Kornacki: Game Against Wisconsin Changed in an Instant for Peters, Wolverines

By Steve Kornacki

MADISON, Wis. -- Brandon Peters had taken the heat all game long.

The University of Michigan quarterback stood in the pocket, under pressure, and read his check-down progressions calmly. He took hits on other pass plays the instant he released the ball, and was sacked twice. Peters, however, kept getting up and leading his team down the field, staking the No. 19 Wolverines to a three-point lead midway through the third quarter.

No. 5 Wisconsin was on the ropes Saturday (Nov. 18), but went ahead on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Alex Hornibrook to A.J.Taylor.

Peters had been responding to adversity all game long, but any chance for him leading a comeback was over in an instant on the next drive.

He dropped back to pass and Badgers outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel came up the middle unblocked. Peters got the ball off, but Van Ginkel drove him to the ground.

This time, he didn't get up for several minutes, and Badgers linebacker T.J. Edwards immediately waved his right hand to summon Michigan's medical staff onto the field. Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh rushed out, too, and observed Peters being tended to. Then the entire team engulfed the sophomore quarterback, concern on every face.

Peters eventually got up and stepped onto a cart. Numerous teammates, including Karan Higdon, Chris Evans and Mike McCray, reached in to tap him on the shoulder pads and offer encouragement before he was driven away. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital for observation.

"Brandon was shaken up by the play," said Harbaugh, "and he's back getting some tests over at the hospital. He's going to meet us at the plane. So, we'll have a better idea after we see him."

Evans said backup quarterback John O'Korn entered the huddle on the next possession with a challenge: "We've got to do this for B.P."

Evans added, "And in our hearts, we were going for him. I just don't know what happened."

The Wolverines (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) never scored again, and the Badgers (11-0, 8-0) prevailed.

Michigan's players rushed to Peters in a warm show of support.

"It was symbolic because we knew what he'd been through throughout the season," said Evans. "He just started a couple games ago, and we were going good with him. Everything was good, and just to see him, like, devastated. To see all the hard work go to the ground … but he's a tough guy. He's going to fight back and was standing in the pocket tough. So, he was going to take a couple of those.

"We just wanted to make sure he was alright."

Peters' third-down pass, intended for Evans, was overthrown as he rushed to release it.

"He threw it to me," said Evans, "but some of the O-Linemen said that they (had) seen him … his eyes was closed. But as soon as he started moving, it was like, 'He's going to be good.'"

Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst added, "He was down for a long time and we were a little concerned about his health, and were just hoping he was OK."

Viper Khaleke Hudson said many of them took a knee around him.

"We came out there to pray for him," said Hudson, "and hope he was OK because he's a big player for our team. When you see somebody go down, especially your teammate, you just want to show all the love you can and pray that he's OK."

Harbaugh clarified that the tests being made involved Peters' head.

Brandon Peters went 9-for-18 passing for 157 yards before leaving the game due to injury.

Several players and Harbaugh were asked if the injury to Peters took the wind out of their sails. It was 14-10 for Wisconsin at that point, and Michigan never scored again in the 24-10 loss. But none of them said that was the case, and Harbaugh pointed to the Badgers' big plays such as Nick Nelson's 50-yard punt return touchdown and receiver Kendric Pryor's 32-yard touchdown run on a reverse as deciding the game.

"In the huddle," said Evans, "we felt like we were going to do it for B.P. We've were like, 'We owe him this game.'"

But it wasn't to be for the Wolverines, who overcame early struggles to take the lead and command of the game.

Peters had made a big mistake early in the second quarter. On third-and-goal at the five-yard line, Peters reversed field and scrambled for three yards. He wasn't going to reach the goal line, though, and appeared to reach for the pylon in the left corner of the end zone. But he lost the ball and it ended up being recovered by Derrick Tindal at the Wisconsin one-yard line.

"As far as the fumble," said Harbaugh, "that was a mistake. You shouldn't be reaching the ball for the end zone or pylon unless it's fourth down."

So, instead of having the option to go for it on fourth down or kick the field goal, the Wolverines had nothing.

How would Peters respond on the next drive?

He couldn't have responded any better.

Peters completed his longest pass of the season to spark an 84-yard touchdown drive that took just seven plays.

Donovan Peoples-Jones got a step on cornerback Tindal, and Peters hit him in stride for 48 yards. The Wolverine freshman caught it over the shoulder and held onto the ball while going down and hitting the turf.

"It was a great play call," said Peoples-Jones. "Coach wanted me to run a post (route) and I ran a post and Brandon delivered a beautiful ball, and we executed."

Then, on third-and-eight, Peters felt the heat coming but patiently went through his check-downs once again. He fired to tailback Evans, who scooted for 19 yards.

Tight end Sean McKeon caught the resulting first-down pass and got tackled inside the one-yard line for a 14-yard pickup.

Freshman fullback Ben Mason took it from there, scoring his first collegiate touchdown going up the middle.

That tied it at 7, and that's how the first half ended.

Peters also made a big play on the previous possession, connecting with tight end Zach Gentry for 35 yards despite getting crushed the instant he released the ball. Peters was prone on the field for a few seconds, but was able walk off the field without help that time. He missed only one play.

He ended up completing 9-of-18 passes for 157 yards with nary an interception nor a touchdown. Though, Harbaugh felt the five-yard pass Peters threw to Peoples-Jones in the second quarter was a touchdown. It was ruled that he didn't get a foot down in bounds and a review didn't overturn the call.

"Brandon I thought was very good," said Harbaugh. "We can't get him hit as much. I thought we needed to get better at that. They had a three-man pick stunt that was effectively holding our center, and we weren't able to slide off of that and that got us beat a few times.

"Brandon was good, though. It was good to see us make some contested catches. Donovan made a good contested catch. Could've used a few more of them that we didn't make on the receiving end."

Now, it remains to be seen what Peters' playing status will be when Ohio State visits Saturday (Nov. 25) for the regular season finale.