Michigan: 2023 College Football Playoff National Champions

 

No. 1 Michigan dominated No. 2 Washington on the ground in the first quarter and allowed itself to be contained for half the game before finishing the fourth quarter exactly as it started the game. The Wolverines piled up a history-making 303 yards rushing while obliterating the Huskies on both lines of scrimmage in a 34-13 victory to capture the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship in Houston and bring a ring back to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the first time since 1997.

Running back Blake Corum led the way for the maize & blue with 134 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 21 touches, but it was Donovan Edwards -- barely contributing all season while dealing with injuries -- who broke loose for two first-quarter touchdowns and totaled 104 yards on six carries. Michigan's 303 yards rushing were not only more than Washington's total yardage in the game (301), it was the most yards on the ground by a national title winner in the BCS/CFP era (since 1998).

Corum and Edwards became the first teammates to each rush for 100+ yards in a national championship since Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon of Alabama in the 2013 BCS Championship Game and the first duo to also rush for two touchdowns each since Mark Ingram II and Trent Richardson of Alabama in the 2010 BCS title game. Meanwhile, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy compiled the fewest yards passing by a winning signal caller (140) since Greg McElroy's 58 yards for the Crimson Tide in that 2010 BCS title game.

For Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh, hoisting the CFP trophy Monday night was a feather in the cap of the ultimate Michigan Man who carried on many tenets injected into the program by his former coach, the legendary Bo Schembechler. Harbaugh, who struggled to beat Ohio State across his first six seasons at Michigan, has now taken down his program's arch rival in three straight seasons, winning as many Big Ten Championship Games and now a national title.

Monday night also concludes a controversy-filled season in which Harbaugh spent six games away from Michigan while serving three-game suspensions that bookended the campaign, one instituted by U-M amid potential NCAA violations and another handed down by the Big Ten amid allegations of improper sign stealing.

A week after surviving an overtime battle against No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl for its first CFP semifinal victory in three tries, Michigan was pushed again Monday night. Washington rallied from an early 17-3 deficit and had the ball with a chance to tie the game early in the fourth quarter. However, after a defensive stand, the Wolverines marched 71 yards on just five plays with Corum's second score, a 12-yard run, pushing Michigan ahead 27-13 with 7:09 remaining.

Washington's top-ranked passing offense struggled to gain traction as Michigan's top-ranked defense proved to be the superior unit. Huskies star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was intercepted twice with the second a game-sealing pick and 81-yard return from cornerback Mike Sainristil with 3:37 remaining. Corum put the finishing touches on Michigan's title win with a 7-yard touchdown run two plays later.

Penix, the runner up in 2023 Heisman Trophy voting, finished 27-of-51 passing for 255 yards in his final college game after leading the Huskies to 21 straight victories over the past two seasons. His pinpoint accuracy and electric play fueled Washington all year, but Penix and his star-studded pass catchers were off their games Monday night with the quarterback sailing passes and his wide receivers dropping multiple balls in key situations.

Michigan won its first national championship since 1997 (split with Nebraska) and first undisputed crown of the modern era

This is the Wolverines' 10th national title in program history

Michigan became the first No. 1 seed to beat a No. 2 seed in the CFP National Championship (1-3)

U-M is the second Big Ten team to win a CFP (Ohio State, 2014)

The Wolverines are the first Big Ten team to win 15+ games since the University of Chicago in 1899

McCarthy is now 27-1 in his career as a starter (third-best winning percentage as starting QB in FBS history)

Michigan is 40-3 over the last three seasons after going 2-4 in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign

Washington's 21-game winning streak was snapped; it was the longest active streak in the FBS

Corum rushed for a touchdown in all 15 games this season

South Dakota State: 2023 NCAA Division I FCS National Champions

 FRISCO, Texas -- Mark Gronowski ran for a touchdown and threw for another after halftime as South Dakota State won its second straight Football Championship Subdivision title, beating Montana 23-3 on Sunday.

The Jackrabbits (15-0) extended their overall winning streak to 29 games, including their win over North Dakota State in last year's FCS game for their first national title.

South Dakota State had an impressive game-opening drive, but led only 7-3 at halftime. Gronowski, the quarterback starting his third FCS title game, then bulled into the end zone for a 10-yard score midway through the third quarter, and on the next possession threw a 23-yard TD to Jadon Janke.

Gronowski finished 13-of-21 passing for 175 yards and ran eight times for 62 yards. The Jackrabbits outgained Montana 372-273.

Montana's 27 playoff appearances are the most in the second tier of Division I football. National champions in 1995 and 2001, the Grizzlies (13-2) have now finished as the runner-up six times, four under coach Bobby Hauck.

This was the Grizzlies' first title game since 2009, when they were the runner-up for the third time in Hauck's first seven seasons. Hauck then left for FBS team UNLV and also was on staff at San Diego State before returning to Montana in 2018.

Less than two weeks after South Dakota State was crowned champions last year, John Stiegelmeier retired after 26 seasons as head coach. He was succeeded by defensive coordinator Jimmy Rogers, a former Jackrabbits linebacker who was captain of their first playoff team in 2009 -- when they lost to Montana after blowing a 27-point lead.

Both teams had only one possession in the first quarter Sunday. Montana's opening drive spilled into the first play of the second quarter, when on its 15th play, running back Eli Gillman was stuffed by Jackrabbits linebacker Adam Bock for no gain on fourth-and-goal from the 1.

South Dakota State had opened the game with a 75-play, 11-play drive. Gronowski completed his first five passes for 55 yards and converted a third-and-4 with a 9-yard keeper right before Isaiah Davis' 6-yard TD run.

That put the Jackrabbits ahead to stay, though they had a couple of costly mistakes before halftime.

A few plays after Bock's stop, one of his 11 tackles, Gronowski had a pass intercepted by Corbin Walker that Montana turned into a field goal for its only points. South Dakota State also had a turnover when punting, as the ball ricocheted off one of its players and recovered by the Griz, though they punted it back.

THE TAKEAWAY

Montana: Playmaking quarterback Clifton McDowell, who had been 11-0 as the Griz starter, was under increased pressure, especially after halftime. He completed 22 of 39 passes for 165 yards, but was sacked four times. After he was stripped of the ball when being sacked late in the third quarter, 295-yard defensive tackle Ryan Van Marel came up with it.

South Dakota State: In their third title game appearance in four seasons, the Jackrabbits became the first team since North Dakota State (2017-19) to repeat as champions. It was another stellar defensive performance in this playoff run for South Dakota State, which had two lopsided shutout victories (41-0 and 59-0) in its previous three games.

UP NEXT

Montana: The Big Sky champion Grizzlies take on one of SDSU's Missouri Valley Conference rivals in their 2024 opener. They host Missouri State on Aug. 31.

South Dakota State: The Jackrabbits open next season on the road Aug. 31 at Big 12 team Oklahoma State, the first major conference team they will play since a 7-3 loss at Iowa of the Big Ten in the 2022 opener that was their last loss.