INDIANAPOLIS — Donovan Edwards ran for 185 yards and a score, J.J. McCarthy threw three touchdown passes and No. 2 Michigan beat Purdue 43-22 on Saturday night for its second straight Big Ten title and a likely No. 2 playoff seed.
College football’s winningest program has the first 13-win season in school history. Two more victories would give the Wolverines (13-0) their first national championship since 1997.
And with injured star Blake Corum sidelined by a season-ending left knee injury, Edwards stole the show for the second straight week.
After shredding rival Ohio State for 216 yards and two scores last week, Edwards broke open this game with a 60-yard run on the first play of the second half to set up one score. He added a 27-yard touchdown sprint on Michigan’s next series to make it 28-13.
Purdue (8-5) never recovered from Michigan’s quick, seven-play onslaught after it trailed 14-13 at halftime.
But quarterback Aidan O’Connell and receiver Charlie Jones helped the Boilermakers make it interesting for a while.
O’Connell was 32 of 47 with 366 yards and two interceptions after missing some practice time early this week to mourn the death of his oldest brother. Jones, who lost to Michigan in last year’s game while playing for Iowa, had 13 receptions for 162 yards.