ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- No. 4 Michigan finally received the test of a close game that many wanted to see.
Consider that test passed, despite several self-inflicted errors.
Junior quarterback Wilton Speight hit senior wideout Amara Darboh for the game-winning touchdown pass with 7:56 remaining and Michigan's defense dominated throughout in a 14-7 win over No. 8 Wisconsin in a Big Ten battle on Saturday.
The result was far different than the lopsided margins of victory Michigan enjoyed in its first four games, but it ended up enhancing the team's playoff resume as the season nears its halfway point.
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"We can learn from it and it's a good feeling to have that type of a game and come out victorious," Speight said.
Michigan dominated the game statistically, outrushing Wisconsin, 349-159, outrushing the run-heavy Badgers, 130-71, and collecting 21-8 edge in first downs.
Michigan also possessed the football for 35:41 against a Wisconsin team that entered averaging third nationally in time of possession (37:01).
But because of six costly penalties and three missed field goals, Wisconsin managed to hang around until Speight hit Darboh in stride down the field for a 46-yard touchdown pass that made it 14-7.
Darboh got behind the Wisconsin defense on a fly pattern near the sideline and hauled in his fifth touchdown catch of the season.
"You kind of hold your breath during the last split-seconds of the play and hope it doesn't get deflected," Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said. "I really felt good when the ball was in the air. Wilton has been extremely good throwing the deep balls. Extremely accurate and we have a lot of confidence with him throwing it. It was a tremendous play."
Also tremendous was Michigan's defense, which intercepted Wisconsin redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook three times while holding him to 9 of 25 passing for just 88 yards.
Michigan also held Wisconsin senior running back Corey Clement to 68 yards on 17 carries.
"I thought our defense was the shining star of the game," Harbaugh said. "I thought that phase of the game was outstanding. Awesome with a capital 'A.'"
Speight went 20 of 32 passing for 219 yards, a touchdown and an interception for Michigan.
It was a much different performance for Hornibrook than last week about 60 miles up the road in East Lansing, where in his career first start he played with poise beyond his years in helping lead Wisconsin to a 30-6 win over Michigan State.
"I thought we were challenged differently than last week," Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst said. "There are a couple of balls when you look back at this thing, he's going to want back. There were a couple that had a chance to be a big hit for us and swing the field for us. How he saw the field and all that, I didn't see anything there negatively. It was just the finishing of plays. I think he'll learn from it."
Michigan (5-0, 2-0) took a 7-0 lead with 14:56 remaining in the first half on a 1-yard touchdown run by senior fullback Khalid Hill, which capped off an 11-play, 77-yard drive that took 4:41 off of the clock.
Wisconsin (4-1, 1-1) tied the game with 8:03 remaining in the third quarter on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Hornibrook to senior Dare Ogunbowale, a scoring play that was set up by a 46-yard interception return to the Michigan 31-yard line by junior Derrick Tindal.
This was the second game in a brutal scheduling stretch for Wisconsin, which will have a much-needed bye week this week before welcoming in No. 2-ranked Ohio State to Madison on Oct. 15.
Teams in the Big 10 have three crossover games against teams from the other division within the conference, and Wisconsin's three games happened to be against what were the highest-ranked Big 10 teams to start the season: Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State.
Not only that, but Wisconsin is in a stretch of playing those three teams in succession, and will hope to go 2-1 during the stretch with an upset of Ohio State.
"There are two teams playing," Chryst said. "You look at yourself and the areas that you can do better, but yet you still have to give the opponent credit. I think that is what today was."
NOTES: Michigan sophomore OL Grant Newsome was helped off of the field and into the locker room with 13:02 left in the first half after suffering an apparent knee injury. He did not return and Harbaugh admitted after the game that Newsome will likely have surgery. "It doesn't look good," Harbaugh said. ... This was the first meeting between the teams since 2010, which was won by Wisconsin, 48-28. It was the first time ever the teams met when both were ranked in the Top 10. ... Wisconsin was playing without arguably its best defensive player in linebacker and team captain Vince Biegel, who on Thursday had foot surgery and is expected to be out 2-to-4 weeks. ... Michigan K Kenny Allen went 18 of 22 on field goals last season, but after missing field goals of 31 and 43 yards in the first half, he already missed his fourth field goal this season in just eight attempts. Backup K Ryan Tice replaced Allen but missed a 40-yard field goal with 2:25 left in the third quarter. ... After starting the season with five straight home games, Michigan will play its first game away from Ann Arbor next Saturday night when it plays at Rutgers. ... The announced attendance of the game was 111,846 fans, the 270th consecutive time Michigan has had at least 100,000 in attendance for a home game.
