Trying to break a 7-7 tie in the final minutes before half of the Rose Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal against Alabama, Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore dug deep into his bag of tricks.
The Wolverines dialed up a double-pass out of a halfback toss, but a bad pass from running back Donovan Edwards almost resulted in disaster.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy had to make an impressive catch to avoid a free ball hitting the turf, but he also managed to spin around, reset his feet and deliver a precise pass to execute the play for a big gain that ultimately set up a go-ahead Michigan touchdown.
JJ MCCARTHY WITH AN UNBELIEVABLE PLAY ‼️
How many college QBs could pull this off? 🤔pic.twitter.com/mDIcLB8plf
— Covers (@Covers) January 1, 2024
He paid the price, however. He was slow to get up, and he was rewarded with a facemask full of sod.
J.J. McCarthy had to pull grass out of his helmet after that last hit pic.twitter.com/4ziPVfSfzZ
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) January 1, 2024
Unfortunately for Michigan, a bad snap on the ensuing extra-point attempt only allowed it to extend its lead to six points.
With the Wolverines’ defense dominating the first half, the team needed a big play on offense to take control of the momentum. McCarthy’s impressive play allowed it to do just that ahead of the halftime break with a spot in the national championship on the line.
