No. 2 Michigan defeats Purdue for second straight Big Ten title

Dec 3, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards (7) celebrates after scoring on a 27-yard touchdown run during the second half of the Big Ten Championship against the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Donovan Edwards rushed for 185 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries to lead No. 2 Michigan to a 43-22 win over Purdue in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday in Indianapolis.

J.J. McCarthy threw for three touchdown passes for Michigan (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten), which won its second straight league title.

Mitchell Fineran kicked five field goals for Purdue.

Leading 14-13 at halftime, Michigan extended its lead to 28-13 on a pair of touchdowns in the first five minutes of the third quarter.

Four plays after Edwards ran for 60 yards to the Purdue 15, Kalel Mullings scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Wolverines a 21-13 lead with 12:25 left in the third quarter.

The Wolverines then went up 28-13 with 10:32 remaining in the third on a 27-yard touchdown run by Edwards.

Purdue cut Michigan’s lead to 28-19 on a pair of field goals by Fineran, the second being a 27-yarder with 12:37 remaining.

But following an interception by Will Johnson that gave Michigan the ball at the Purdue 16-yard line, the Wolverines took a 36-19 lead with 9:07 remaining on 17-yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to Ronnie Bell and a two-point conversion pass from McCarthy to Luke Schoonmaker.

Michigan took a 7-0 lead with 9:11 remaining in the first quarter on a 25-yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to Colston Loveland.

Purdue answered, going 92 yards in 10 plays and tying the game at 7-7 with 4:13 to go in the first on a 1-yard touchdown run by Devin Mockobee.

Purdue (8-5, 6-3) took a 10-7 lead with 13:39 left in the second quarter on a 33-yard field goal by Fineran, but Michigan grabbed a 14-10 lead with 7:05 to go in the first half on a 7-yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to Schoonmaker.

The score was set up after Purdue jumped offsides on fourth-and-6 when Michigan lined up for a 48-yard field-goal attempt.

The Wolverines then sent the offense back on the field and converted on fourth-and-1 to keep the drive going.

–Field Level Media

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