ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Happy Warriors playing a happy game! That’s it. The Michigan Wolverines played their game on Saturday night as they won their second-straight Big Ten Championship shelling Purdue in the second half, 43-22. It is the first time that Michigan has won back-to-back Big Ten Championships since 1991-1992. It is also the first time that they have gone 13-0 in a season.

“All the credit goes to these men on the team up here. We talked that it hasn’t been a grim mission but a happy mission but more than that it’s been a Godly mission,” says head coach Jim Harbaugh. “This program is beyond culture. It’s a brotherhood – amongst the staff, amongst the players – and that’s what it is. It’s love of others. It’s been perseverance. It’s been great love and we are happy to be back-to-back champs.”

MORE NEWS: Detroit School’s Office of Inspector General Uncovered $3.5M in Fraud in 2023-24

It was typical Michigan football that took place, be close at the half, dominate the second half. With the Michigan only up one at the half, 14-13, they came out and scored 29 points in the second half holding Purdue to just nine. The defense held Purdue to just 90 rushing yards and recorded two interceptions by Will Johnson.

J.J. McCarthy ran the smooth offense like he always does getting it done when it needed to be done. He threw three touchdown passes but was just 11-for-17 for 161 yards. It wasn’t pretty numbers but his leadership and style of play is exactly what Michigan needs. Ronnie Bell, Luke Schoonmaker, and Colston Loveland all had receiving touchdowns.

“This is everything we have done every single week. The constant preparation that was done in the offseason and then the execution on the weekly basis. We are doing us and it worked out,” says McCarthy. “We have been in this situation before (at halftime) and it really wasn’t anything but the usual of we have 30 minutes to give it our all. We are the best second half team in the country and it showed again.”

Donyvan Edwards continues to make a name for himself rushing for 185 yards on 25 carries and one touchdown. In the last two games combined he has now rushed for almost 500 yards.

“Donyvan is a special back and a special human being and I am so happy he is on our side,” says McCarthy.

MORE NEWS: Give a Pet a Home for the Holidays at Michigan’s Reduced-Fee Adoption Event

Edwards said after being the Grange-Griffin MVP of the game, “First and foremost I couldn’t do this without my Lord and Savior. I am blessed to be able to do this in the name of the Lord and Praise His Name after this big time game that we just played. Shout out to Blake Corum. He is the best running back in football and deservedly needs the Heisman. This is for you.”

Corum, who is out with a knee injury and is having surgery, led the team to this point from the beginning of the year. He has over 1,400 yards rushing and his explosive style of running put kept Michigan in games in the second half. His numbers and impact on the team should be enough to send him to the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Michigan allowed Purdue to be in the game in the first half. Both teams scored in the first quarter with a 7-7 tie at the end of it. Loveland had the first touchdown of the game on a 25-yard pass from McCarthy at the 9:11 mark. Purdue tied it at 4:13 on a one-yard run and then took the lead, 10-7, in the second quarter at 13:39 on a 33-yard field goal. Six minutes later, Michigan scored on a another pass from McCarthy this time to Schoomaker from seven yards out to take the lead, 14-10. Purdue scored just before the half on a 45-yard field goal making it 14-13 at the half.

It was all Michigan to begin the second half with two straight touchdown drives of over 60 yards. The first was a 75-yard drive as Kalel Mullings rushed in from one-yard out for the 21-13 lead. Edwards then broke open for a 27 yard run to make it, 28-13. Purdue scored twice, only field goals, though, as the Michigan defense held. With 12:37 left in the game, Michigan was up, 28-19.

Bell made it 36-17 with 9:06 left on a 17-yard reception from McCarthy in a three-play drive. Purdue settled for another field goal pulling to within two scores, 36-22. That didn’t last very long as Mullings had his second rushing touchdown of the day from three-yards out for the final, 43-22.

“We said we were going to be back last year and it’s just amazing we are back and we aren’t going to have that same taste in our mouth from last year and that’s for sure,” said McCarthy.

Michigan will now wait to see what seed they will be in playoffs – most likely being #2 after Georgia took care of business over LSU in the SEC championship.

“It’s self-explanatory what our goals are. I believe we have talked about it all year and there really isn’t much more to be said,” says Edwards.

Those goals. Be a national champion. That’s the next step for Michigan as they enter the playoffs.