Michigan football fireworks: Ranking the TDs vs. OSU from last two wins

Michigan football has outscored the Ohio State Buckeyes by a margin of 87-50 over the last two seasons, its first pair of consecutive wins in the rivalry since 1999-2000.

Michigan took down Ohio State 42-27 in Ann Arbor to close out the 2021 regular season, then followed it up with a 45-23 victory in Columbus last year. The Wolverines had 12 total touchdowns over the last two seasons, and it should have been a 13th with a sack-fumble that was blown dead late in the 2022 contest.

With the July 4th holiday upon us, here is a ranking of Michigan’s offensive fireworks from wins over OSU over the last two seasons.

7. J.J. McCarthy flexes toughness

Up 24-20 in the third quarter, Michigan put together a 15-play, 81-yard drive that went into the fourth quarter that was capped off by a touchdown run from J.J. McCarthy, who put his shoulder down and got into the endzone from three yards out. The Wolverines would lead 31-20 with 13:10 to go in the game.

On the next drive, OSU drove down the field looking to get the game within a field goal, but nickel corner Mike Sainristil broke up a third-down pass attempt to hold the Buckeyes to a field goal at 31-23 with 7:23 to go.

What followed will come up later on in this list.

6. A.J. Henning puts Wolverines on the board

Michigan was looking to send a message early on in the 2021 contest with the Buckeyes. On the first drive of the game, the Wolverines made sure it was received.

The Wolverines went 75 yards in 10 plays and finished with a 14-yard run from A.J. Henning on some trickery. Henning transferred this offseason and is heading to Northwestern.

5. Hassan Haskins’ five scores

Hassan Haskins scored five touchdowns in the 2021 win over the Buckeyes. His first came on a 1-yard run with 3:51 to go in the first half to help Michigan take a 14-10 lead that it would never look back from.

The bulk of his touchdown production came in the second half with a 13-yard (11:50) and one-yard run (5:49) in the third quarter, followed by a two-yard run (9:14) and four-yard run (2:17) in the final quarter. Haskins finished the day with 28 carries for 169 yards and five touchdowns.

4. Colston Loveland’s first touchdown at Michigan

Michigan went down 10-3 early to the Buckeyes and found its way back into the contest. Coming out of the locker room down 20-17, McCarthy found freshman tight end Colston Loveland from 45 yards out for his first-career score on a 45-yard reception.

Michigan went 75 yards in seven plays to take a 24-20 lead, one that would stand for good the rest of the way.

3. Third-down heroics from Cornelius Johnson

Down 10-3 after the first quarter of The Game in Columbus, Michigan gained one yard on two plays during a sequence in the middle of the second. Wide receiver Cornelius Johnson caught a pass along the sideline, broke a tackle and was off for the races to tie the game at 10-10.

Johnson’s score came from 69 yards out with 7:26 to go in the half and started to make the Buckeye crowd nervous after missing opportunities to pull away.

2. ‘They said the kid couldn’t throw the deep ball’

Ohio State answered Michigan’s 69-yard touchdown with a 47-yard field goal from Noah Ruggles to re-take the lead at 13-10 with 5:36 to go. 12 seconds later, momentum swung back in the favor of the Wolverines.

A blown coverage led to Johnson’s second touchdown of the day on a 75-yard pass from McCarthy, which gave the Wolverines the lead right back at 17-13 with 5:24 remaining.

1. Donovan Edwards helps Michigan break the Buckeyes

Michigan was able to break Ohio State for the second year in a row late in last season’s showdown at The Horseshoe.

The floodgates burst open with 7:11 remaining when Donovan Edwards took a handoff 75 yards to the house to push its lead to 38-23. After a defensive stock on the next drive, Edwards had another explosive run for 85 yards to put the game out of reach with 3:19 to go to seal a 45-23 victory.