Tag: Michigan Wolverines

Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant (78) celebrates a tackle against USC during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.

DT Kenneth Grant to leave Michigan for NFL Draft

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday after three seasons with the Wolverines.

The 6-foot-3, 339-pound junior was a third-team All-American and a second-team All-Big Ten selection this season. He had three sacks among his 32 total tackles over 12 games in 2024.

As a sophomore, Grant helped the Wolverines claim the national championship with 29 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks in 15 games.

“I am very appreciative to Coach (Jim) Harbaugh and coach (Sherrone) Moore and the rest of the University of Michigan staff that I have crossed paths with,” Grant posted on social media. “It has been an honor to be developed into a Michigan Man.”

Other Michigan players who intend to leave the program for the draft include defensive lineman Mason Graham, cornerback Will Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland.

–Field Level Media

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel looks on during warm up before the game between Ohio State and Michigan at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

Report: Michigan extends AD Warde Manuel to 2030

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel is getting a five-year contract extension through June 2030, ESPN reported Thursday.

Manuel, 56, has been running the Wolverines’ athletic department since 2016 and also chairs the College Football Playoff selection committee.

Before taking over at his alma mater, the former Michigan defensive lineman was the athletic director at Buffalo (2005-12) and UConn (2012-16).

Manuel’s previous contract extension would have expired in June 2026, according to the report.

His new deal includes an average annual compensation of $2.4 million, near the top among Big Ten programs, per ESPN.

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) is updended by Michigan Wolverines defensive back Quinten Johnson (28) and Michigan Wolverines defensive back Brandyn Hillman (6) during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game at Ohio Stadium.

Michigan shocks No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on late FG

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dominic Zvada kicked a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left as Michigan shocked No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 in Columbus on Saturday.

The Wolverines (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) were a three-touchdown underdog but were helped by the mistake-prone Buckeyes (10-2, 7-2), who committed two turnovers and missed two field goals as Michigan won its fourth straight in the series.

The loss likely prevented the Buckeyes from playing Oregon in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 7. To play in the Big Ten championship, Ohio State needs No. 4 Penn State and No. 10 Indiana to lose on Saturday.

Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer intercepted Davis Warren at the goal line and returned it 12 yards with 7:48 left in regulation, but the Buckeyes had to punt. Michigan used 11 plays to go 57 yards and exhausted 5:28 off the clock on the winning drive.

Kalel Mulling had 116 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries for the Wolverines.

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was intercepted by Makari Paige at the Michigan 9 with 4:51 left in the third. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs three plays later intercepted a Warren pass at the Wolverines 16 but the drive stalled. Jayden Fielding missed for a second time, this one from 34 yards.

The Buckeyes took a 3-0 lead on a 29-yard field goal by Jayden Fielding but the momentum and score changed, surprisingly after an Ohio State goal-line stand.

Mullings was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 from the Ohio State 3, but on the Buckeyes’ possession, Aamir Hall intercepted Will Howard at the 13 and returned it to the 2. Mullings scored from the 1 to make it 7-3.

Later in the second quarter, Howard on a keeper was leveled by Makari Paige at the Michigan 33 and had to leave the game for a play. Fielding missed a 38-yard field goal try and Dominic Zvada made a 54-yarder for the Wolverines to make it 10-3.

Ohio State got the tying score with 30 seconds left in the first half on a 10-yard catch by Jeremiah Smith.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards (7) runs with the ball while Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Mikail Kamara (6) defends in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

No. 8 Indiana holds off Michigan to notch 10th win for first time in school history

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kurtis Rourke went 17-of-28 passing for 206 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 8 Indiana to a 20-15 win over Michigan in Bloomington on Saturday.

Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) has now won 10 games in a season for the first time in school history and kept its hopes for a conference title and College Football Playoff berth alive.

Clinging to a 17-15 lead in the fourth quarter, Indiana took a 20-15 lead with 2:34 remaining on a 41-yard field goal by Nicolas Radicic.

On the ensuing possession, Michigan failed to convert a fourth-and-10 after a pass completion from Davis Warren to Peyton O’Leary fell just short of the marker. Indiana took over on the Michigan 42-yard line with 1:35 left and ran out the clock.

With 9:35 remaining, Michigan scored on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line as running back Kalel Mullings dove into the end zone to cut Indiana’s lead to 17-15. The 2-point conversion failed.

Indiana led 17-3 at halftime, but Michigan fought back in the third quarter, cutting the Indiana lead to 17-9 on field goals of 22 and 56 yards from Dominic Zvada.

Trailing 3-0, Indiana took a 7-3 lead with 1:17 remaining in the first quarter on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Rourke to Omar Cooper Jr.

The Hoosiers went up 14-3 on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Rourke to Elijah Sarrratt with 12:10 left in the second quarter, which ended a 7-play, 65-yard drive.

After recovering a Michigan fumble at the Michigan 48-yard line, Indiana took advantage of the field position, driving into field-goal range and taking a 17-3 lead on a 40-yard field goal by Radicic with 2:20 left until halftime.

Michigan opened the scoring with 5:01 remaining in the first quarter on a 39-yard field goal by Zvada. The kick finished off a 14-play, 66-yard drive.

–Field Level Media

Indiana's Kurtis Rourke throws a pass during the third quarter in the game against Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

In role reversal, No. 8 Indiana huge favorite over Michigan

Posted on | by Field Level Media

At the beginning of the season, many would have expected that the Big Ten game between Michigan and Indiana on Saturday in Bloomington, Ind., would pit a Top 10 team in the first College Football Playoff rankings against an unranked foe.

But hardly anybody predicted the Wolverines, the reigning national champions, would be the unranked team and the Hoosiers would be the team in playoff contention.

That is the scenario, though, as Indiana (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) — a two-touchdown favorite — looks to continue its stunning push for a conference title and CFP berth with a win over the unranked Wolverines (5-4, 3-3).

The Hoosiers are No. 8 in the first CFP rankings that were unveiled on Tuesday, but coach Curt Cignetti doesn’t want that to be the focus.

“The only thing that matters is you get the result when you play, and to do that, you’ve got to keep the main thing the main thing and eliminate the noise and clutter and stay focused on what’s going to help you play your best on Saturday to give you the best chance to get a result,” he said.

Indiana, 9-0 for the first time in program history and seeking its first 10-win season, will also be looking for just its second victory over Michigan since 1987. The other came during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season (38-21 in Bloomington).

“I look at them and I see a really good defense, really good special teams,” Cignetti said of the Wolverines. “And offensively, they haven’t scored points. They’re not in the 40s and 50s, but they can run the ball from 11, 12, 13 personnel. They’ve got weapons. They’ve got good backs. They’ve got good players and they’re a good football team coming in here with a lot of tradition, a lot of history, a lot of pride.”

Last week against Michigan State, Indiana trailed for the first time all season when the Spartans jumped out to a 10-0 lead.

The Hoosiers responded by scoring 47 answered points to win going away. Indiana welcomed back starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who missed the win over Washington the previous week with a right thumb injury but returned to throw for 263 yards and four touchdowns.

Rourke, who has thrown for 2,204 yards and 19 touchdowns with just three interceptions, will be the focal point of a Michigan defense that hasn’t been as stout as many expected.

The Wolverines, who have lost three of their past four games after a 4-1 start, gave up 470 total yards, including 176 rushing yards, in a 38-17 home loss to No. 1 Oregon last week.

“They play disciplined, they play fast, they play physical,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said of the Hoosiers. “Offensively, they do a really good job of spreading you out but doing things, keeping it simple for their players and making it difficult for your defense. And defensively, they just play great team defense and try to make you make a mistake.”

Against Oregon, Michigan was without its two starting cornerbacks, top NFL Draft prospect Will Johnson and Jyaire Hill.

Moore said on Monday that Hill was “trending on probably playing,” while the team would “see with Will how he goes this week.”

–Field Level Media

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel leaves the field after the win over Illinois at Autzen Stadium in Eugene Saturday, Oct 26, 2024.

Dillon Gabriel, No. 1 Oregon brace for best shot from Michigan

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No. 1 Oregon will look to continue its undefeated season on Saturday afternoon when it faces Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Ducks (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) are one of eight remaining unbeaten teams in the nation. They also are 8-0 for the first time since 2013 and for the fifth time in program history.

A win Saturday at the Big House would make Oregon 9-0 to open the season for the first time since 2012 and for the third time in program history. The Ducks are 7-1 in games as the country’s top-ranked team.

Coming off a dominating performance on both offense and defense in last week’s 38-9 win over then-No. 20 Illinois, the Ducks have the nation’s most accurate quarterback in Dillon Gabriel with a 76.2 completion percentage. They also are 10th in the nation in total defense, allowing an average of 15.6 points per game.

Gabriel has thrown 143 touchdown passes and needs 13 more to break Case Keenum’s all-time NCAA record. Keenum played for the Houston Cougars from 2007-11.

Oregon, according to its sports information department, is the only school with three wins over teams currently in the Top 25 (No. 4 Ohio State, No. 15 Boise State, No. 24 Illinois). The Ducks have won the last two meetings with Michigan.

This week, the Ducks will make their second trek east as new members of the Big Ten, heading to Ann Arbor to face a Wolverines team that won the national title last season.

“We’re getting an opportunity to play the reigning national champions, right? And in this conference it’s hard every single week, so we know that we’ll get their best,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “So it’s exciting to you know, have a chance. We got to play some games that are fun for us so far this year and challenging, and this will certainly be a challenge.”

Michigan (5-3, 3-2) is coming off a 24-17 win over Michigan State at home last week. The game ended with a fight on the field between players from both teams, which the Big Ten is investigating.

Tight end Colston Loveland, who ranks in the top three all-time at Michigan in receptions (103), yards (1,295) and TDs (10) among tight ends, was among those involved in the scuffle.

“It’s unacceptable, not how we carry ourselves,” Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore said Monday. “We’ll address that internally. That’s not how we represent the University of Michigan. … We’ll take care of that, and that will never happen again.”

The Wolverines have a rough stretch of games ahead, with Oregon at home and No. 13 Indiana and No. 4 Ohio State on the road as three of their final four games of the regular season.

Davis Warren is expected to remain Michigan’s starting quarterback, with Alex Orji getting some playing time. Jack Tuttle, who made a start at quarterback earlier this season, announced his retirement from football on Monday due to concussions.

Saturday will be the 21st time Michigan has faced the No. 1 team in the national rankings. The Wolverines are 3-16-1 in those games, with all three victories coming at Michigan Stadium, according to the school’s sports information department.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Jack Tuttle (13) looks to pass against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

No. 24 Michigan turns to ‘Uncle Jack’ Tuttle vs. No. 22 Illinois

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Michigan endured two losses and a pair of quarterback changes before its bye last week. Now, the Wolverines’ schedule gets even more difficult.

The defending national champions will play four teams currently ranked in the Top 25 among their six remaining regular-season contests, including a road matchup against No. 22 Illinois on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.

No. 24 Michigan (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) is coming off a 27-17 road loss to unranked Washington on Oct. 5. Wolverines first-year coach Sherrone Moore benched starting quarterback Alex Orji in the second quarter. Orji had replaced opening-game starter Davis Warren after the latter struggled with turnovers.

Orji’s replacement, Jack Tuttle, completed 10 of 18 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, although he was intercepted once. Tuttle’s college career began at Utah in 2018, but he never appeared in a game for the Utes. He spent four seasons with Indiana before transferring to Michigan before the 2023 campaign.

Tuttle will start against the Fighting Illini (5-1, 2-1) in a pivotal game for the Wolverines. Michigan still has games against No. 2 Oregon (Nov. 2), No. 16 Indiana (Nov. 9), and No. 4 Ohio State (Nov. 30).

“It’s not time to panic, but we have to evaluate what we need to do and how we need to operate,” Moore said.

The 25-year-old Tuttle will start against Illinois. Tuttle was recovering from an elbow injury during the offseason, which limited his practice time until the start of the regular season.

“They (his teammates) call him Uncle Jack, the seventh-year guy that’s done it, seen it, been in the big game, been in all the games,” Moore said. “So he’s done a really good job, and he’ll just continue to progress and do those things right now.”

There’s no uncertainty about the Fighting Illini’s quarterback situation. Luke Altmyer has been razor sharp, throwing for 1,426 yards and 14 touchdowns with just one interception this season. Altmyer had 13 touchdown passes and was intercepted 10 times last season.

“He’s gotten so much better,” Moore said. “He’s just progressed from last year to this year.”

Illinois survived a 50-49 overtime thriller against one-win Purdue last weekend. The Fighting Illini needed a 38-yard field goal from David Alano as time expired to force overtime.

Illinois has dropped its last six meetings with the Wolverines, with its most recent victory coming in 2009. Illinois lost 19-17 in Ann Arbor two seasons ago.

“The last one was pretty big. I thought we had a good enough football team to go up there and win. Unfortunately, it didn’t,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “There’s a lot of things that went into it, a lot of things we could have done better. We didn’t get to rematch these guys last year, so we get a chance to rematch them this year. Those things mean a lot. I think our guys know the growth they’ve had.”

Bielema said preparation has been the key to the team’s success. The Fighting Illini already have matched last season’s win total.

“I learned this from (former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez), you don’t get ready for Michigan, you don’t get ready for Ohio State, you don’t get ready for Penn State in one week,” Bielema said. “”You do it 365 days a year.”

–Field Level Media