2022 Michigan Wolverines football team

2022 Michigan Wolverines football
Big Ten champion
Big Ten East Division champion
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionEast Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 3
APNo. 3
Record13–1 (9–0 Big Ten)
Head coach
Co-offensive coordinatorSherrone Moore (2nd season)
Co-offensive coordinatorMatt Weiss (1st season)
Offensive schemePro spread
Defensive coordinatorJesse Minter (1st season)
Co-defensive coordinatorSteve Clinkscale (1st season)
Base defense4–2–5
MVPBlake Corum
Captains
Home stadiumMichigan Stadium
Uniform
Seasons
← 2021
2023 →
2022 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 3 Michigan xy$^   9 0     13 1  
No. 4 Ohio State ^   8 1     11 2  
No. 7 Penn State   7 2     11 2  
Maryland   4 5     8 5  
Michigan State   3 6     5 7  
Indiana   2 7     4 8  
Rutgers   1 8     4 8  
West Division
Purdue xy   6 3     8 6  
Illinois   5 4     8 5  
Iowa   5 4     8 5  
Minnesota   5 4     9 4  
Wisconsin   4 5     7 6  
Nebraska   3 6     4 8  
Northwestern   1 8     1 11  
Championship: Michigan 43, Purdue 22
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2022 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines compiled an overall record of 12–0 in the regular season with a mark of 9–0 in conference play, winning the Big Ten East Division title for the second consecutive season. Michigan beat Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game to repeat as conference champions. The Wolverines advanced to the College Football Playoff (CFP) for the second straight year, where they lost to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl for the CFP Semifinal on December 31.

Junior running back Blake Corum won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football, awarded to the best player from the Big Ten, and the Ameche–Dayne Running Back of the Year as the Big Ten's best running back. Graduate center Olu Oluwatimi, a transfer from the University of Virginia prior to the season, won the Outland Trophy as the nation's best interior lineman and the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best center. Senior defensive end Mike Morris was named the Smith–Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year as the Big Ten's top defensive lineman. Harbaugh was recognized as the Hayes–Schembechler Coach of the Year by the Big Ten. Corum and Oluwatimi were consensus selections to the 2022 College Football All-America Team. Michigan's offensive line was honored with the Joe Moore Award for second straight season.

Season highlights included:

  • Sophomore J. J. McCarthy replaced senior Cade McNamara as the team's starting quarterback after the second game of the season against Hawaii.
  • The Wolverines rushed for 418 yards, their highest single-game total since 2016, in a 41–17 victory over No. 10 Penn State.
  • Corum rushed for 177 yards in a 29–7 victory over Michigan State. Eight Michigan State players were suspended after a post-game assault on two Michigan players.
  • Fifth-year placekicker Jake Moody kicked a game-winning field goal with nine seconds remaining in a 19–17 victory over Illinois on Senior Day.
  • The Wolverines had five explosive plays of 45 yards or more to defeat No. 2 Ohio State by a 45–23 score. It was Michigan's first victory at Ohio Stadium since 2000.
  • Donovan Edwards rushed for 185 yards and received the most valuable player award as Michigan defeated Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game.

The team's statistical leaders were McCarthy with 2,719 passing yards, 22 touchdown passes, 5 interceptions, and a 64.6% completion percentage; Corum with 1,463 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 247 carries; and graduate wide receiver Ronnie Bell with 62 catches for 889 receiving yards. Moody converted 29 of 35 field goal attempts and 60 of 60 kicks for point after touchdown and led the team with 147 points scored, which broke the previous program record of 138 points scored, set by Desmond Howard during his Heisman Trophy-winning campaign in 1991. Moody also set program records for field goals in a season (29), career field goals (66), career points scored (355), and longest field goal (59 yards). Morris had a team-high 7.5 quarterback sacks. Sophomore linebacker Junior Colson paced the team with 101 tackles. Edwards rushed for 991 yards and 7 touchdowns on 140 carries, averaging 7.1 yards per rush, and had 18 receptions for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air. Senior wide receiver Cornelius Johnson had a team-high six touchdown receptions.[1]

  1. ^ "2022 Michigan Football Statistics". Mgoblue.com. University of Michigan. Retrieved December 8, 2022.