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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan star offensive lineman Zak Zinter left Saturday’s game late in the third quarter with what appeared to be a serious left leg injury.
Zinter’s leg buckled while he was blocking on an 18-yard pass from J.J. McCarthy to tight end AJ Barner with 2:19 left in the quarter and the game tied at 17-17. Players quickly motioned for a medical cart.
As the crowd chanted, “Let’s go Zak,” medical personnel loaded Zinter onto the cart, and he was transported to a local hospital. Michigan acting head coach and offensive line coach Sherrone Moore said he spoke with Zinter’s mother and received “some positive news.”
“He’ll heal, and he’ll be ready to go down the road at some point,” Moore said.
Michigan’s Blake Corum scored on the ensuring play and held up the numbers six and five to recognize Zinter, who has made 42 starts and missed only one game in his Wolverines career.
“Zak’s my guy. He’s another guy who came back for unfinished business,” said Corum. “Seeing him go down the last game hurt. Very emotional, seeing what he was going through down on the ground. But we came together. We knew we had to do it for him and the very next play, boom. I know he’s going to come back stronger than ever, one of the best guards in the nation.”
“At that moment, seeing the look in everybody’s eyes, seeing them rally together; it was spiritual, honestly, just like seeing that,” said quarterback J.J. McCarthy. “it was a different drive that came out of everybody when that happened.”
Zinter, a senior from North Andover, Massachusetts, is a third-year starter who earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022 and second-team honors in 2021. He helped Michigan win consecutive Joe Moore Awards as the nation’s top offensive line. Zinter has started each game this season at right guard and is a strong candidate for All-America honors.
Right tackle Karsen Barnhart shifted to the right guard spot following Zinter’s injury, and senior Trente Jones entered the game at right tackle.
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