Michigan football didn’t have one of their best players for one of the final moments against USC Saturday at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
Cornerback Will Johnson went to the locker room at the start of the fourth quarter with a staffer during a timeout with the Wolverines up 20-17. Johnson was the catalyst of the biggest play for Michigan in the second half when he jumped a hitch route for a pick-6 to put Michigan ahead 20-10. According to the CBS broadcast, Johnson was heading towards the X-ray room.
Johnson, a consensus first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft and one of the top defensive backs in college football, has been a consistent shutdown force on the outside of Michigan’s defense. The junior set a school record with his third career interception return for a touchdown Saturday and now has nine career interceptions.
He played briefly on the drive after his touchdown before leaving the game again and then entering the locker room.
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The Wolverines were already without top pass catcher Colston Loveland, who was ruled out pregame after he exited last week’s win early with an injury.
Michigan is looking to start its defense of the Big Ten championship with a win over a new conference opponent. Michigan is 0-1 this season at home against top-15 ranked teams after losing to Texas two weeks ago.
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press covering the city’s professional teams, the state’s two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan CB Will Johnson taken to locker room with apparent injury
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-cornerback-johnson-taken-back-224009181.html
Author : Detroit Free Press
Publish date : 2024-09-21 22:40:09
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