In-game updates: It's Nebraska at Michigan football
Michigan junior safety Matthew Cavanaugh brings down Nebraska wide receiver Tim Marlowe in the first half.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
Fourth quarter
Michigan 45, Nebraska 17: Fitzgerald Toussaint raced 31 yards for his second touchdown of the game, one play after Michigan recovered a fumble by Taylor Martinez. Michigan is 9-2 overall, 5-2 in the Big Ten.
Michigan 38, Nebraska 17: Denard Robinson found Martavious Odoms in the end zone and hit him with a 38-yard touchdown pass. Robinson is 11-for-17 passing for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Michigan drove 86 yards in 10 plays. Michigan's drive was extended by a roughing-the-kicker penalty when Nebraska's Wil Richards ran into Michigan punter Will Hagerup. Robinson has 35 career touchdown passes, tying him in Michigan history with Tom Brady.
Third quarter
Michigan 31, Nebraska 17: Ameer Abdullah took a pitch from running back Rex Burkhead and ran 3 yards for a touchdown. Nebraska put together its best drive of the game, going 31 yards in seven plays and converting its first third-down play of the day.
Michigan 31, Nebraska 10: A fake field goal resulted in Drew Dileo racing 4 yards to the 1-yard line, setting up a touchdown run by Fitzgerald Toussaint, his eighth of the season.
Michigan 24, Nebraska 10: Denard Robinson ran right and found the corner of the end zone and scored second touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run. Michigan went 33 yards in seven plays after recovering a fumble by Nebraska's Kenny Bell on the second-half kickoff.
Second quarter
Michigan 17, Nebraska 10: A Denard Robinson drive. The Michigan quarterback scored on a 14-yard run up the middle, one play after rushing for 9 yards. Michigan went 74 yards in 12 plays.
Michigan 10, Nebraska 10: Brett Maher kicked a 51-yard field goal into a slight but steady breeze as the Cornhuskers tied the game. Nebraska only moved the ball 1 yard in four plays but took the ball over in Michigan territory after Terrence Moore intercepted a Denard Robinson pass at the Michigan 34.
First quarter
First-quarter numbers: Michigan has 151 net yards and Nebraska has 115. ... 54 of Nebraska's came on its last play of the quarter. ... Michigan dominated time of possession, controlling the ball for 11 minutes, 16 seconds to Nebraska's 3:44. ... Denard Robinson has 64 yards passing and 31 yards rushing.
Michigan 10, Nebraska 7: Brandon Kinnie was alone behind the Michigan defense and caught a 54-yard pass from Taylor Martinez and trotted into the end zone. It's the longest play the Michigan defense has allowed this season.
Michigan 10, Nebraska 0: Brendan Gibbons kicked a career-long 42-yard field goal, one play after Denard Robinson was sacked for a 13-yard loss. Michigan drove 30 yards in nine plays.
Michigan 7, Nebraska 0: Denard Robinson found Jeremy Gallon running across the back of the end zone with a 6-yard touchdown pass. Robinson set up the touchdown with a 46-yard, high, lofting pass that found Roy Roundtree. The drive took eight plays and went 79 yards.
Game under way: Michigan opened on offense and started at their own 32-yard line. Power is still out for much of the stadium, and Michigan is headed toward the scoreboard that is black and Denard Robinson is relying on officials signals to control the game clock. Michigan went three-and-out on its first drive.
Pregame
Both Michigan and Nebraska enter the game today at Michigan Stadium at 8-2 overall, 4-2 in the Big Ten.
Power or no power. Much of the power at Michigan Stadium went out about 90 minutes before kickoff, leaving scoreboards empty. The outage did not delay the game.
Statistically, the two teams are freakishly even. But this game is different for Nebraska, the first-year Big Ten member after the Cornhuskers ditched the Big 12.
Nebraska was supposed to enter the league and dominate the Legends Division. Instead, Michigan State is in control at 5-1 and the Cornhuskers, like Michigan, only have an outside shot at the division title.
From the Lincoln Star Journal:
Win today and admire the possibilities: Possibly still a trip to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game. And if not that, possibly an at-large bid to a BCS bowl game. You'd hear no complaints about either of those scenarios. But … lose today and the Huskers could very well finish third in a Legends Division many believed was theirs to win in the preseason. A loss would guarantee a 12th straight season without a conference championship.
The game starts at noon, and we'll have updates throughout the game in this post.
In the meantime:
All about the game: Read our mega guide.
Join our in-game live chat: Rich Rezler is your friendly host.
Check out AnnArbor.com's Michigan Football News and views on Facebook. "Like" the page and sign up for your chance to win 4 Ohio State at Michigan football tickets.
Some fans are going all out for the Nebraska at Michigan football game.
Jeff Sainlar | AnnArbor.com
Comments
Rufus
Sat, Nov 19, 2011 : 11:19 p.m.
Al Borges should get the game ball. He put Denard in an offense that fits. Great game calling AL. Can't wait for Ohio.
The OSU
Sat, Nov 19, 2011 : 10:51 p.m.
Iteresting. Blue led 31-17 at the end of the 3rd qtr. Nonetheless, DR and the rest of the 1st string stayed in the game and threw long. Real classy running up the score. Who is Hoke trying to impress? Alums? Pollsters? See you next week. Keep a seat warm for me. Don't worry that Michigan Stadium doesn't have electricity. We will bring our own power! Go Bucks! Beat Michigan!
doctrsnoop
Sun, Nov 20, 2011 : 12:30 a.m.
I admire ohio team today for helping PSU with their healing process. Very kind of them. Obviously they too are peaking. Please visit the boards after the game next week to gloat.
umgoblue47
Sat, Nov 19, 2011 : 9:09 p.m.
WOW. . . did i just watch a MICHIGAN football game or a MICHIGAN football clinic? defense. . . E X E C E L L E N T! offense. . . execellent! special teams. . . except for the missed field goal. . . pretty darn good! i love the word SPREAD in the morining. . . it sounds like. . . VICTORY! BRING ON ohio. . . WHO. . . GO BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rufus
Sat, Nov 19, 2011 : 11:21 p.m.
You said a word people hate in AA. Spread, But it fits Denard. Lou Holtz likes it. Chris Spiellman likes it. Nebraska hated it.
DonAZ
Sat, Nov 19, 2011 : 8:59 p.m.
Good win ... not a great win. I promise Hoke, Mattison and Borges are reminding the team about the missed opportunities and broken assignments. In the 3rd quarter with the score 27-17 it certainly looked like the offense had stalled and the defense lost some intensity. In a lot of way Nebraska lost this game. Don't get me wrong ... very happy for the 9th win ... but there's still a lot of upside improvement in execution consistency.
DonAZ
Sat, Nov 19, 2011 : 10:04 p.m.
@Larry -- oh, quite some time ... at least 3 years! :-) Look, I see the point you're making. There were a lot of positives in this game. And yes, the roughing the kicker call was a turning point ... it was about then that the momentum felt like it was shifting to Nebraska. Urban Meyer called it a game-changing call. On the whole this was a very good game ... and when you connect this game dot with the Illinois game dot you get a nice line trending upwards. My point ... and it's really a matter of degree ... is that tomorrow's game film session will not be *all* smiles and backslaps. That's not Hoke's style. Good win ... lots to work on ... never be satisfied ... always improve.
Larry Weisenthal
Sat, Nov 19, 2011 : 9:33 p.m.
No. It was a great win. Those weren't dropped balls; they were forced fumbles. The defense was as good as it could have been. The offense was consistent. Sure, they didn't score every possession, but they controlled the ball. The final score was simply indicative of the overall dominance. We caught a bit of a break, I suppose, on the roughing the kicker call. It was a legit call, though, and that's part of the game. Nebraska kicked a 52 yard field goal into the wind. We missed one that could have been made. It all evens out. Bottom line, it was great play on defense and very good play on offense. Excellent coaching and play calling. No, we aren't (yet) LSU. But we now have a very good team with very good coaches. Be honest now, when was the last time you felt this good about Michigan football?
MRunner73
Sat, Nov 19, 2011 : 9:07 p.m.
You are right because we will need to shore up a few things in order to BEAT the buckeyes. The finish line is near but the Maize and Blue must maintain stride then have one heck of a finishing kick.
MRunner73
Sat, Nov 19, 2011 : 8:52 p.m.
It has been an electric type day in and around the stadium. I could feel it this morning. Reading in between the lines in some of the AA.com articles about how the defense and offense was preparing for this game, you could sense that some good things were about to happen for the Maize and Blue. Stories on how our players were looking at more film made me wonder that there would be some pleasant surprises. The game itself was as electric as the night game against Notre Dame, earlier this season. I would have never guessed the Maize and Blue would hang 45 points on Nebraska. WOW! What a second half. Denard had a much better game. It has taken 10 and now 11 games for this to come around. The electricity will remain ALL WEEK...get on board, the train is leaving the station! GO BLUE!!!!
RJ12688
Sat, Nov 19, 2011 : 8:38 p.m.
Well, wonder what the RR crowd will have to say now?
Rufus
Sat, Nov 19, 2011 : 11:35 p.m.
I consider myself a grateful Hoke/Mattison fan. Some of us didn't like people degrading our alma mater with personal attacks. Did RR leave us like Penn State or OSU? Did RR destroy the institution? Was he a criminal. It seems like Borges running the spread had a lot to do with this win. RR was a bad fit, but never acted like anyone but himself. In the end he left with a lot of class despite the personal attacks I wish him well.
justcurious
Sat, Nov 19, 2011 : 8:30 p.m.
Great photograph Melanie!