IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Marquise Walker never doubted the Michigan offense would come to life. It was only a matter of when.

Tyrece Butler's 77-yard reception jump-started the Wolverines and Walker made a stunning one-handed catch for a touchdown as No. 8 Michigan stayed unbeaten in the Big Ten with a 32-26 victory over Iowa on Saturday.

Michigan's Marquise Walker holds on to make a spectacular TD catch.(AP)

In a game that had three late lead changes after the defenses dominated early, Michigan (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) won it on John Navarre's 13-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Thompson with 8½ minutes left.

"I knew eventually we would make a play or two and that's what we came up with," Walker said. "That's the way it is with our offense. One play usually gets us going. The offense got going and the defense got us the ball."

Michigan, which trailed 20-7, forced three turnovers and coach Lloyd Carr pulled out a trick play to set up a touchdown, offsetting the trickery Iowa used on a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown.

"I don't think we played very well offensively, but Iowa had something to do with that," Carr said. "I thought our team just kept fighting. They weren't worried about losing. They were thinking about winning."

The Michigan defense came through after Iowa took a 26-21 lead on Ladell Betts' 8-yard touchdown run with 12:56 left. The Hawkeyes (4-3, 2-3) got the ball back by forcing a punt, but Cato June's interception and 30-yard return of Kyle McCann's pass set up Michigan at midfield.

A pass-interference penalty moved the ball to the 35, and Navarre hit Walker for 13 yards on third-and-9 from the 34. Three plays later, Thompson caught a pass between two defenders, put his head down and bulled into the end zone with 8:34 remaining.

Navarre followed with a 2-point conversion pass to a wide-open Walker. Hayden Epstein added a 51-yard field goal with 3:57 remaining.

"It was a very disappointing, tough loss for our football team," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "We have a lot of guys upstairs right now who are drained and down. Bottom line, we just didn't make enough plays."

Iowa drove to the Michigan 39 late in the game, but gave up the ball when McCann, under pressure, overthrew Chris Oliver on fourth-and-1 with 56 seconds left.

Down 20-7, Michigan rallied to a 21-20 lead late in the third quarter on Chris Perry's 3-yard touchdown run and Walker's spectacular grab.

Walker, who had dropped a pass in the end zone on the previous play, was falling backward when he reached up with his right hand to snare Navarre's pass, pulled the ball to his body and held it as he hit the ground in the right corner to complete the 6-yard play.

"This kid keeps making catches that defy description," Carr said. "I didn't think that ball had a chance of being caught."

Walker felt otherwise.

"I didn't care where the ball was going to be," he said. "I was going to get it regardless."

Four plays earlier, on third-and-8 at the Iowa 21, Michigan surprised Iowa with a trick play. The snap went to tailback Walter Cross, who stuck the ball between B.J. Askew's legs. With everyone else going right, Askew rambled 14 yards to his left for a first down.

"The way Iowa was playing defense, we needed that today," Carr said.

Navarre's 77-yard pass to Butler, the first career catch for the sophomore, got Michigan out of a third-and-15 hole at its own 20. Shane Hall caught Butler at the 3, but Perry scored on the next play, cutting the lead to 20-14.

"That just stinks," Iowa defensive end Aaron Kampman said. "I give credit to Michigan, but obviously there were things we could have done better. We're just going to have to work on them and get them corrected."

Iowa, leading the Big Ten in defense, shut down Michigan early and used some trickery on a punt return to take a 17-7 lead early in the second half.

Chris Oliver fielded the punt at his own 35, started to his right and then handed the ball to C.J. Jones coming from the other direction. Jones had a clear field and all he had to do was outrun Epstein, the punter. Jones scored easily.

Nate Kaeding's 40-yard field goal made it 20-7 with 9:35 left in the third quarter.

Iowa, which hasn't beaten Michigan at home since 1985, was leading 10-0 in the first half when Kaeding dropped back into his end zone to punt. Michigan's Zach Kaufman roared right up the middle to block it and Roy Manning fell on the ball for a touchdown with 1:42 left.

No. 2 quarterback Brad Banks directed Iowa to both its first-half scores. Banks capped an eight-play, 72-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Clark and he took the Hawkeyes to the Michigan 9 to set up Kaeding's 26-yard field goal.

McCann, the starter, was booed the next several times he trotted onto the field and Banks played only one more series.

Big Ten results