Tag: Michigan Wolverines

For the first time since 2019, No. 15 Michigan (9-3 overall, 7-2 Big Ten) lost The Game to No. 1 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0). The Buckeyes strangled the Wolverines on defense and got whatever they wanted on offense on their path to a 27-9 victory.

Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood didn’t have a spectacular game, even if he wasn’t asked to throw much. He threw 8-for-18 for 63 yards and no touchdowns and an interception. Sophomore running back Jordan Marshall led the Wolverines in rushing despite battling a shoulder injury all game, gaining 61 yards on just seven carries.

Marshall broke off a 36-yard run on the first play of the game, then caught a 10-yard pass to get the Wolverines into field goal range. The Buckeyes defense dug in after that, forcing Michigan to settle for three on the opening drive, and senior kicker Dominic Zvada calmly knocked through the 45-yard try to give his squad the 3-0 lead.

But on the second play of Ohio State’s first drive, the Wolverines really got going, and it looked like they might be on track for five in a row. Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin made a bad read, throwing the ball straight to junior defensive back Jyaire Hill for an interception.

Michigan couldn’t turn it into six, however, and were once again forced to settle for a field goal, but Zvada knocked in the 25-yard try to extend the lead to 6-0 after just over five minutes of play.

On the following drive, Ohio State found a bit of a rhythm, pushing down to the Wolverines’ goal line. But on six goal-line plays, the Buckeyes couldn’t find pay dirt and instead settled for a field goal, making the score 6-3.

Ohio State struck next as well. Going for a fourth-and-5 at the 35-yard line, Sayin connected with star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith for the first touchdown of the game to make the score 10-6.

The Wolverines were able to muster another field goal, but while they were scoring three, the Buckeyes were collecting six. With 16 seconds left in the half, Ohio State added another touchdown, extending its lead to 17-9 heading into the break. While it wasn’t an insurmountable deficit, the Buckeyes certainly owned the momentum heading into the locker room.

After trading punts to start the second half, the Buckeyes picked up where it left off in the first half. Sayin took the top off the defense once again, launching a 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Carnell Tate. Just like that, the Buckeyes had opened up the game, bringing their lead to 24-9 halfway through the third quarter.

Michigan’s offense continued to struggle. Even with Marshall back on the field after leaving earlier in the game due to injury, the Wolverines couldn’t get anything going on the ground. And despite a few nice passes from Underwood, the air attack was just as inconsistent. For the second straight drive, Michigan failed to score and punted the ball back to Ohio State.

The Buckeyes’ next drive began with 5:06 remaining in the third quarter and ended with 8:10 left in the fourth quarter. Whole they were forced to kick a field goal, they took more than 11 minutes off of the clock and gained a three-possession lead, 27-9.

Michigan needed some magic to keep its hopes alive, and that magic never came. Just as it had all game, Ohio State muffled the Wolverines offense, forcing a three-and-out with very little resistance. With just 6:36 left to play, the game was out of Michigan’s reach, even if everything went perfectly.

As time ran out and the Buckeyes celebrated in Ann Arbor, both the winning streajk and Michigan’s playoff hopes evaporated. The 2025 Wolverines finished the regular season 9-3 overall, and get one more chance to take the field in a bowl game.

Every regular season for both Michigan and Ohio State converges on a climax in late November: The Game.

It’s the most important game of the regular season for the Wolverines each year, regardless of circumstance, but this year, there’s a little extra meaning. If Michigan comes away with a win over the top-ranked Buckeyes, it will have a legitimate chance to sneak into the College Football Playoff.

While the Wolverines have beaten their bitter rivals four years in a row, they certainly have an uphill battle this season. 

Here are five things to watch for when Michigan and Ohio State meet in Ann Arbor…

Michigan will have one of its star running backs return to the gridiron on Saturday. After going down with an upper-body injury late in the game against Northwestern, sophomore Jordan Marshall didn’t take the field against Maryland. But he’ll be back against the Buckeyes.

Even with junior running back Justice Haynes out with an injury himself, Marshall has been just as good out of the backfield. Over his last four games, he’s averaging 142.5 yards per game on the ground, so his return will undoubtedly be massive for Michigan.

For a little extra motivation, Marshall is from the Cincinnati, Ohio area, so he gets to take on the premier college football team in his home state for what very well may be a chance to get into the College Football Playoff.

Led by a Heisman Trophy candidate — quarterback Julian Sayin — the Ohio State offense has been elite all season. Sayin leads the country in completion percentage at 79.4%, and has thrown 27 touchdown passes.

The Buckeyes are going to be effective through the air, but their rush attack hasn’t been quite as good. It’s not much of a consolation given that their ground game is still ranked seventh in the Big Ten in yards per game, but the Wolverines have been able to shut down the run all season. If they can take away Ohio State’s ability to move the ball on the ground, they can make the Buckeyes one-dimensional.

A one-dimensional team is much less effective.

Ohio State wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are two of the best receivers in the Big Ten, if not in the country, and the Wolverines have a major task in keeping their production under control.

Both Smith and Tate sat out last week’s game against Rutgers due to injuries, but it looks like Smith will definitely be back, and maybe Tate. The Buckeyes have plenty of elite receivers even beyond Smith and Tate, but that duo paired with Sayin is quite dangerous.

If Michigan wants to have a chance at winning, it will need to limit Smith and Tate’s impact.

Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood will be playing in his first Michigan-Ohio State rivalry game on Saturday. Underwood has shown poise beyond his age all season, but The Game is a whole other beast.

There will be a lot of pressure on the young signal caller, and the Wolverines need him to stay calm. Even if he does make a mistake, they need him to remain poised and continue to lead the offense. If Underwood can stay stoic, he has all the skills and weapons he needs to compete with the Buckeyes.

In a rivalry game such as this one, with so much hostility and dislike on the field, it’s imperative for the players to keep their emotions in check. There will likely be some form of unsportsmanlike penalty on a player, and it might be costly. The team that can avoid these kinds of penalties will put themselves in a much better position to win.

It’s not just about penalty yards, either. Getting caught up in trash-talking or taunting can take the focus off of the game at hand, resulting in silly mistakes. It’s no secret that every coach on both sides will be begging their guys to keep their heads on straight and focus on football.

Largely because of its close encounters with the likes of Purdue and Northwestern, the Michigan football team hasn’t earned many boosts in the College Football Playoff rankings in recent weeks. But the Wolverines’ 45-20 victory over Maryland on Saturday seems to have done the trick.

Michigan moved up 3 spots from No. 18, landing at No. 15 heading into rivalry week in college football.

The Wolverines played one of their most complete games of the season against the Terrapins. After allowing an opening-drive touchdown, Michigan’s defense buckled down, ceding just two field goals until Maryland landed a garbage-time touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Even with its two star running backs — junior Justice Haynes and sophomore Jordan Marshall — sidelined due to injury, Michigan’s offense had a successful evening as well. It didn’t need to punt on a single possession, and scored six touchdowns on eight complete drives. 

Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood threw 16-for-23 for 215 yards and two touchdowns, and he looked quite comfortable in the pocket. Junior running back Bryson Kuzdzal gained 100 yards on the ground on his way to three touchdowns, taking his increased role in stride.

As expected, Ohio State remained in the top spot, meaning the Wolverines’ final task in the regular season is toppling the highest-ranked team in the country.

Joining Michigan, four other Big Ten teams are included in the committee’s rankings. Ohio State and Indiana occupy the top two positions, Oregon sits and No. 6 and USC falls to No. 17

Here are the complete CFP rankings from the fourth reveal:

Well, Michigan really only has one option: beat Ohio State. It doesn’t matter how, and it doesn’t matter by how much, just coming out of the game with a win is all the Wolverines can do.

Even with a win, it doesn’t guarantee them a place within the playoff field. While they’d undoubtedly own the best win of all two-win teams in the country, they’d have to hope that the committee values that win over some of the less-convincing wins they’ve put together so far this season.

If the Wolverines do come away with the victory, they’ll have a slew of other 10-2 teams alongside them, all vying for the same couple of spots at the back end of the field. Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Miami, just to name a few, all have solid cases in their own right to earn a spot.

There is also still a chance that Michigan can make it into the Big Ten Championship Game if a couple of things fall the Wolverines’ way, which is another chance to boost their resume.

Still, in order for any of this speculation to matter, Michigan has to win on Saturday, and that’s no easy task, as no one has done it yet this season. Stranger things have happened in college football, however, and the Wolverines have won four straight meetings against the Buckeyes. 

It will likely take their best performance of the year on both offense and defense to pull it off, but their playoff lives depend on it.

In its previous two matchups, Michigan had played closer games than it had hoped. Both Purdue and Northwestern gave them a run for their money, and the Wolverines just weren’t playing to their standard.

Saturday against Maryland, however, Michigan finally played a truly complete game, coming away with a blowout 45-20 win because of it. The Wolverines were expected to handle business, and they did, which could be very important when it comes to the College Football Playoff rankings

Now, it’s all hands on deck in preparation for the biggest rivalry in college football — and probably college sports in general — when Michigan takes on Ohio State next Saturday at noon.

Here are four ‘Ups’ and two ‘Downs’ from the Wolverines’ big win over the Terrapins…

Last week against Northwestern, freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood looked quite solid for most of the afternoon. His performance against the Wildcats was tainted by two late-game interceptions, but otherwise, he looked as comfortable and confident as he had all season.

Against Maryland, Underwood took the good things about his performance against Northwestern and replicated them without the mistakes. Other than one pass that was very nearly an interception, Underwood played with the poise and skill of a much older, more experienced quarterback.

In total, he threw 16-for-23 for 215 yards and two touchdowns, all in just over three quarters of play, since he was taken out for most of the fourth quarter. With the biggest game of the season on the horizon, Underwood is looking as good as he has all year.

Another game, another 100-yard performance from a Michigan running back, and junior Bryson Kuzdzal becomes the third Wolverine to achieve the mark on the season.

With Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall both sidelined due to injuries, head coach Sherrone Moore called on the former walk-on Kuzdzal to shoulder the lead back duties. And he took advantage of the opportunity, gaining 100 yards on 20 attempts and punching in three touchdowns.

A lot of credit certainly goes to the Wolverines offensive line as well, which has truly come into its own as the season has worn on. But Kuzdzal still looked the part of a starting running back in the Big Ten. Even down to its third string running back, Michigan can still produce stellar results.

This ‘Down’ is certainly a little bit nitpicky, but in a game where almost everything went right for the Wolverines, sometimes the small things stick out a little more.

There were several plays where Maryland had wide open receivers down the field — or even in the end zone — and Terrapins quarterback Malik Washington simply threw an inaccurate pass to bail the Wolverines out. 

While these plays didn’t result in any damage, against a team like Ohio State, they might not be as lucky. The secondary certainly had great moments against Maryland, but it’s going to need to be near perfect next week.

Freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh has been a revelation for Michigan. He was a highly-touted recruit for a reason, and Marsh’s performance since early October has cemented himself as one of the best freshmen receivers in the country.

Saturday, he brought in five catches for 76 yards and an impressive touchdown in the corner of the end zone. He is Underwood’s favorite target, and he’s been quite reliable in that role, even as a young guy. 

Coming into Saturday’s game, Maryland had allowed just four sacks on the entire season. In this game alone, Michigan sacked Washington three times. 

This was largely thanks to senior edge rushers Derrick Moore and Jaishawn Barham, who both recorded a sack. But even when they weren’t tackling the quarterback, they were still putting a lot of pressure on the Terrapins’ freshman signal caller.

Graduate defensive lineman Tré Williams also earned a sack, and Barham and Moore were large contributors on that play, collapsing the pocket and giving Williams the opportunity to complete the rep.

It was another volatile day for senior kicker Dominic Zvada. After his stellar year last season, Zvada has had his fair share of struggles in 2025. 

Even though he hit the game-winning field goal last week against Northwestern, his struggles rolled into Saturday’s game against Maryland. On his first chance, he pushed a 38-yard attempt wide to the right. Even though he’s had struggles all season, they’ve yet to play a direct role in the outcome of a game, and that was the case against the Terrapins — Michigan didn’t end up needing those three points.

Zvada redeemed himself in the fourth quarter, however, knocking through a 46-yard attempt. Regardless, the Wolverines need him playing at his best, because in last year’s game, Zvada was one of the most important factors in Michigan’s improbable win.

Graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley caught two passes for 46 yards and a touchdown…Running backs Jasper Parker and Tomas O’Meara both had solid production even on their limited snaps…Sophomore safety Mason Curtis picked up his first interception of the season, which led to a touchdown.

In its penultimate game of the regular season, the No. 18 Michigan football team (9-2 overall, 7-1 Big Ten) took down Maryland (4-7, 1-7) by a final score of 45-20.

The Wolverines offense ran as smoothly as it had all season. Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood built on his promising performance from last week, throwing 16-for-23 for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns in just three quarters of play.

With junior Justice Haynes and sophomore Jordan Marshall not playing due to injury, junior running back Bryson Kuzdzal stepped up as the lead back. The former walk-on had an excellent day, rushing for 100 yards and three touchdowns.

Maryland got off the blocks hot, quickly working into the red zone on the back of several chunk plays. The Terrapins finished off the drive with a one-yard touchdown pass on fourth down, taking an early 7-0 lead. Trying to ride that momentum, they tried an onside kick, but failed to recover it and gave the Wolverines great field position.

Kuzdzal led the charge on Michigan’s opening drive, collecting its first 35 yards himself, but it was freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh who placed the final piece. Underwood connected with Marsh in the corner of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown pass, making the score even at 7-7 halfway through the first quarter.

On Michigan’s next drive after forcing Maryland to punt, the Wolverines became more pass-heavy. Underwood connected on five of his six passes for 70 yards on the 83-yard drive. He continued to connect with Marsh, but tight ends Marlin Klein and Zack Marshall also got involved.

Kuzdzal finished the drive off with a two-yard touchdown, giving Michigan a 14-7 lead just as the second quarter began.

Just three plays later, sophomore defensive back Mason Curtis came down with an interception for the Wolverines, once again giving them great field position.

Michigan quickly took advantage of the free possession, using only three plays to go 23 yards and find pay dirt to make the score 21-7.

This time, graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley broke through, taking a screen pass 22-yards into the end zone. The Wolverines were off to their best start in a while, having scored three touchdowns on their first three drives.

Maryland found its offensive rhythm again on the ensuing drive, pushing all the way into the red zone. But former Terrapin and current Wolverines senior edge rusher Jaishawn Barham came up with a big sack to force Maryland to settle for a field goal. With seven minutes left in the first half, Michigan held a 21-10 lead.

The Wolverines were forced to try a field goal for the first time all game out of the two-minute time out. Senior kicker Dominic Zvada‘s season-long struggles continued, as he pushed a 38-yarder wide right.

Both teams had a chance to score before halftime, but neither converted, holding the score at 21-10 entering the break.

Michigan began the second half as hot as it was in the first. Moving methodically down the field, the Terrapins didn’t have an answer to the Wolverines’ rushing or passing attack. Finishing off the 65-yard drive, Kuzdzal took in a 19-yard run for his second touchdown on the game, and gave Michigan a 28-10 lead.

Things began to unravel for the Terrapins from this point. Despite driving all the way down to Michigan’s 6-yard line, they couldn’t find the end zone, and they were forced to settle for a field goal.

And the Wolverines weren’t slowing down on offense, either. They put together a seven-play, 47-yard touchdown drive which was heavily aided by Terrapins penalties. Kuzdzal put the finishing touches on the drive with his third touchdown of the game, this one another one-yard punch.

Just like that, Michigan took a comfortable three possession lead — 35-13 — into the fourth quarter.

And if the game wasn’t already out of reach, freshman running back Jasper Parker tacked on another rushing touchdown to make the score 42-13 with just over 13 minutes left to play.

Michigan pulled its many of its starters for the fourth quarter — most notably Underwood — but it wasn’t done scoring just yet. Zvada shook off his struggles and nailed a 46-yard field goal to push the score to 45-13, a great sign for the Wolverines.

The Terrapins scored their final touchdown with just six minutes left, but it was all far too little, far too late. Michigan rode out of College Park with the convincing win it has been searching for.

The No. 18 Michigan football team has just two more games remaining in its regular season, and it needs to win both of them to have a shot at the College Football Playoff.

On Saturday, the Wolverines will take on their first of those challenges in Maryland. After winning four straight games to start the season, the Terrapins have dropped their last six in a row, and sit at 1-6 in the Big Ten.

Michigan is coming off two close wins over teams it had a chance to beat more handily — beating a struggling Purdue 21-16, and needing a last-second field goal to take down Northwestern, 24-22 — so the Wolverines could certainly use a convincing victory to give them a boost in the rankings before meeting No. 1 Ohio State to finish out the season.

Here are five things to keep an eye on when Michigan takes on Maryland…

The Terrapins throw the ball a lot. They lead the Big Ten in passing attempts with 387, but are 17th in the conference in completion percentage at 57.9%. It’s an odd combination of volume and lack of success, but Maryland hasn’t shied away from airing the ball out all year.

Michigan’s pass defense definitely isn’t as stout as its run defense, but if the Wolverines can make Terrapins freshman quarterback Malik Washington uncomfortable, Maryland’s offense might stall out.

But if Michigan struggles to stop the pass, Maryland might be able to keep up and force yet another close game.

The Wolverines might be down both of their star running backs Saturday, forcing some less experienced guys to step up. Junior Justice Haynes certainly won’t be ready to go after undergoing surgery on his right foot, and sophomore Jordan Marshall’s injury designation is unclear after he suffered a shoulder injury last week.

This means that junior Bryson Kuzdzal and freshman Jasper Parker might be asked to take on much larger roles than usual. Run defense is a weakness for the Terrapins, allowing over 200 rushing yards per game to Big Ten opponents. Even if Marshall is indeed not ready to go, the Wolverines won’t shy away from the ground game, and Kuzdzal and Parker may be set for breakout performances.

Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood is another guy that could pick up some slack in the run game if both Marshall and Haynes are out. Underwood has proven that he is adept at using his legs to pick up yardage, and Maryland’s defense presents him with a solid opportunity to do more of it.

Underwood has shown improvements in his passing game over the course of the season, but he’s at his best when he is a threat to both run and pass. If he can establish both aspects of his game, he could be set up for a big day as well.

One of the Terrapins’ biggest strengths is their ability to come down with interceptions, as they lead the Big Ten with 18 on the year. Underwood has struggled in the past two games with interceptions, throwing one against Purdue and two against Northwestern.

On the whole, Underwood has been pretty good at staying away from turnovers this season, and the Wolverines hope that the last two games were a fluke. If they want to come away with a big win, they’ll have to take care of the ball, otherwise the Terrapins could hang around.

It’s hard not to pay attention to the looming threat of Ohio State. Each and every year, the clash between the Wolverines and the Buckeyes is the biggest matchup of the year for both teams, and maybe even the country. But in order for The Game to mean anything in the way of making the playoffs, the Wolverines have to beat Maryland first.

Even with the matchup against Ohio State so close, the Wolverines can’t let those thoughts get in the way of handling business against the Terrapins.

Once again, it wasn’t pretty, but Michigan escaped with a win over Northwestern. 

The Wolverines have proven quite adept at ‘winning ugly’ thus far this season, and while it might not be the way they draw it up, it’s hard to argue with a tally in the win column at any rate.

Michigan dominated the game when it came to yards gained, collecting 496 yards to Northwestern’s 246, but the Wolverines’ five turnovers negated any advantage that might have brought them.

Regardless, senior kicker Dominic Zvada’s 31-yard made field goal as time expired gave Michigan the win, no matter how it looked, and kept the Wolverines’ playoff hopes alive.

Here are three ‘Ups,’ one ‘Down,’ and two that could really go either way…

Freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh had one of the best performances from a Michigan receiver in a while on Saturday. He hauled in 12 of his 15 targets, and his 189 receiving yards is tied for sixth all-time in Michigan program history for a single game.

Since Marsh cracked the starting lineup against Wisconsin, he has been the Wolverines most reliable receiver. He has forged an obvious connection with freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, and that should be scary for the rest of the Big Ten. As the duo grows together, they have the chance to become one of the most formidable passing duos in the country.

Michigan has struggled at times to put together a consistent passing attack, but Marsh will undoubtedly be a large part of the eventual solution.

As sure as the sun rises, the Wolverines’ lead running back will have a 100-plus yard game. Sophomore running back Jordan Marshall put together his fourth-straight such game, tallying 142 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

With the Big Ten’s top running back junior Justice Haynes still out with a foot injury, Michigan hasn’t seen a drop-off in ground production. After the end of last season, it was assumed that Marshall would be the Wolverines’ top running back this year, but they scooped up Haynes in the transfer portal, forcing Marshall to fight for the spot.

Marshall took that competition in stride, and he’s proving that he might be just as much of a star as Haynes is. Even if Haynes does return at some point this season, Marshall will still be a big part of this offense.

Marshall left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent shoulder injury, but head coach Sherrone Moore says he is hopeful that he’ll be all good to go for next week.

Junior wide receiver Semaj Morgan has had a volatile season thus far. He was an integral part of the 2023 national championship squad as a freshman, and had a solid season last year as a sophomore, but he’s struggled to find his footing here in 2025.

He’s served as Michigan’s punt returner for much of this season, but several miscues in recent weeks might force him out of that role. Saturday, Morgan seemed like he was putting together a solid punt return in the third quarter, but the ball popped out as he was being tackled, and Northwestern recovered the football. Andrew Marsh took over punt return duties from that point onward.

Morgan can certainly still have a positive impact for the Wolverines, but it’s the small mistakes that have been his problem in 2025. He’s proven capable of being an impact player when he’s right, and Michigan needs him to get back to that form.

The Wolverines’ defense as a whole was stellar against a competent Wildcats rush attack. Northwestern was averaging 181.4 yards per game on the ground coming into the game, but it was only able to manage 61 yards on 26 carries against Michigan’s staunch defense.

This has been something that the Wolverines have done extremely well all season, and it came up big late in Saturday’s game. When they needed stops in the fourth quarter, they kept Northwestern behind the sticks and bailed out Michigan’s struggling offense.

Underwood’s first half was the best half of football he’s played all season, hands down. In the first 30 minutes, he threw 15-for-20 for 185 yards and looked comfortable and confident in the pocket. But in the second half, he threw just 6-for-12 for 95 yards and two interceptions.

His two interceptions came on back-to-back passing attempts in the fourth quarter and allowed the Wildcats to climb back into the game. So, in some respect, that alone could earn Underwood a ‘Down,’ but outside of those two throws Underwood was great.

Especially after two rough showings against Michigan State and Purdue, Underwood’s performance on Saturday was actually encouraging on a lot of fronts. It’s a weird one, as he doesn’t fit into either category, but his performance was notable all the same.

It’s hard to give a ‘Down’ to the guy being hoisted into the air after kicking the game-winning walk-off field goal, and I won’t. Regardless, Zvada’s kicking woes still being around this late into the season isn’t what the Wolverines wanted.

Zvada missed his first field goal of the day from 34 yards, a try that is usually automatic for him. After missing just one field goal all last season, he’s missed five this season from closer than 50 yards. Zvada also just barely missed a 60-yarder at the end of the first half, but you can’t hold that one against him.

Ultimately, it was Zvada’s leg that earned the victory in clutch fashion, and he deserves a lot of credit for his calmness in the moment. Hopefully that helps him get his confidence back, because Michigan needs him in top shape as the season reaches its climax.

Junior running back Bryson Kuzdzal stepped up in a big way when Marshall went out in the fourth quarter, holding it down in a big moment…Graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley found a bit of a rhythm again after a stretch of disappointing weeks, grabbing four catches for 59 yards…Senior edge rusher Jaishawn Barham has a nice day, recording two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry.

At the home of the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field, No. 18 Michigan (8-2 overall, 6-1 Big Ten) took down Northwestern (5-5, 3-4) in a 24-22 thriller.

Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood‘s game was a tale of two halves. In the first half, Underwood looked the best he had all season, but he became unraveled in the second half. In total, he threw 21-for-32 for 280 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh had his best game of the season, catching 12 passes for 189 yards. Sophomore running back Jordan Marshall added another great game, rushing for 142 yards and two touchdowns, but he exited the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent shoulder injury.

Out of the gates, Underwood was confident and accurate. He completed all five of his passes for 74 yards on the first drive of the game, but the Wolverines came up empty. Marshall’s potential 17-yard touchdown was called back for holding, and senior kicker Dominic Zvada missed a 34-yard field goal.

Michigan got another crack at it after forcing a punt, however, and this time it converted. After a 32-yard reception by Marsh got the Wolverines to the 6-yard line, Marshall finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown rush. The Wolverines lit up the Wrigley scoreboards first, taking the 7-0 lead early in the second quarter.

After two empty drives, the Wildcats finally got something working on offense, pushing the ball all the way down into the red zone. But just like it had for the Wolverines, a penalty took away what would’ve been a touchdown for Northwestern, and forced a field goal try. The Wildcats knocked it through, making the score 7-3 with just over five minutes to play in the half.

Michigan had a chance to respond, but a blown up reverse play resulted in a fumble recovered by Northwestern, giving the ball right back. The Wildcats capitalized, but not fully, as the Wolverines forced a field goal to make the score 7-6.

Michigan had one more opportunity to extend the lead before halftime, but Zvada just missed a 60-yard attempt, keeping the score at 7-6 entering the break.

The Wolverines opened up the second half exactly how they wanted to. They forced a punt in four plays, then scored a quick touchdown. The big play of the drive was a 65-yard run from Marshall, which set up the nine-yard touchdown rush from Underwood on the very next play, whichput Michigan up 14-6.

The Wolverines defense immediately forced a three-and-out, and it looked like they were going to get a chance to blow the game wide open. But another fumble thwarted the opportunity, as junior wide receiver Semaj Morgan couldn’t hang on to the ball on the punt return. Northwestern recovered the fumble and started its drive from Michigan’s 36-yard line.

Once again, the Wolverines defense came up big, forcing the Wildcats to settle for a field goal to make the score 14-9.

The Michigan offense responded accordingly, ripping off a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. Both the rushing and passing games were working, and the Wildcats didn’t have an answer. Marshall put the finishing touches on the drive, punching in a one-yard touchdown, and putting his squad up 21-9.

Northwestern wasn’t going away, though. It worked its way down the field, scoring its first touchdown of the game on the first drive of the fourth quarter, and making the score 21-16.

With the game in the balance, things turned sour for the Wolverines. Underwood made his first big mistake of the day, tossing an ill-advised pass over the middle, which was intercepted and brought to the Wolverines 6-yard line. It took only one play for Northwestern to punch it in and take its first lead of the game. They elected to go for the two-point conversion, but were unsuccessful, keeping the score at 22-21 in the Wildcats’ favor.

Michigan was content to keep the ball on the ground on the following drive, but Marshall went down with an apparent shoulder injury. And on Underwood’s first passing opportunity, he threw another interception. Still, the Wolverines defense very quickly forced a three-and-out, giving Underwood another chance in great field position.

But the Wolverines turned the ball over for a fifth time, this time on a fumble. They went for a fourth-and-1 on the 24-yard line, and junior running back Bryson Kuzdzal couldn’t handle the handoff, fumbling the ball back to the Wildcats.

While the offense was reeling, Michigan’s defense was keeping the team in the game, forcing yet another three-and-out, and giving the offense another chance to remedy its mistakes with 2:10 remining in the game.

Michigan was playing for the final possession, not wanting to give the Wildcats a chance to respond. And it worked, as with two seconds left, the game was in the hands of Zvada, who was 0-for-2 on the day entering this final try.

Despite all his struggles in the game — and his season as a whole — Zvada nailed the game-winner, and his teammates carried him off the field, victorious.

To commence the final quarter of the regular season, No. 18 Michigan is set to take on Northwestern at Wrigley Field on Saturday at noon.

The Wildcats are a much better team than the one that the Wolverines manhandled 50-6 in Ann Arbor last year. Sitting at 3-3 in the Big Ten, they’ve positioned themselves as a frisky, mid-tier squad that can hang with some of the top teams.

Michigan is fresh off a much-needed bye week, and is looking to turn its play up a notch during the final stretch of the season. The Wolverines are the better team on paper, but nothing comes guaranteed in this conference, especially not against a team like Northwestern.

Here are five things to watch for when the Wolverines take on the Wildcats…

Both Michigan and Northwestern hang their hats on their ground game, as they are third and fifth in the Big Ten, respectively, in rushing yards per game. The Wildcats rely on running back Caleb Komolafe out of the backfield, and he’s coming off back-to-back games with over 100 rushing yards.

With junior running back Justice Haynes very likely still unable to play due to injury, sophomore Jordan Marshall will once again take over lead back duties. Marshall has been stellar in his own right, notching three straight games with 100-plus rushing yards.

This game will likely feature a lot of run plays, and that still plays into Michigan’s advantage. Not only do the Wolverines own one of the best rush offenses in the Big Ten, but they are also one of the top run defenses.

Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood has had back-to-back games in which he played below his standard, but this game gives him a great chance to respond.

He should have plenty of time in the pocket, given that Northwestern has registered just 13 sacks all season. And if he isn’t throwing the ball, he should also have ample opportunities to use his legs to make plays happen.

The season is in its final stretch, and it’s time for the freshman signal caller to put it all together.

While the Wildcats are adept at running the football, they aren’t quite as sound through the air. They only average 169.9 passing yards per game, the third-worst mark in the conference, and sport a 11-to-9 touchdown to interception ratio.

If Michigan can make Northwestern quarterback Preston Stone uncomfortable, the Wildcats become one-dimensional, and thus, far easier to take down. Look for senior edge rusher Derrick Moore to continue his stretch of terror on opposing quarterbacks. 

As mentioned before, Northwestern can be turnover prone at times, and the best way to take down a team like the Wildcats is to take away their possessions.

Michigan is quite adept at forcing turnovers, boasting the third-most interceptions in the Big Ten, so it’s strength on weakness. If the Wolverines can take advantage and steal some possessions, it makes Northwestern’s upset attempt much harder.

Michigan has had its share of trouble on the road this season, and given this road game is taking place at Wrigley Field, this game provides an even more unique challenge. 

It’s hard to imagine that many Wolverines have played a football game inside an MLB stadium before, so this is most likely a new endeavor for most of the team. Northwestern, on the other hand, has played several games in The Friendly Confines over the past few years, so they have some experience.

At the end of the day, a football field is still 100-yards long regardless of where it’s located, so nothing should really change. Still, it’s a unique challenge that the Wolverines will have to conquer.

The No. 6 Michigan men’s basketball team (2-0) found itself in an early-season battle against Wake Forest (2-1) Tuesday night, ultimately pulling out an 85-84 victory in overtime.

The contest technically took place at a neutral site, although Little Caesars Arena in Detroit is hardly going to warrant a fifty-fifty fan split. Even with the crowd at its back, Michigan struggled in the second half. The Wolverines entered the break with a 47-34 lead, but couldn’t hold on to it in regulation.

While the game didn’t go how Michigan wanted it to, it put together enough offense and key stops to secure the win.

Here are five key takeaways from the nail-biting victory…

Junior center Aday Mara had his fingerprints all over Tuesday’s game. He stuffed the stat sheet, scoring 18 points alongside his 13 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks. When Mara was on the floor, good things happened.

His five blocks don’t do his defensive presence justice — the Demon Deacons rarely got off a clean look around the rim for fear of the 7-foot-3 Mara’s long arms swatting the ball away. Past his five blocks, Mara probably directly altered half a dozen more.

Naturally, his scoring came mostly off stick-backs and lobs around the rim, but he also flashed his court vision that the coaching staff has raved about. Thanks to his height, he can see the court largely unhindered, and his good decision making and accurate passes make him unique for his position.

In all facets of the game, Mara was the key for the Wolverines.

Alongside Mara, Michigan’s other two transfer forwards — graduate Yaxel Lendeborg and sophomore Morez Johnson Jr. — had off days for their standards.

Lendeborg scored nine points on 4-for-12 shooting from the floor, while Johnson added 10 points and eight rebounds. While neither stat line jumps off the page as particularly bad, the Wolverines want a little more impact from the duo.

Especially late in the second half and into overtime, Lendeborg and Johnson didn’t play as prominent of roles as one would expect. It’s early in the season, and these kinds of performances happen. They’ll both have plenty of chances to get back on track.

The Wolverines had seven players score eight points or more, and that’s a bigger deal than it seems. 

There were moments last year when the offense seemingly ran through one or two players, and if they were having an off night, Michigan struggled mightily. This year, however, there are many more weapons. Someone like Lendeborg can have a rough offensive showing, but the team is still able to pull out a gritty win.

Ideally, every player would be playing at their best all the time, but that’s just not realistic. But when one player isn’t having a great night, there are several others that are more than capable of stepping up.

Michigan isn’t filled to the brim with lights-out shooters, but they are certainly an above-average three-point shooting team. Thus, a 4-for-25 shooting night from deep isn’t something the Wolverines are going to put up very often.

While there were plenty of good looks that just didn’t fall, there were times where Michigan didn’t help itself with its shot selection. There were several early-shot clock deep threes that weren’t in the flow of the offense — while the Wolverines have guys that can make those, most of the time they can find a better, higher-percentage look later in the possession.

Regardless, Michigan is too good of a shooting team to routinely have cold nights like these, so winning despite it is a good sign.

Last year, the Wolverines lost their second game of the season by one point to Wake Forest, and they still went on to have a successful campaign. This year, however, they flipped the script, beating the Demon Deacons by one point in the second game of the year. 

The point being, it’s far too early in the season to draw overarching conclusions about the team. The second game of a 30-game season never defines a team. The most important thing is that Michigan gets a tick in the win column, and it doesn’t hurt to get a little bit of late-game execution practice in, either.

Over the past few weeks, a plethora of Michigan’s major contributors have fallen victim to the injury bug. Luckily for the Wolverines, they have a bye week this week to help them rest up and get healthy before the final three games of the regular season.

Michigan still has everything to play for. Sitting at 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten, winning out should place the Wolverines in a very good spot to make the College Football Playoff. Still, a big part of making that push is making sure that everyone is healthy and ready to play.

Here’s the latest news and updates on Michigan’s injuries…

Junior running back Justice Haynes was wearing a boot on his right foot and roaming the sidelines on a scooter against the Boilermakers. There was a lot of speculation the previous week about a potential foot injury, and those rumors were proven correct.

Wolverines fans were given even more bad news on Sunday when CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that Haynes will undergo surgery on his right foot.

While the hope is for him to return to the field this season, Michigan will likely be without its star in the back field for several weeks. Sophomore running back Jordan Marshall will take over the bulk of the snaps in his stead.

Marshall has been excellent in both a starting and backup role this season, and has produced three-straight 100-yard games. While the Wolverines would love to get Haynes back as soon as possible, Marshall is about as good of a replacement as any team could hope for.

Senior edge rusher/linebacker Jaishawn Barham left last Saturday’s game on the first drive with an apparent upper body injury and never returned.

After playing much of the season at the edge rusher position, Barham was moved back to his natural linebacker role against Purdue due to other injuries at the position. His versatility and talent in both positions have made him a highly valuable asset on defense, one that Michigan wants back as soon as possible.

On Jon Jansen’s “Inside Michigan Football” show on Monday, head coach Sherrone Moore offered some hopeful news on the state of Barham’s injury.

“He went in for a couple plays and had an issue,” Moore said about Barham. “I feel like we’ll get him back. We’ll allow him this week to recover, so I feel like we’ll be in good shape there.” 

Moore also offered some more vague updates on the duo of starting linebackers — sophomore Cole Sullivan and senior Jimmy Rolder — that were sidelined against the Boilermakers.

“We’ll know more as the week goes, and next week, but those guys are getting closer and closer to getting back,” Moore said. “So hopeful on those guys and where they’re going to.”

Both Sullivan and Rolder are massive pieces of a Wolverines defense that has really started to come into its own as the season has progressed. Without them and Barham, Michigan is forced to rely on freshman Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng and senior Chase Taylor. While they played well in their own right, getting Rolder and Sullivan back is a priority.

Redshirt sophomore left tackle Evan Link went down with a lower-body injury Oct. 18 against the Washington Huskies, and has not played since. Moore said a few days later that he was hopeful that Link would return this season, but there have been no more major updates on his status.

It has been mum on the statuses of graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley, who left the game against Purdue, and graduate defensive back Rod Moore, who hasn’t played in nearly a month. Moore has been out for much of the season, playing just three games with limited snaps, but McCulley is a big part of the Wolverines offense, and losing him for an extended period of time would be a big blow.

As the bye week progresses, there may be more in-depth updates on some of these players, but as it stands now, Michigan is in ‘wait and see’ mode.

At this point in the season, wins are at a premium, no matter what they look like. But Michigan’s somewhat-sluggish 21-16 win over Purdue Saturday night wasn’t enough for the AP Poll Top 25 voters to give the Wolverines a little boost.

Staying stagnant, Michigan enters its second bye week ranked No. 21 in the country.

Michigan’s pass offense struggled for the second week in a row, but the running game was as good as ever. Even with star junior running back Justice Haynes sidelined with an injury, sophomore running back Jordan Marshall had another terrific game. He gained 210 total yards, 185 on the ground and 25 through the air, and rushed for all three of Michigan’s touchdowns.

The Wolverines defense was banged up, particularly at the linebacker spot, and the Boilermakers looked more comfortable than many expected. Still, the Michigan defense did enough in the big moments to keep Purdue mostly at bay.

Michigan controls its own destiny in terms of making the College Football Playoff. If they win out, the Wolverines should be a lock to make the field. Unfortunately for Michigan, winning out includes toppling the No. 1 team in the country, and bitter rival, Ohio State.

Regardless, the Wolverines will find out where they stand officially Tuesday night when the CFP rankings come out.

Last week, the top six teams stayed put, this week, the top seven teams kept their rankings. Both teams that Michigan has lost to this season, Oklahoma and USC, earn boosts, and land at No. 11 and No. 20, respectively.

Washington enters the rankings for the first time this season, debuting at No. 24 after its bye week.

Here are the complete AP Poll Top 25 rankings for Week 11:

Other teams receiving votes: Iowa, James Madison, Pittsburgh, San Diego St., North Texas, South Florida, SMU, Houston, Illinois, LSU, Arizona St.

Michigan is idle next week, so its fate in the rankings is out of its hands. Still, this bye week comes at a very opportune time for the Wolverines, as a lot of their major contributors are sidelined with injury. The extra week will give many of those guys some more time to heal up before the final stretch of the season.

When the Wolverines do take the field again, they will face an improved Northwestern squad. After going 2-7 in the Big Ten last season, the Wildcats currently sit at 3-2 in the conference.

Michigan will be favored, but Northwestern isn’t a pushover this year. Even with the end of the season and the bout with the Buckeyes quickly approaching, the Wolverines have to keep their eyes on the current opponent.

On Tuesday, the first iteration of the College Football Playoff rankings will be released, and Michigan will truly know where it stands. Still, the path is relatively clear: If the Wolverines win out, their resume will be plenty strong, but if they don’t, they’ll need a lot of external factors to go their way.

There really is no such a thing as a ‘bad win,’ but Michigan’s 21-16 win over Purdue might fit neatly into the ‘ugly win’ category.

The Wolverines weren’t supposed to have an issue with the Boilermakers. With Purdue still searching for its first Big Ten win since 2023 and Michigan back on its home turf, not many people thought the Boilermakers had a shot. Still, the Wolverines needed all four quarters to put them away for good.

Whether Michigan won by five points or 50, the tick in the win column is no different at the end of the day. Regardless, the Wolverines’ upcoming bye week provides much-needed time to work out the kinks and get healthy again.

Here’s four ‘Ups’ and two ‘Downs’ from Michigan’s narrow win over Purdue…

Starting in place of junior running back Justice Haynes, who was wearing a boot and riding a scooter on the sidelines, sophomore running back Jordan Marshall had yet another excellent game. 

On 25 carries, Marshall gained 185 yards and collected three touchdowns. He also added in a 25-yard reception, bringing his total yardage up to 210. Marshall did it all. Whether it was showing off his speed in the open field or carrying the pile an extra five yards, he dominated in every facet he could.

Losing a Heisman candidate-level running back in Haynes to injury, but not losing much production — if any at all — is a massive luxury for the Wolverines. Michigan certainly hopes that Haynes can return as quickly as possible, but with Marshall in the backfield, it’s still in very good hands.

With his performance Saturday night, senior edge rusher Derrick Moore collected his third-straight game with two sacks. Both came in the first quarter, and the second forced a fumble while Purdue was in the red zone.

With senior Jaishawn Barham moving back to the linebacker position due to injuries at that position — and then subsequently leaving the game with an injury himself — Moore shouldered a bigger responsibility in the pass rush. It didn’t seem to faze him, as he was just as disruptive as he was the two weeks prior.

If Barham is out for an extended period, or is forced back to the linebacker position, Moore’s emergence as a legitimate force at the edge becomes even more important.

For the second week in a row, freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood had a rough game. But also for the second week in a row, he walks away as the winning quarterback. Regardless of the outcome of the game, throwing 13-for-22 for 145 yards and an interception, along with a near-goal line fumble, isn’t a stat line Underwood wants to make a habit of producing.

Underwood was a few feet here and there away from having a really solid game. He overthrew and underthrew several receivers that were end-zone bound had the ball been placed better, and he had two red zone turnovers. A couple of those plays go his way, and the narrative around his performance flips.

But they didn’t go his way, and he has an extra week of practice to work on what he needs to work on before the fourth quarter of the season commences.

It’s not fair to praise only the running back for a dominant running performance, because the big guys up front deserve credit, too. They consistently created solid holes for Marshall to burst through, and helped push him forward for those couple extra yards when they could.

For an offensive line that has been riddled with injury, they’ve really come into their own as a group. They haven’t been perfect, and it’s hard to stack up against the 2021 and 2022 iterations that won the Joe Moore Award, but they’ve performed quite well despite their youth and lack of continuity. 

Michigan’s linebacker room, which was its deepest group for much of the season, has been decimated by injuries recently. Sophomore Cole Sullivan left the game last week against Michigan State, senior Jimmy Rolder was ruled out prior to Saturday’s contest, and Barham left in the first quarter Saturday night with an apparent injury.

Thus, a lot of responsibility fell on the shoulders of senior linebacker Ernest Hausmann to hold it down. He had a very solid game, leading the team in total tackles with 11 (eight solo), with one being a tackle for loss. The hope is that the Wolverines can get their linebackers healthy again, but Hausmann stepped up when they needed him.

Michigan was missing a large handful of big contributors, and it showed against Purdue. Alongside Haynes, Sullivan, Rolder, and Barham, graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley also left the game with an apparent injury.

The Wolverines have a bye week up next, which should give some of these guys time to recover and return to the field. Without them, Michigan just isn’t the same caliber of team. While they could get by against the Boilermakers in this state, the Wolverines might not be able to topple tougher opponents this short-handed.

Graduate edge rusher TJ Guy picked up a sack for the second week in a row, his second on the season…Junior tight end Zack Marshall snagged three catches for 58 yards to lead all Wolverines, continuing his solid stretch…Graduate defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny had a really solid game, collecting six tackles, assisting on a tackle for loss, and recovering a fumble.

After a gritty 31-20 road win over in-state rival Michigan State, the AP Poll Top 25 voters moved Michigan up the rankings for the second week in a row. Moving up four spots from No. 25, the Wolverines landed at No. 21 in the Week 10 rankings.

It wasn’t the prettiest game Michigan has played all season, but it was a win nonetheless, and that’s what the voters seem to care about most. Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood threw for just 86 yards and completed only eight of his 17 passing attempts, but the running game picked up the slack.

The Spartans didn’t have an answer for the running back duo of junior Justice Haynes and sophomore Jordan Marshall, who combined for 262 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Their performances were enough to overcome Michigan State and escape East Lansing with a win.

The top six teams remained steadfast, with no major upsets or movement, although No. 2 Indiana went from six first-place votes last week to 11 this week. The Hoosiers still aren’t close to overthrowing No. 1 Ohio State, but they are steadily gaining favor.

Michigan’s only two losses — Oklahoma and USC — are both ranked in this week’s poll, with the Sooners dropping to No. 18, and the Trojans breaking back in at No. 23.

Here are the complete AP Poll Top 25 rankings for Week 10:

Other teams receiving votes: Navy, Tulane, Washington, Iowa, South Florida, San Diego St., LSU, James Madison, North Texas, Illinois, Pittsburgh.

In conference play, the main, and only, goal is to come away with a win. A big, impressive win is a bonus, but as long as the loss column remains untouched, it’s a mission accomplished.

This is true even when the opponent is yet to win a Big Ten game. For the second week in row, the Wolverines are slated to take on a team seeking its first conference win of the year, and this week, it’s Purdue.

Like Saturday’s game against the Spartans, the Boilermakers coming into town presents a high-risk, low-reward scenario for Michigan. Beating up on a lesser team isn’t super impressive, but losing to one is devastating. Thus, the main goal is simply to avoid the latter outcome.

Purdue’s offense is much-improved this season, but its defense is still one of the worst in the conference, allowing 427.2 yards per game so far against Big Ten opponents. The one thing that the Boilermakers defense has going for it, however, is that its main weakness is its pass defense, and Michigan hasn’t been an elite passing team.

The Wolverines are a 21.5-point favorite as of this writing, according to FanDuel, with many expecting a blowout in Michigan Stadium come Saturday.

You can hear the call of the game when Michigan takes on Purdue on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m., on 94.7 WCSX. Here’s the full Michigan football schedule.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Michigan football team boarded the bus back to Ann Arbor with a 31-20 rivalry win over Michigan State in its pocket.

The Wolverines were quiet in the passing game, but it didn’t matter, because their rushing attack was elite. The defense had some lapses, but overall was quite solid, coming up big when it mattered most.

With the win, Michigan won its first night road game of the season after losing its first two. Even if it wasn’t as dominant as some expected, any road win in the Big Ten is a good win, especially against a bitter rival.

Here are four ‘Ups’ and two ‘Downs’ from the Wolverines’ win over the Spartans…

Senior linebacker Jimmy Rolder was everywhere for Michigan Saturday night. On the opening drive, he jumped on a fumble, gaining possession and staying in bounds long enough to ensure Michigan got the ball. He also broke up a pass and had several massive tackles, including a sack and a fourth-quarter, fourth-down stuff.

With fellow linebacker, sophomore Cole Sullivan, leaving the game with an injury, Rolder stepped up in a massive way. It’s been said all season, Michigan’s linebacker corps is incredibly strong, and Rolder is a big part of that. But with an injury to Sullivan, more responsibilities might fall onto Rolder’s shoulders.

Saturday night, however, he proved he was plenty capable of holding it down.

Between Michigan’s two running backs, junior Justice Haynes and sophomore Jordan Marshall, the Wolverines ran for 162 yards and three touchdowns on 41 attempts. Michigan’s passing game wasn’t performing well, but it didn’t matter, because the duo of Haynes and Marshall might just be the best running back duo in the country.

After missing the game against Washington, Haynes was back and just as productive as he was pre-injury. During his stint on the injured list, however, Marshall got the chance to shine, putting together a really nice game against the Huskies. Now that they’re both healthy and confident, the duo will be even more foreboding for opposing defenses.

It was a bit of a weird game for freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood. Just one week after his most complete performance against Washington, he took a step back against the Spartans. Part of this was due to the game script — he only threw the ball 17 times — but even when he did throw, he wasn’t as accurate, completing just eight passes for 86 yards.

Underwood is still quite young, and he’s learning on the fly each and every week. There’s no doubt that this game was full of learning experiences for the 18-year-old, and learning experiences are much easier to digest when they come in a win. 

Junior defensive back Jyaire Hill had an all-around very solid outing Saturday night. He was tasked with keeping Michigan State’s star wide receiver Nick Marsh in check, and Hill largely succeeded. He dropped a potential interception in the first quarter, but otherwise made very few mistakes.

Hill’s development into a reliable cornerback has been big for Michigan. He’s someone that the coaching staff trusts against the opponent’s No. 1 receiver, and he takes the challenge in stride. In the Wolverines’ young secondary, he’s emerging as the lead guy.

Following his best performance of the season last week, senior edge rusher Derrick Moore had yet another great game. For the second week in a row, he tallied two sacks, and he almost had three, but he had one erased in the fourth quarter due to a holding call.

It seems that Moore has found his footing in recent weeks, and that’s a big win for Michigan. The ability to make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable has been a large component of the Wolverines’ defensive success as of late, and they will continue to count on Moore to bring the pressure.

Michigan’s special teams have been shaky all season. Punt and kick returns have been the main culprits, and the same was true against Michigan State. On a punt, junior wide receiver Semaj Morgan called for a fair catch at the 5-yard line instead of letting it bounce into the end zone, or at worst, take the bounce further into positive territory. 

Similarly, after a penalty moved Michigan State’s kickoff back 15 yards, freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh called for a fair catch at the 8-yard line instead of taking it out with plenty of open space.

Senior punter Hudson Hollenbeck has also struggled with consistency, and that was also exemplified Saturday: He had a beautiful 67-yarder to pin the Spartans deep, but he also kicked a 32-yard dud.

Ultimately, the miscues didn’t cost Michigan, but in a closer game, small things like these can be the difference between a win and a loss.

Graduate edge rusher TJ Guy collected his first sack on the season…Tight end/fullbacks Jalen Hoffman and Max Bredeson both threw great blocks on Underwood’s touchdown run…Marsh continued to be solid in the passing game, catching three of his four targets for a team-leading 54 yards.

Graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley had another quiet game, catching just one of his six targets for nine yards…Morgan’s struggles with drops continued, as he dropped a possible third-down conversion.