Rapid Reaction: Shea Patterson shows off clutch gene in game-winning drive vs. Northwestern
Shea Patterson didn’t have the game winning touchdown pass. In fact, he didn’t account for a single Michigan score on Saturday afternoon. But when the game was on the line, the junior quarterback proved he has the clutch gene.
With the Wolverines trailing 17-13 in the fourth quarter, the Wolverines offense took the field with 10 minutes left in the game, needing a touchdown to take the lead. It was a struggle to move the football against a well-rested and aggressive Northwestern defense all day.
But Patterson, and the offense, delivered. He completed all three of his passes for 44 yards. He scrambled for nine yards on a 3rd-and-6 to keep the drive moving. Most importantly, he led Michigan to the end zone to get that go-ahead score.
And when Michigan got the ball back one final with a chance to seal the victory, he picked up eight more yards with his legs on another 3rd-and-6.
This is what the Wolverines have lacked in the Jim Harbaugh era. This is why people believe Michigan’s CFB Playoff hopes are alive-and-well. Because when the game was on the line, Patterson delivered.
Patterson finished the day completing 15-of-24 passes for 196 yards. He added 31 yards on the ground. He wasn’t credited with a touchdown, but it didn’t matter. For the first time in a long time, the quarterback was responsible for the game-winning score.
Karan Higdon was huge for the offense, too. He added 115 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. He was the workhorse for the Wolverines all night long. The defense was stellar too. After giving up 17 points in the first 17 minutes, Don Brown’s unit didn’t surrender another score.
There’s plenty of credit to go around in Michigan’s 20-17 victory over Northwestern. But this was huge for Patterson. And it was even bigger for Harbaugh and the offense.
Watch out, B1G. Michigan has a quarterback.