GLENDALE β Michiganβs football team touched down in Phoenix on Monday evening determined to make the most of their second consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff.
Saturdayβs Vrbo Fiesta Bowl game between the second-ranked Wolverines and No. 3 TCU stands as one of the two national semifinal contests. Saturday night, No. 1-ranked Georgia, the defending national champions, will take on No. 4 Ohio State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Michiganβs 2021 season season ended in a 34-11 semifinal loss to Georgia, the eventual national champion. Wolverines senior edge rusher Mike Morris still remembers the bitter feeling that came with coming up short exactly a year ago.
βI never want to feel that way again,β he said. βI felt like we came in there to be on vacation, and this year we made it a priority that this is a game weβve got to win.
βSo all the activities, all the bowl stuff is cool, but the focus is winning this game and winning a national championship.β
TCU, led by former UA offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes, has a shot to play spoiler. The key will be starting strong, something that doesnβt always come naturally. The Horned Frogs (12-1) were either tied or trailing at halftime four times, including in the Dec. 3 Big 12 Conference title game loss to Kansas State.
βThatβs something I feel like we have struggled with throughout the season,β said TCU center Steve Avila, a consensus All-American. βI think they say we havenβt put together a complete game, and one of the things that we do need to emphasize on this game on Saturday is you have to start fast, weβve got to give them our best punch.β
If the aforementioned first punch doesnβt land, expect the third-ranked Frogs β who are spearheaded by quarterback Max Duggan, a Heisman Trophy finalist β to gut it out the rest of the way. Duggan said heβs prepared to do whatever it takes to walk away victorious Saturday, even if it means utilizing his legs instead of his arm. Duggan has thrown for 3,321 yards and 30 touchdowns in Dykesβ βAir Raidβ attack, and has rushed for 404 yards and six scores, too.
βTheyβre a weapon,β Duggan said of his legs. βWeβre going to use them if we need to, whether itβs in designed runs, or breaking the pocket, things of that sort.β
The Wolverines (13-0) are aware of Dugganβs mobility and knack for breaking tackles. Theyβve faced talented offenses before. Michigan defensive back DJ Turner believes last monthβs game against Ohio Stateβs receiving corps, which includes AP First Team All-American Marvin Harrison Jr., provided the defense with confidence.
βWeβve done it before, Iβll say that,β Turner said, adding that the key is to βbe confident in what we can do, just know what we can do. Thatβs how we look at stuff, and go into games confident.β
Offensively, Michigan will turn to running back Donovan Edwards with starter Blake Corum out following meniscus surgery. Sophomore quarterback JJ McCarthy has thrown for three touchdowns in each of his last two games, a rivalry win over Ohio State and a Big Ten championship game victory over Purdue. He has completed 188 of 288 passes this season for 2,376 yards and 20 touchdowns. He has been intercepted just three times.
McCarthy said the Wolverines plan to establish the ground game early in the semifinal game. Michigan ranks fifth nationally with 243 rushing yards per game. TCU is giving up an average of 149.5 rushing yards per game.
βWe donβt care who lines up across from us. Itβs just going to be what weβve been doing all year, which is smashing people and executing at a high level for 60 minutes,β said McCarthy.
Saturdayβs winner will advance to Los Angeles for the national championship game against Georgia or Ohio State.
Two playoff victories by Georgia would give Heisman finalist Stetson Bennett and coach Kirby Smart their second straight title. Only Alabama and Clemson have won at least two championships since the College Football Playoff was introduced in 2014.