Ohio State-Michigan: Wolverines stun Buckeyes with late field goal to win rivalry game again

Michigan players celebrate their touchdown against Ohio State during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Michigan players celebrate their touchdown against Ohio State during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

COLUMBUS — Dominic Zvada kicked a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left to give Michigan a 13-10 win over No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium.

Kalel Mullings broke free for a 27-yard run on third-and-6 from near midfield to put the Wolverines in position for the kick and their fourth win in a row in the series.

Those were the only points of the second half as Ohio State missed a field goal and had a turnover in the red zone in the third quarter.

The Buckeyes got the ball back with 45 seconds left at their 25-yard line with no timeouts and gained only one yard before turning it over on downs.

The Buckeyes forced a punt to start the game then drove 58 yards for a 29-yard field goal from Jayden Fielding to start the scoring in the first quarter.

Will Howard completed four of five passes for 38 yards while the OSU running game was mostly ineffective. One of the key plays was a 15-yard pass interference penalty on the Wolverines that moved the Buckeyes into the red zone.

Michigan followed that with a promising drive that was snuffed out at the 3-yard line, but the Wolverines got the ball right back when Aamir Hall intercepted Howard at the 13-yard line and returned it to the 2. Two plays later, Mullings slammed in from a yard out to put Michigan on top 7-3 with 12:37 left in the second quarter.

The Wolverines added to their lead with a 54-yard field goal by Dominic Zvada with 2:15 to go. He had the wind at his back and needed it as the ball just got over the crossbar. That was set up by a sequence in which Michigan got a 68-yard punt to pin the Buckeyes at their own 3-yard line, and Ohio State followed with a 31-yard punt to give the Wolverines the ball at the Ohio State 39.

Ohio State responded with an expertly executed two-minute drive that ended with Howard finding a wide-open Jeremiah Smith in the end zone with 30 seconds to go.

Howard nearly threw his second interception of the game on the first play of the drive then seemed to get into a rhythm.

He completed six of his next seven with the only incompletion a throwaway after a bad snap.

An 18-yarder to Emeka Egbuka got the Buckeyes into Michigan territory, and a pass interference on Michigan gave them first-and-goal at the 10. Smith drew the flag then shed a defensive back at the goal line on the next play to free himself in the end zone.

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