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MICHIGAN'S MATT WILE KICKS GAME WINNER AS BYU ALMOST CLAIMS AN UPSET
PROVO, Utah -- BYU's stand in quarterback Christian Stewart hadn't managed to find the endzone all game against Michigan, despite passing for a career high 344 yards however when he punched home a 9 yard rushing touchdown with 33 seconds left on the clock the 63,500 odd BYU fans inside Lavell Edwards Stadium must have thought the sophomore had handed the Cougars their first win of the season.
Hold on! With the ball in the hands of quarterback Devin Gardner behind and offensive line that hadn't allowed a single sack all game and just three negative plays all game the unthinkable became imaginable as Gardner connected twice with Jehu Chesson II leaving 0:08 seconds on the clock and enough to maybe get two plays off, next Gardner found true freshman Freddy Canteen who stepped out of bounds with 0:02 seconds on the clock; up stepped Matt Wile to kick the 39 yard game winning field goal and break each and every heart that wore the blue and white of the Cougars today.
Dennis Norfleet celebrates with his teammates after returning a kickoff for a touchdown. If you have managed to read it this far then you would be under the impression that Devin Gardner had a solid day, well he did but had it not been for his fourth quarter pick six then the Wolverines would have never even had their hearts in their mouths. Gardner went 20-from-34 for 268 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and had it not been for the fact the two interceptions today now makes it seven on the season we could be talking about a potential Heisman start to the season for Gardner.
Unlike last week against Notre Dame where the Wolverines managed a lowly 90 yards rushing, they were helped out this week with a steller outing from De'Veon Smith who carried the ball 23 times for 124 yards and whilst he didn't add a touchdown to his day, Gardner did.
"My heart simply can't take it," Michigan head coach Brady Hoke said after the game. "Either these kids are trying to off me, or they just like playing out close games because we haven't had a game this year where we have been able to relax on the sidelines."
In what was a defensive struggle throughout for both teams to stop anything given by the fact the Wolverines and Cougars combined for 919 total offensive yards, there were some highlights; Michigan's Brennen Beyer managed four out the seven sacks recorded by the Wolverines on Christian Stewart with Willie Henry Jr. adding the other two. Then there was the two interceptions of which one was returned for sick by Bronson Kafusi for the Cougars with Robertson Daniel adding the other.
"I took a breath," Michigan kicker Matt Wile told reporters. "Then they iced me, so I used that as a chance to find the distance and I did. Then it was just about getting the same execution and thankfully I did and Shane (Michigan quarterback Shane Morris) got a got set on the ball too."
This game had crazy written all over it from the first quarter. If Devin Gardner's two yard touchdown run stood instead of being overturned then who would have imagined the next two plays would even see the light of day in this game.
With Utah backed up on their own 1 yard line, the Cougars called an ill fated option play which was snuffed out by the Wolverines defense and Christian Stewart was put down inside his own endzone for the safety, on the ensuing kickoff we would see the Wolverines make it 9-0 with Dennis Norfleet's 73 yard kickoff return.
For Utah; Jamaal Williams showed the nation why he is being considered an all-american after just four games with another 88 yards and two touchdowns carrying the ball 23 times and he will be forgiven for his mistake taking the ball outside on the Cougars two point attempt simply because of how he played today.
Michigan (3-1, 0-0) will now take its first bye week of the season after four straight games, they will then return to open up the Big Ten season against a so far undefeated Minnesota team.