The 2021 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan as a member of the East Division of the Big Ten Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In their seventh year under head coach Jim Harbaugh, the team compiled a 12–2 record (8–1 against conference opponents), won the Big Ten championship, outscored opponents by a total of 501 to 243, and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP and Coaches Polls. The Wolverines advanced to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, losing to eventual national champion Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
After starting the season unranked, Michigan won its first seven games, including victories on the road against Wisconsin and Nebraska. On October 30, Michigan (ranked No. 6) lost to Michigan State (ranked No. 8). The Wolverines rebounded with five consecutive wins, including a 42–27 victory over No. 2 Ohio State – Michigan's first victory over its rival since 2011. The Wolverines advanced to the Big Ten Football Championship Game, defeating Iowa, 42–3. It was Michigan's first conference championship since 2004 and its first outright title since 2003.
The team's statistical leaders included Cade McNamara with 2,576 passing yards, Hassan Haskins with 1,327 rushing yards, Cornelius Johnson with 627 receiving yards, Jake Moody with 125 points scored, Josh Ross with 106 total tackles, and Aidan Hutchinson with 14 quarterback sacks.
Aidan Hutchinson won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award, was a unanimous first-team All-American, and finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. Jake Moody was also a consensus first-team All-American and the recipient of the Lou Groza Award as the nation's top kicker. Harbaugh won the Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award, and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach. The Wolverines' offensive line won the Joe Moore Award. Six Michigan players received first-team honors on the All-Big Ten football team: Hutchinson, Moody, Haskins, David Ojabo, Daxton Hill, and Andrew Stueber.
Schedule
Rankings
Preseason Firing of Don Brown On December 22, 2020, Michigan fired defensive coordinator Don Brown. Brown had taken over as defensive coordinator in 2016 and led the 2016 squad to a No. 1 national ranking.
Harbaugh's extension On January 8, 2021, head coach Jim Harbaugh signed a four-year contract extension with Michigan, continuing through the 2025 season. The extension reduced Harbaugh's $8-million base salary to $4 million for the 2021 season but added incentive bonuses of $500,000 for winning the Big Ten East, $1 million for winning the Big Ten championship, $500,000 for reaching the College Football Playoff semifinal, $1 million for winning the College Football Playoff, $75,000 for winning National Coach of the Year honors, and $50,000 for winning Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. The new agreement also lowered the buyout that the university would be required to pay if it fired him before the end of the contract.
Coaching changes Following his four-year extension, Harbaugh led a major overhaul of the Michigan coaching staff. The overhaul shifted away from older coaches (Don Brown was 65, Ed Warinner was 59) to younger with 10 assistants under age 40. The moves included the following:
On January 13, Michigan hired 34-year-old Mike Hart as running backs coach. Hart played for Michigan from 2004 to 2007 and set Michigan's career record with 5,040 rushing yards. He had been the running backs coach at Indiana since 2017 and associate head coach in 2020. On January 17, Michigan hired 33-year-old Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator. Macdonald was hired based on the recommendation of coach Harbaugh's brother, John Harbaugh. Macdonald spent the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach on John Harbaugh's staff with the Baltimore Ravens. On January 19, Michigan hired 34-year-old George Helow, who had been Maryland's special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach. Helow was initially assigned to coach safeties but was reassigned to linebackers. On January 20, Michigan hired 36-year-old Maurice Linguist as defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator, but he left three months later to become head coach at Buffalo. On January 25, Michigan hired 39-year-old Ronald Bellamy as the wide receivers coach (later switched to safeties). Bellamy was a wide receiver at Michigan from 1999 to 2002 and, prior to the hiring, was the head football coach at West Bloomfield High School. Also on January 25, Michigan announced several other moves. Sherrone Moore (age 34) moved from tight ends coach to offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator. Jay Harbaugh (age 31) moved from running backs to tight ends and special teams. In February, offensive line coach Ed Warinner (age 59) left Michigan for Florida Atlantic. Also in February, Brian Jean-Mary left Michigan to become the linebackers coach at Tennessee. On February 22, Michigan hired Baltimore Ravens running backs coach Matt Weiss (age 37) as the new quarterbacks coach. In May 2021, Michigan hired Kentucky assistant coach Steve Clinkscale (age 42) to become the defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator.
Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis (age 38) and defensive line coach Shaun Nua (age 40) were the only two assistants who remained in their prior positions.
Game summaries Western Michigan
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On September 4, Michigan opened their season with a 47–14 victory over Western Michigan. The game was played at Michigan Stadium before a crowd of 109,925.
On the game's opening drive, Michigan drove 75 yards, capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Cade McNamara to Blake Corum. Western Michigan responded with their own 75-yard drive, led by Kaleb Eleby's passing and ending with a two-yard touchdown run by La'Darius Jefferson. After the Broncos' touchdown, Blake Corum returned the kickoff 79 yards to the Western Michigan 21-yard line. The drive stalled at the 18-yard line, and Jake Moody kicked a 37-yard field goal to give Michigan a 10–7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
After giving up a touchdown on the Broncos' opening drive, Michigan's defense held Western Michigan to 18 yards in the remaining four drives of the first half. Michigan's offense also gained momentum with 17 points in the second quarter. Cade McNamara connected with Ronnie Bell for a 76-yard touchdown strike. Michigan's next possession started with a 36-yard punt return by Ronnie Bell, but Bell sustained a season-ending injury on the play. Hassan Haskins ran 22 yards for his first touchdown of the season with 6:18 remaining in the second quarter. At the end of the half, Michigan drove to the Broncos' one-yard line but settled for a 20-yard field goal by Moody, which made the score 27–7 in favor of Michigan at half-time.
On Michigan's first drive of the second half, A. J. Henning ran 74 yards for a touchdown, and Michigan's attempt at a two-point conversion failed. Early in the fourth quarter, Michigan sustained an 87-yard drive, culminating with a 30-yard touchdown run by Corum. True freshman quarterback J. J. McCarthy saw his first action in the fourth quarter. On third-and-25 from Michigan's 31-yard line, McCarthy scrambled and threw across the field to Daylen Baldwin for a 69-yard touchdown pass. Late in the fourth quarter, Kaleb Eleby led the Broncos on a 64-yard touchdown drive ending with a 27-yard pass to Corey Crooms.
Corum rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns and became the first Michigan player to score a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game since Khalid Hill in 2016. McNamara completed nine of 11 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Aidan Hutchinson had a sack and blocked a field goal. Michigan's 550 yards of total offense were their most since tallying 660 yards against Maryland in 2016.
Washington
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On September 11, Michigan defeated Washington, 31–10, in the tenth ever night game at Michigan Stadium. It was the first meeting between the teams since 2002. The teams had been scheduled to meet in 2020 in Seattle, but that game was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michigan's defense held Washington scoreless in the first half. Michigan began their second possession near midfield after Caden Kolesar returned a punt for 20 yards. Hassan Haskins carried twice to advance the ball to Washington's 34-yard line, and Jake Moody kicked a 52-yard field goal. With 9:47 remaining in the second quarter, Blake Corum ran 67 yards for a touchdown, which made the score 10–0 in favor of Michigan at halftime.
On the opening drive of the second half, Michigan ran the ball eight times (four by Haskins, four by Corum) for 73 yards with Corum scoring on a seven-yard run. Washington responded with a ten-minute, 72-yard drive, ending with a 28-yard field goal by Peyton Henry. Michigan then responded with another long drive, taking the ball 75 yards in seven minutes, Haskins scoring on a six-yard run with 13:56 remaining. Washington responded with another long drive, marching 75 yards and ending with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Morris to Terrell Bynum. With 1:48 remaining, Michigan added a final touchdown on a four-yard run by Corum.
Michigan had 343 rushing yards in the game (Corum 171 yards, three touchdowns; Haskins 155 yards, one touchdown). Cade McNamara completed seven of 15 passes for 44 yards. The defense gave up 293 passing yards by Dylan Morris but held Washington to 50 rushing yards on 32 carries. Aidan Hutchinson had 2.5 sacks, and David Ojabo had a sack and a fumble recovery.
Northern Illinois
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On September 18, Michigan defeated Northern Illinois (NIU), 63–10, before a crowd of 106,263 at Michigan Stadium. The game drew attention as NIU quarterback Rocky Lombardi had played for Michigan State in 2020, leading the Spartans to a 27–24 victory over the Wolverines.
On their opening possession, Michigan took over in NIU territory after A. J. Henning returned a punt 25 yards. Cade McNamara scored on a one-yard run. NIU responded with a 72-yard drive ending with a 21-yard field goal by John Richardson. The Wolverines held NIU scoreless for the rest of the first half, while the Wolverines scored four touchdowns on one-yard runs by Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins, a five-yard run by Haskins, and an 87-yard touchdown pass from McNamara to Cornelius Johnson, which made the score 35–3 in favor of Michigan at half-time.
Michigan broke the game open with 28 points in the third quarter. On the opening drive of the second half, Corum ran 51 yards for a touchdown. After holding NIU to a three-and-out, A. J. Henning returned a punt 32 yards to the NIU 48-yard line. Michigan scored again on a one-yard run by Corum. On the next NIU possession, Gemon Green intercepted a Rocky Lombardi pass and returned it 27 yards to the NIU three-yard line. Donovan Edwards scored on a four-yard run. The defense forced another three-and-out, and Donovan Edwards scored on a 58-yard touchdown run. Michigan led, 63–3, with 4:13 remaining in the third quarter. Michigan emptied their bench and did not score in the fourth quarter. NIU scored the only points of the fourth quarter on a nine-yard pass from Lombardi to Cole Tucker.
Michigan tallied 373 rushing yards in the game, led by Corum with 125 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries. It was Corum's third consecutive 100-yard rushing game, making him the first Michigan player to accomplish the feat since Denard Robinson in 2011. Cade McNamara completed eight of 11 passes for 191 yards. His 87-yard touchdown pass to Cornelius Johnson was the third longest in program history. The defense held NIU to 46 passing yards and 161 rushing yards. Aidan Hutchinson recorded one sack. A. J. Henning returned five punts for 70 yards.
Rutgers
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