of criticism throughout the course of the season, but put together a solid performance Saturday, completing 14-of-25 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown.
"I thought he was having fun playing the game, letting it rip," said head coach Jim Harbaugh on Rudock. "I thought the offense did a heck of a job controlling possession of the football."
To create an intra-team competition for the best play of the day in college football, running back De'Veon Smith would take his turn to go viral on the next series. On second and two, he seemingly had been swallowed in the trenches, but somehow managed to break his way out of the hole for what could have been a solid gain. But Smith took it even further and broke out into the open, with only BYU's Michael Davis standing in his way.
"To be honest, I thought I was down for a second, but I put my hand down," Smith said. "Once I got to the second level, I knew for a fact I wasn't letting number 15 tackle me."
Number 15 at least went down swinging. Smith hit him with a well-placed stiff arm, and got some space from their nearly-tangling legs. Davis swiped at Smith's arms, flailing, trying to slap at a barreling train. When he finally caught up, Davis threw both arms down on Smith's shoulders and managed to spin him around to face the other direction. And if you were to pause the film at that moment, you'd swear he had him. But Smith threw 6-2, 195-pound Davis off his back like an old winter coat and high-stepped into the end zone for a 21-0 lead, as well as Lynch's "Beast Mode" tag thrown onto him for the day.
Although not as flashy as Smith, Michigan's defense was a bit of a runaway train going downhill, too. They slammed into BYU and effectively shut down any chance the Cougars had of moving downfield. BYU totaled eight first downs – and went from late in the first quarter until late in the third quarter without gaining one.
And the No. 22 team in the country put together a piddling 105 yards of total offense, 50 on the ground and 55 through the air.
"The next six hours are going to be great," Harbaugh said. "I just really feel good, happy when we win a game. Then about six hours from now, I turn kind of gloomy and start thinking about the next opponent, and that's Maryland, and start of the Big 10 season."
