Tag: Michigan Wolverines

After picking up its second loss of the season at the hands of Southern California Saturday night, the voters of the AP Poll Top 25 rankings saw enough to drop Michigan out of the top 25.

It wasn’t simply the fact that the Wolverines lost to the Trojans that made Michigan drop so far, it was how it lost. USC is a very good team, and especially facing them on the road, the committee would probably have afforded the Wolverines some grace had they lost a close game. Unfortunately for Michigan, not much went well, and USC dominated the game.

In the 31-13 loss, both the offense and the defense for the Wolverines had games to forget. The defense allowed the most points it had all season, and the offense tied its season-low in points. Those two paired together will almost never end in a favorable result.

Michigan’s strengths became its weaknesses, losing the battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball. The Wolverines offensive line struggled with both pass protection and run blocking, and the defensive line couldn’t generate enough pressure to slow down Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava.

In the end, it all culminated in a big loss on the road at USC, and it cost Michigan its place in the AP Poll for the first time all season.

It was mostly small changes throughout the poll, and the biggest dropper other than the Wolverines was Oklahoma. The Sooners fell from No. 5 to No. 14 after a convincing loss to Texas, who reentered the poll itself at No. 21.

Indiana broke its program record for its highest position in the poll ever, jumping up to No. 3 after a massive win over then-No. 3 Oregon.

Here are the complete AP Poll Top 25 rankings for Week 8:

Other teams receiving votes: Illinois, Michigan, Washington, UNLV, Navy, Mississippi St., Tulane, San Diego St.

The biggest thing any team can do to move up the ranks is win. Michigan wasn’t completely shunned by the voters, as it still received votes to be included, effectively sitting at No. 27 in the country.

The Wolverines are back at home next Saturday, but the opponent doesn’t get any easier. The Washington Huskies will come into Ann Arbor, sitting at 5-1 with its only loss coming at the hands of No. 1 Ohio State.

The Huskies, like Michigan, are another team that received votes in this week’s poll, sitting right behind the Wolverines at what would be No. 28. Regardless of the score, if Michigan can take down Washington, it will have gained a quality win and would most likely reenter the top 25.

The Wolverines and the Huskies have played three times since 2021, with Michigan winning two of those three. Most notably, the two programs met in the 2023 National Championship Game, in which the Wolverines came away victorious. Although Washington won the most recent matchup in 2024.

Michigan is currently a 5.5-point favorite against Washington as of the time of this writing, according to FanDuel. It should be a fairly even matchup, and the Wolverines will be eyeing a bounce back win.

You can hear the call of the game when Michigan takes on Washington on Oct. 18, on 94.7 WCSX. Here’s the full Michigan football schedule.

Michigan never got its feet under itself Saturday against Southern California, and it resulted in the worst game that the Wolverines have played thus far in 2025.

From the opening drive, the Trojans asserted themselves as the physically dominant team. Michigan, a team which generally prides itself on its physicality, gave up a total of 224 rushing yards while gaining just 109 itself. 

The Wolverines didn’t play to their standards, but that doesn’t mean everything went poorly.

Here are three ‘Ups’ and three ‘Downs’ from Michigan’s loss to USC…

Continuing his upward trajectory from last week, the freshman Marsh had a true breakout performance Saturday against USC. He caught eight passes on nine targets for 138 yards and a touchdown. For a position group that has struggled to find an identity, Marsh is a true standout in the Wolverines receiver room.

The biggest highlight of his night was a 69-yard touchdown catch in which he made his defender miss around midfield before taking it the rest of the way for six. Marsh has been extremely reliable in his two games as a starter, hauling in 12 of his 13 targets between the two games. His development and connection with freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood continues to be encouraging.

The freshman signal caller made his fair share of good plays Saturday, but ultimately, it wasn’t a great night for Underwood. Most notably, in a pivotal point in the third quarter, he forced a ball into double coverage down the right sideline, resulting in an unforced interception given he had another receiver open underneath.

His flashes of brilliance — like his perfectly-placed touchdown pass to graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley and several nice throws on the move — were, in the end, overshadowed by his overall lack of consistency. 

Marshall didn’t have a crazy night stats wise, but in the wake of the injury to junior running back Justice Haynes, Marshall put together a satisfactory outing. On 14 carries, Marshall gained 68 yards and tacked on 16 more through the air.

When Haynes went down, he was averaging 5.1 yards per carry on his 10 attempts, and Marshall finished the night at 4.9 yards per carry. Haynes certainly has more big-play potential, but Marshall overall performed well given the circumstances. 

All night, Michigan’s defenders missed open field tackles. There isn’t one specific player or instance to point to, but simply a lack of execution as a team. One missed tackle even led to a 49-yard run on a third-and-26.

While this has been a bit of a recurring issue throughout the year, it was especially visible against the Trojans. On the whole, the Wolverines defense has been solid this season, but missing tackles doesn’t bode well, especially not as they get deeper into conference play. There’s no doubt tackling will be an emphasis at this week’s practices, and perhaps this game will serve as a wake-up call.

McCulley didn’t exactly replicate the excellent performance he put up against Wisconsin, but he did play better than his stat line shows. Overall, he caught three passes on seven targets for 39 yards and a touchdown. Despite not catching four of his targets, none of them were drops.

McCulley has shown off his ability as a pass-catcher this season, but he also picked up a couple big blocks for his teammates Saturday. Notably, during the first play of the second quarter, McCulley blocked two defenders at once to open up a hole for Haynes to gain nine yards on what otherwise could have just been a small gain, if anything.

He’s been one of Underwood’s favorite targets all season, and paired alongside Marsh, the wide receiver room is slowly forming an identity.

Both in pass protection and in run-block, Michigan’s offensive line struggled. Underwood didn’t have a lot of time in the pocket, and the running backs rarely got a clean hole to squeeze through. When the Wolverines are playing at their best, they win in the trenches, and Saturday, they got beat.

The offensive line is definitely young and slightly banged up, but even with graduate captain Giovanni El-Hadi back from injury, the line didn’t play to its standard. Especially with the physical nature of the Big Ten, Michigan will need its offensive line to regroup moving forward.

Junior defensive back Jyaire Hill laid a massive hit and forced a key fumble in the red zone…Senior defensive back Zeke Berry also secured a red zone turnover, this time with an interception, his first of the year. Senior edge rusher Jaishawn Barham had a solid day, collecting a tackle for loss and, technically, a forced fumble on a backwards pass that he tipped…Senior punter Hudson Hollenbeck’s struggles continued, as three of his four punts went for 36 yards or fewer.

The Michigan football team (4-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) struggled against Southern California (5-1, 3-1), ultimately losing its first Big Ten game of the season by a final score of 31-13.

The Wolverines offense struggled to get much of anything going. Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood threw 15-for-24 for 207 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw an interception. Sophomore running back Jordan Marshall took over lead back duties in the second quarter after junior Justice Haynes left the game with an injury.

Freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh had another strong game, hauling in eight receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown.

For the second week in a row, Michigan’s defense came out flat. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava calmly led his offense down the field for an opening drive touchdown, capped off by wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane‘s 2-yard catch in the end zone. Before the Wolverines could touch the football, they were down 7-0.

Michigan didn’t exactly bounce right back like it did against Wisconsin, going three-and-out on its first possession and giving the ball right back to Maiava and the Trojans. But just as it seemed like USC was going to coast in for another touchdown — or at least a field goal — junior defensive back Jyaire Hill laid a massive hit on a Trojan receiver, forcing a fumble that the Wolverines recovered.

While Michigan’s offense had more success the second time around, a penalty and a sack moved the Wolverines out of field goal range, forcing a punt and keeping the score at 7-0 with just under 12 minutes left in the half.

Regardless, the fumble knocked some of USC’s momentum loose as well, and Michigan’s defense was able to force a punt. This time, the Wolverines capitalized on the stop. The 14-play, 86-yard drive ended in an eight yard touchdown pass to graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley, knotting the score at 7-7 with just over three minutes remaining in the half.

Not lost in the touchdown celebration, however, Haynes went to the locker room with an apparent injury during the drive, leaving Marshall to take over as the lead back.

But the Trojans weren’t done with the first half yet. On the back of third-string running back King Miller, USC busted off a quick 75-yard touchdown drive, finished off by an impressive catch by Makai Lemon. With very little time left on the clock, the Trojans took a 14-7 lead into halftime.

For the Michigan offense, the second half started just as the first began: a three-and-out. USC mirrored the start to the game as well, making quick work of the Wolverines defense and collecting a touchdown to make the score 21-7. The Trojans were threatening to run Michigan out of the game.

The Wolverines had no answer for King Miller. After Michigan’s offense once again came away empty-handed, Miller broke off a 47-yard rush to get his team to Michigan’s 24-yard line, with a chance to go up by three scores.

Once again, however, the Wolverines picked up a big turnover in the red zone, this time in the form of an interception by senior defensive back Zeke Berry.

It briefly looked like the interception was the break Michigan needed. The Wolverines gained four first downs, pushing the ball to USC’s 29-yard line. But then Underwood made his biggest mistake of the game. Trying to get the ball to McCulley, Underwood forced a pass into double coverage and gave the Trojans an interception of their own.

USC got one play off before the last seconds of the quarter ticked away, and it took the ball and a 21-7 lead into the final 15 minutes of play.

The Trojans were forced to take a field goal to push the score to 24-7, but it still put USC up three scores with just 10 minutes to play.

Michigan still had some signs of life. On the second play of the following drive, Underwood connected with freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh for a 69-yard touchdown. The Wolverines went for the two-point conversion, but were unsuccessful, making the score 24-13 with a little more than nine minutes left in the game.

Any hopes of a Michigan comeback were squandered just nine plays later. USC running back Bryan Jackson broke off a 29-yard touchdown scamper, making the score 31-13 and sealing the game with just over four minutes left in the game. The clocked ticked down to zeros with no more changes to the score, and Michigan fell to 1-2 on the road in 2025.

The Michigan Wolverines will travel out west to face the USC Trojans in a clash between two of the most historically recognizable programs in college football history. Both teams have had their fair share of success this season, with the Wolverines scoring wins against Nebraska and Wisconsin while only losing to a very solid Oklahoma team. USC’s lone game against a legitimate team was against Illinois, and the Trojans failed to hold a late lead, falling to a last-second field goal. 

Unsurprisingly, the Wolverines have stuck with the style of offense that helped them win the national championship a couple of years ago. Quarterback Bryce Underwood has been solid, but the run game is the true engine of the offense, with running backs Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall each playing hugely important roles. The defense has been as good as everyone expected, with guys like Ernest Hausmann and Cole Sullivan contributing tons of tackles and surprisingly good pass coverage. They will have their work cut out for them against a USC passing attack that is one of the best in the nation. 

The Trojans are essentially the opposite of Michigan. Quarterback Jayden Maiava has garnered some early Heisman consideration, thanks to his fantastic connection with wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane. Running back Waymond Jordan has also contributed in a big way, putting up 537 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the year. However, the defense has been downright abysmal, allowing points to just about any offense that lines up across from them. A deadly Wolverine rushing attack should be able to capitalize on that.

Note: The above data was collected on Oct. 10, 2025, and may have changed since writing.

It is an absolute shock to see the Wolverines as 2.5-point underdogs, and it stinks of the same line that the Fighting Illini commanded before their game with the Trojans. Until USC shows any sort of defensive capability, taking them as a favorite is an extremely questionable prospect. 

The Wolverines should be able to run the ball at will, which will allow them to keep the USC offense and Maiava on the sidelines. Michigan will dominate the time of possession battle and play effective defense throughout the entirety of this contest, and that will be enough for the Wolverines to take home a road win. Michigan’s spread is obviously the safer play, but play their money line with confidence.

Under the Saturday evening Los Angeles sky, No. 15 Michigan will take on Southern California in the Colosseum.

The last time the Wolverines trekked to California to take on the Trojans in a true road game — not the neutral site Rose Bowl — was 1957. But now in the new Big Ten, Michigan and USC will become familiarized with each other’s home turf.

The Trojans have had a bounceback year after last season’s disappointment, and they appear poised to give much of the Big Ten a run for its money. Michigan, on the other hand, would love a repeat of last year’s 27-24 victory in Ann Arbor, although perhaps it’d like a wider margin this time around.

Here are five things to watch for in Saturday’s battle between the Wolverines and the Trojans…

After struggling to find consistency in the passing game for much of the season, Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood alongside graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley finally figured it all out last week against Wisconsin. 

The Badgers pass defense wasn’t very strong, however, so the Wolverines will have a chance to prove that their improvement was no fluke against USC. While the Trojans’ secondary isn’t top-tier itself, it should provide more staunch protection than Wisconsin’s.

For Underwood and his receivers, this matchup is a type of ‘prove it’ game.

USC’s quarterback Jayden Maiava can really sling the pill. He ranks second in the nation in passing yards per game with 317.4 and has tossed 11 touchdowns to just one interception.

He also has two game-changing receivers in Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane at his disposal. Lemon has taken on a larger role since Lane has battled through injury, but the bye week should’ve helped Lane get his feet back under him. 

Between Maiava, Lemon, and Lane, the Wolverines will have a lot on their hands come Saturday.

While the Trojans offense is high-powered, their defense is still vulnerable. In its three Big Ten games thus far, USC has allowed an average of 26.7 points per game compared to Michigan’s 18.5 through two games.

It’s certainly a small sample size for both squads, but the Wolverines should have ample opportunity to put points on the board, and they’re going to need to. With an offense as good as the Trojans’ is, Michigan will need to take advantage of each opportunity it has to light up the scoreboard.

USC’s pass rush is quite good, currently ranking seventh in the nation with 3.4 sacks per game. On the contrary, Michigan is adept at pass protection, allowing just one per game. Certainly, the Wolverines’ lack of drop-back passes aids this number, but they’ve still proven capable.

If Michigan wants to continue its success through the air, the pass protection will need to play its best game of the season so far.

Penn State’s shocking loss to then-winless UCLA reminded the entire country the role that coast-to-coast travel can play in football games. The three-hour time difference is certainly not the only reason the Nittany Lions lost, and it’s not the only reason the Bruins won, but it does play a role.

Michigan is traveling down to Los Angeles Thursday night, allowing all of Friday to acclimate to the time difference in hopes of mitigating its effects. Still, it’s just one more factor that the Wolverines will have working against them Saturday evening.

It’s been 10 years since the last time a running back took the Heisman Trophy home, when Derrick Henry did it in 2015. Since then, it’s been all quarterbacks and wide receivers — along with a two-way player in Travis Hunter in 2024.

Still, running backs have been in the mix, and Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore thinks junior running back Justice Haynes should be up there on the watch list.

“Animal,” Moore said in a press conference Monday, as soon as Haynes’ name was mentioned. “Animal. He should be up for the Heisman. Start doing that.”

And it’s not just not head coach bias, the numbers back him up as well.

Haynes is currently third among all running backs in yards per carry at a ridiculous 7.7, fourth in total rushing yards with 654, and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns with eight. By the numbers, Haynes is easily a top 3 running back in the country, and the case can certainly be made for the top spot.

In 2024, then-Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, losing to the aforementioned Hunter. This result proved just how difficult it is for a running back to take home the award in the first palce, because Jeanty had an unbelievable season. He rushed for 2,601 total yards — 27 shy of the all-time record — good for 29 touchdowns, averaging 7.0 yards per carry.

Comparing Haynes’ 2025 so far to Jeanty’s 2024, Haynes still has a bit to go to reach Jeanty’s level of production. To get to 2,601 yards, Jeanty averaged a massive 185.8 yards per game through 14 games, and averaged a little over two touchdowns a game.

If Haynes were to finish at this exact pace, he’d amass 1,570 yards in the 12 regular season games, or, for sake of comparison, 1,831 yards through 14 games. 

It’d be hard to argue that Haynes had a better season than Jeanty, but Haynes does have several things going for him. First, Haynes plays in the Big Ten. The competition he faces is much stiffer than the Mountain West competition that Jeanty faced last season, and that definitely hurt Jeanty’s case last year. 

And second, there is no Hunter in the mix, and no far-and-away favorite to come away with the Heisman in general. The race is wide-open, and Haynes has played himself into the conversation.

Jeanty had a historic season in 2024, so that comparison is a little unfair. Instead, perhaps Haynes should be compared to another Wolverine, Blake Corum. Corum finished ninth in Heisman voting in 2023 and seventh in 2022.

Corum played just 12 games in 2022 due to a late-season injury, but he still gained 1,463 rushing yards for 18 touchdowns, averaging 121.9 yards per game. At his current pace, Haynes is on track to beat Corum in all three categories. 

Haynes is doing it all on relatively low volume. Compared to Jeanty, who carried the ball an average of 26.7 times per game, Haynes so far is averaging just 17 carries per contest. And Haynes has proven that he doesn’t need incredibly high volume to be successful, all he needs is one play.

In four of Michigan’s five games, Haynes has had a run of more than 40 yards, and two of 75 yards. The value of these kinds of plays cannot be understated. They quickly shift the momentum of the game and give the Wolverines a massive boost. One big play can win a game, and Haynes is adept at making them.

Even if Haynes doesn’t pick up the stat line needed to outright win the Heisman, his production should absolutely place him in consideration. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him at least earn some votes at the end of the season.

Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale wants his 11 best players on the field. It sounds simple, but talent isn’t always evenly distributed throughout position groups. Sometimes, then, you just have to move players around.

It’s no secret that the Wolverines linebacker room is stacked. To start the season, there was senior Ernest Hausmann, senior Jaishawn Barham, senior Jimmy Rolder, sophomore Cole Sullivan, and even freshman Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng all competing for playing time. And in Martindale’s “best 11” philosophy, he needed to get more of them onto the field.

So, he moved Barham to edge rusher full-time. And Barham has thrived.

For the first two weeks of the season, Barham took the vast majority of his snaps at the linebacker position, with a few packages with him as an edge rusher sprinkled in. But in Week 3 against Central Michigan, Barham’s shift to a full-time edge rusher began, collecting two sacks off the defensive line. In the last two games, Barham has been listed as a starting edge rusher.

For Barham’s skill set, it’s been nearly a perfect match. There’s no doubt that Barham was, and still is, a very good linebacker, but his explosiveness and hard-hitting ability make him an unenviable matchup for any offensive line.

He’s still learning the position, certainly, but so far, he’s been quite impactful. In his three games taking significant snaps lined up on the defensive line, he’s collected three sacks alongside nine quarterback pressures.

Because of his skill set at the edge, Barham has generated some significant draft buzz. Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule even thinks Barham is a top-10 pick in the NFL draft. While Martindale isn’t commenting on where Barham will go in the draft, he thinks Barham is just getting started.

“I just know he’s a good football player,” Martindale said in a press conference Oct. 1. “I don’t think that he has a ceiling. I think he’s just going to keep getting better, and I know he loves playing in this defense.”

Not only has Barham’s move to edge rusher resulted in increasing production at his new position, but it has also helped out his old position. Michigan would love to have a clone of Barham so he can play both of his positions, but the Wolverines’ depth at the linebacker spot has made it so the defense didn’t skip a beat.

Hausmann was always going to be a starter, but Sullivan and Rolder were fighting for playing time when Barham was still playing linebacker. Now, both Rolder and Sullivan have seen an increase in their snaps and made the most of their opportunities. Rolder saw the most defensive snaps on the team against Wisconsin at 41, and Sullivan has both an interception and a fumble recovery.

Now, Martindale inches closer to having his 11 best players roaming on defense, and Barham’s move is a major part of that.

“He hits,” Martindale said. “And those guys are unique, so enjoy it while you’re seeing it.”

The Wolverine faithful certainly have been enjoying watching Barham flying around the field, and as long as he stays on the field, they’ll continue to be excited by his play.

Following its 24-10 victory of Wisconsin, the AP Poll Top 25 voters gave the Michigan football team its biggest boost of the season.

The Wolverines jumped five spots from No. 20 all the way up to No. 15.

Michigan didn’t play its best game Saturday, but it did come away with a win. And in a week chock-full of massive upsets, simply walking away with a win will secure a nice boost in the Sunday rankings.

Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood had a successful day through the air, throwing 19-for-28 for 270 yards and a touchdown. He connected six times with graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley for 112 yards and the one touchdown. McCulley’s performance marked the first time all season that a Michigan pass catcher eclipsed 100 yards.

Junior running back Justice Haynes continued to dominate. For his fifth straight game, he gained 100 yards and scored at least one touchdown, gaining 117 yards and punching in two touchdowns.

The Wolverines defense had a great day as well. After allowing a touchdown on the first drive of the game, they didn’t allow the Badgers to score until their final drive. Indeed, Wisconsin’s offense has been rough all season, but Michigan’s performance remains impressive.

Looking around college football, UCLA pulled off a wild upset in Pasadena, as the previously 0-4 Bruins took down then-No.7 Penn State by a score of 42-37. The Nittany Lions have dropped two games in a row and fell all the way out of the top 25.

Then-No. 9 Texas also lost to an unranked opponent, falling to Florida, 29-21. The Longhorns reaped the consequences, also dropping out of the rankings altogether.

Here are the complete AP Poll Top 25 rankings for Week 7:

Other teams receiving votes: Cincinnati, Texas, Penn St., Utah, Nebraska, Southern Cal, UNLV, North Texas, TCU, Washington, Mississippi St., Navy, Louisville, Auburn

Next week, the Wolverines trek out to Los Angeles to take on Southern California. USC has had a much better year than many predicted. While they are currently unranked, they’ve cracked the top 25 at points this season and have a potent offense. 

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava has had a great year throwing the ball, having already thrown 11 touchdowns to just one interception. Wide receiver Makai Lemon has also been electrifying this season, forming a formidable duo with Maiava.

The Trojans are giving up an average of 26.7 points per game through its first three Big Ten matchups this season, hinting at potential defensive holes. 

For Michigan to continue its climb up the rankings, a win at USC should do the trick. Against struggling Wisconsin, the Wolverines needed to be convincing, but away at the Trojans, just coming away with the win will be impressive enough.

USC is currently a 2.5-point favorite according to FanDuel as of the time of this writing, so the fans think that this game will be a tight one.

You can hear the call of the game when Michigan takes on USC on Oct. 11, on 94.7 WCSX, with pregame coverage starting at 5:30 p.m. EST. Here’s the full Michigan football schedule.

It took until the second half for the Michigan offense to really get rolling, but in the end, the Wolverines took care of Wisconsin by a score of 24-10.

Many people expected the Wolverines to dominate the struggling Badgers from start to finish, but that wasn’t the case. Both offenses were stagnant for the first 30 minutes, and Michigan only took a three-point lead into halftime. 

But in the second half, the Wolverines defense remained strong and the offense woke up, leading to a much more convincing performance to end the game.

Here are four ‘Ups’ and two ‘Downs’ from Michigan’s win over Wisconsin…

McCulley finally had his breakout performance that many people have been waiting for. He hauled in a season-high six receptions for 112 yards and his first touchdown of the season. Michigan’s wide receiver room has struggled this season, and no true No. 1 target has emerged. McCulley’s performance, particularly in the second half, made a solid case for him to slide into that role.

With a little over five minutes left in the third quarter, McCulley hauled in a massive 33-yard catch down the left sideline before scoring a 29-yard touchdown two plays later. For a team that has struggled to maintain a consistent passing attack, this sequence from McCulley — and his performance as a whole — is quite encouraging.

Moore returned from a knee injury two weeks ago against Nebraska after a year and a half of recovery. Saturday, Moore collected his first interception since his return. While the interception was an important play within the confines of the game, its impact extends beyond just the outcome on the field.

Moore has been a team captain for the last two seasons, and is a veteran presence on the field and in the locker room. The entire team has been pulling for Moore since his injury, and his return was a moral win for everyone involved. Now, his first interception back from injury keeps the good vibes rolling.

For the third time this season, Zvada has misfired on a kick that everyone expects him to make — this time, it was a 27-yard chip shot. This one wasn’t solely Zvada’s fault. The snap came in low, and senior punter Hudson Hollenbeck had to take extra time to get the ball set. This small hitch may have cost the Wolverines three points.

Regardless of his missed kicks, Michigan is going to continue rolling with Zvada. When he’s right, he’s one of the best kickers in the country, and the Wolverines are going to have to count on him to return to that form.

Head coach Sherrone Moore was quite impressed with Marsh’s practices during the bye week, enough so that Marsh earned himself a start. He took advantage of the opportunity, catching all four of his targets for 80 yards.

If Marsh can continue this production, he will be a major addition to a wide receiver room looking for answers. He and freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood appeared to be on the same page today, which is a major plus for both the rest of the 2025 season and beyond. A fellow freshman, Marsh and Underwood’s connection could be one that grows and develops over the course of several years.

Through the air, Underwood had his best game of the season. He completed 19 of 28 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. Underwood didn’t use his legs too much, and it appeared as though Michigan was making a concerted effort to utilize his arm talent more.

It wasn’t a perfect passing performance, but he is showing steady improvement over his freshman season. Underwood has proven that he can be a threat running the ball, so if he can truly dial it in as a passer, he’ll be incredibly difficult to stop.

Morgan’s numbers on the day weren’t bad, bringing in five of his seven targets for 44 yards, but drops remain a looming problem for him. He dropped a potential first down pass on a third-and-9 in the first quarter, and very nearly dropped the ball in the third quarter before gaining 19 yards, fumbling the ball, then recovering it again.

Morgan has a lot of upside. He’s an experienced player and is extremely shifty, but his drops sometimes hold him back from being a reliable target. Morgan can certainly still be a high-impact player, but the small mistakes will have to be mitigated.

Junior running back Justice Haynes had yet another 100-yard rushing day along with two touchdowns, continuing his dominance this season…Senior edge rusher Derrick Moore picked up a sack and consistently generated pressure in the backfield…Senior linebacker Jimmy Rolder had another solid game, picking up a team-leading seven tackles, several coming in big spots…Sophomore running back Jordan Marshall continues to be solid even on low volume, picking up 44 yards on nine attempts.

The No. 20 Michigan football team (4-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) handled business against a floundering Wisconsin team (2-3, 0-2), forcing eight total punts from the Badgers, including a stretch of seven in a row. The Wolverines offense woke up in the second half and did enough to secure the 24-10 victory. 

Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood had his most complete passing performance of his young career thus far, throwing 19-for-28 for 270 yards and a touchdown. Graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley accounted for a good chunk of that production. He hauled in six catches for 112 yards and a touchdown, providing a much-needed spark in the receiver room.

The rust from the bye week showed for the Wolverines in the game’s opening drive, as the Badgers methodically worked down the field. The 12-play, 75-yard drive ended with a touchdown, giving Wisconsin an early 7-0 lead.

Michigan quickly responded, however, ripping off a five-play touchdown drive. Junior running back Justice Haynes gained an early 54 rush yards on the drive and scored the one-yard touchdown untouched to tie the game at 7-7.

Both teams’ defenses settled in after allowing touchdowns to open the game, and the next five possessions ended with a punt, three from the Badgers and two from the Wolverines. After the early success, both teams were struggling to establish any rhythm on offense.

The Wolverines broke the trend first. Freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh, who earned his first start, made an impressive 32-yard catch on the right sideline to get into field goal range.

Senior kicker Dominic Zvada knocked through a 40-yard field goal to give Michigan the 10-7 lead midway through the second quarter.

Entering halftime, the score remained at 10-7, and both teams certainly had things they wanted to clean up. After its opening-drive touchdown, Wisconsin ended the half with five straight punts, unable to put together any substantive offense. While Michigan secured its field goal, its offense still looked out of sorts and disjointed as well.

The Wolverines offense on the first drive of the second half looked much smoother than it did in the first half. Underwood continued to connect with Marsh, completing two more passes for 39 yards to his fellow freshman. Ultimately, though, the drive ended in a missed 27-yard field goal, holding the score steady.

After the promising start to the half, the teams returned to trading punts as it had most of the game. Both defenses were suffocating, and neither offense could get anything going. That is, until McCulley made some massive plays.

With five minutes left in the third quarter, Underwood tossed a 33-yard jump ball to McCulley. McCulley made an acrobatic grab and just got his left foot down in bounds to secure the catch. Two plays later, McCulley broke away from several tackles for his first touchdown of the year to put his squad up 17-7.

This touchdown seemed to energize the Wolverines. On the third play of Wisconsin’s next drive, graduate defensive back Rod Moore hauled in an interception deep down the right sideline. It was Moore’s first interception since his iconic game-sealing one against Ohio State in 2023. Moore spent the last 18 months recovering from a knee injury, and only just returned in Week 4 against Nebraska.

Michigan couldn’t capitalize, failing to convert a fourth-and-2 in Wisconsin territory and giving the ball back to the Badgers, but the momentum was firmly on the Wolverines’ side. 

Just as it had all game, though, Michigan’s defense shut down Wisconsin’s offense, forcing its eighth punt in its last nine drives. And this time, the Wolverines took advantage.

Haynes capped off the six-play 61-yard drive with another one yard touchdown rush, and Michigan took a 24-7 lead with just over nine minutes to play.

The Badgers tacked on a field goal to make the score 24-10 with 2:43 remaining in the contest, but it was much too little, much too late. After Wisconsin’s unsuccessful onside kick, Michigan was able to drain the rest of the clock, keeping the Wolverines undefeated in conference play.

For 18 long months, graduate defensive back Rod Moore watched his teammates on the sidelines. He was still contributing as a leader and veteran presence, but it wasn’t the same as being on the field.

Prior to the 2024 season Moore suffered a torn ACL that kept him sidelined for the entire Wolverines season. Torn ACLs generally don’t take as long as 18 months to recover from, but Moore endured several setbacks and challenges that delayed his return.

On Sept. 20 against Nebraska, however, Moore finally made his return to the gridiron. While he was on a snap count and played just 21 snaps, Moore’s return was a milestone in a long journey.

“It was real emotional,” Moore said in a press conference Monday. “I was a little nervous. Had the little jitters, the shakes, but I got a tackle on the second play, so it kind of went away. But it was real fun.”

Despite his injury, Moore was named a captain of both the 2024 and 2025 Wolverines, a testament to what he means to the team. Moore is a vocal leader that brings an abundance of football experience — especially in big moments.

Against Ohio State in 2023, Moore secured a game-sealing interception to lead Michigan into an undefeated regular season — one that ultimately ended in a national championship.

Moore isn’t 100% yet. He’s still acclimating to playing football again, and that takes time. Even if his body was in perfect football form, there’s still the mental side of the game. Once you’ve been playing a sport for so long, some things become unconscious — knowing exactly where to go, reading an opponent’s eyes — but spending a year and a half away from the game can sometimes make those things not instinctual anymore.

But if there’s a player that can mitigate those growing pains quickly, it’s Moore.

“I kind of surprised myself, honestly,” Moore said. “I didn’t think I was gonna be able to cover as much ground as I did, or be in the right spot. But it just kind of was muscle memory again. So it was really more on the surprising side, rather than correcting myself.”

Moore’s return to the field brings an energy to his teammates. There’s a reason he’s been a captain of the team for the past two years, and it’s because his teammates respect his voice and impact. Everyone around the program has watched him relentlessly work for the past 18 months to simply get back on the field, and seeing him do it is a morale booster.

“Watching him go out there was magical,” head coach Sherrone Moore said in a press conference back on Sept. 22. “It was awesome to see the progress he’s made with his knee over the years and what he’s done and how he feels now, he feels great.”

Rod Moore’s journey isn’t over, he still has more recovery to complete and lofty goals to reach, but getting on the field again is a major leap forward.

The Michigan ice hockey program’s legacy is one of enduring success. Sitting in second place all-time for national championships with nine, the Wolverines have been a gold-standard program for more than a century. With a winning program, winning players inevitably follow — and winning players are shipped off to the NHL.

Michigan has been home to more NHL first-rounders than any other college in the country, and it’s not particularly close. The Wolverines have produced 35 such players, while second-place Minnesota has produced 26.

Here’s a look at all the Michigan players selected in the first round of the NHL Draft.

Michigan has produced six top 5 overall selections in its history. That alone is impressive, but four of the six belong to a singular draft class, 2021, which makes this group unique. The program’s only No. 1 overall pick, Owen Power, hasn’t quite been the star that some predicted, but he is still quite young and has put together several solid seasons already.

Jack Johnson and Kent Johnson both carved out long careers in the NHL, sticking around in the league and harvesting a slew of productive seasons. The rest of the bunch are all quite early in their careers, looking to make their mark on the league.

This section of the draft includes the first Michigan player to ever be drafted to the NHL, David Shand. After Shand’s respectable eight-year NHL career, Shand wound up back in Ann Arbor, serving as an assistant coach under Wolverines legend Red Berenson.

Both Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski were nominated for the Norris Trophy after the 2024-25 season, an award given to the NHL’s best defenseman. While neither of them took home the trophy, Hughes won the hardware the year prior.

Detroit’s own Dylan Larkin stands out in this group. Larkin has spent his entire career thus far with the Red Wings, serving as one of Detroit’s most central pieces. He burst onto the scene early, making the all-star team in his rookie season, the only player in Red Wings’ history to do so. He has continued to be a consistent and productive presence for Detroit his entire career.

Jeff Jillson’s skills never quite translated to the NHL, spending parts of four seasons in the league before falling out in 2006. Frank Nazar III, Cam York, and Rutger McGroarty remain young in their careers, still carving out their niche.

Left winger Kyle Connor has had the most productive career out of this group, boasting two all-star appearances and seven seasons with more than 30 goals scored. Bryan Deasley and Mark Mitera never made it to the NHL, and Michael Hage is still in Ann Arbor with the Wolverines.

This batch includes Michigan’s most recent first-round selection, Will Horcoff. He will suit up for his freshman season with the Wolverines for the 2025-26 season. 

Despite being selected at the end of the first round, each of these players, except Horcoff, has notched time in the NHL, with Mackie Samoskevich and Johnny Beecher still active in the league.

The list of NHL first-rounders out of Michigan is quite a lengthy one, and that’s a testament to the program’s ability to develop the type of talent that the NHL looks for. The Wolverines have produced a first-round pick in 11 of the last 12 drafts, with the exception being 2016. Michigan shows no sign of slowing down either, as a top-tier program will always draw top-tier players.