Tag: Michigan Wolverines

No. 1 Ohio State tops No. 15 Michigan for first time since 2019

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate returned from injuries and each had a touchdown catch and Bo Jackson ran for more than 100 yards when No. 1 Ohio State ended a four-game losing streak to No. 15 Michigan with a dominant victory 27-9 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) plays No.2 Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis on Dec. 6.

Julian Sayin threw first-half touchdown passes to Smith and Brandon Inniss when the Buckeyes rallied for a 17-9 lead.

Smith and Tate were listed as questionable before the game. Tate missed the previous three games, while Smith missed one.

Tate made it 24-9 midway through the third quarter when Sayin spotted him open at the 6 for a 50-yard touchdown.

Sayin was 19 of 26 for 233 yards, three touchdowns and an interception as the Buckeyes defeated Michigan for the first time since 2019.

Tate made five catches for 82 yards and Smith’s three catches went for 40 yards.

Jackson, a freshman, ran for 117 yards and had 49 receiving yards for the Buckeyes.

Freshman Bruce Underwood was 8 of 18 for 63 yards and a late interception for Michigan (9-3, 7-2).

With the snow swirling, the Buckeyes put the game away with an 81-yard drive that used 20 plays, 17 of them runs, and resulted in 23-yard field goal by Jayden Fielding with 8:10 left in the game for the final score.

Ohio State spotted the Wolverines a 6-0 lead on field goals of 45 and 25 yards by Dominic Zvada, the latter coming after Sayin was intercepted by Jyaire Hill at the Ohio State 39.

The Wolverines reached the 7 on the ensuing drive but the country’s top scoring defense (7.6 points per game) stiffened.

It was 6-3 when Sayin on fourth-and 5 from the Michigan 35 found Smith on a crossing route to make it 10-6. Smith appeared to bobble the ball crossing the goal line and then stepped out of bounds but the play was upheld after a review.

Inniss scored on a 4-yard slant with 16 seconds left in the half to complete an 87-yard drive.

— Field Level Media

Dominic Zvada’s last-second FG lifts No. 18 Michigan over Northwestern

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dominic Zvada hit a 31-yard field goal on the final play to give No. 18 Michigan a 24-22 victory over Northwestern in a Big Ten matchup Saturday at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Michigan (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten) overcame five turnovers to win its fourth consecutive game to remain in the College Football Playoff picture.

Northwestern (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) has lost three consecutive games after a four-game winning streak. Preston Stone completed 13 of 27 passes for 184 yards and also rushed for a score.

Michigan outgained Northwestern 496 to 245, but Bryce Underwood was intercepted twice and the Wolverines lost three fumbles. Underwood completed 21 of 32 passes for 280 yards.

Jordan Marshall rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries and Andrew Marsh had 12 receptions for 189 yards for the Wolverines.

Northwestern, which trailed 21-9 entering the fourth quarter, took its first lead after Braden Turner picked off a Underwood pass and returned it 29 yards to the Michigan 6-yard line. Caleb Komolafe went off the right side for the score on the next play to put the Wildcats up 22-21 with 12:07 left.

Northwestern had cut the lead to 21-16 with 13 minutes remaining on Stone’s 1-yard quarterback sneak.

Michigan got the ball back at its own 37 after a punt with 2:10 remaining. Underwood kept the drive alive with a 21-yard pass to Marsh on third-and-10 to the Northwestern 42. The Wolverines drove to the 13-yard line before taking a time out with two seconds left to set up the field goal by Zvada, who had missed two earlier attempts.

Michigan scored on its first possession of the second half to go in front 14-6. Marshall burst through the left side for 65 yards to the Northwestern 9-yard line. Underwood skirted right end on the next play and scored untouched.

Northwestern recovered a fumbled punt, converting it into a 35-yard field goal by Jack Olson to cut its deficit to 14-9 with just over six minutes left in the third quarter.

Michigan answered with a 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive capped by Marshall’s 1-yard plunge for a 21-9 lead entering the final period.

Michigan took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter on a 1-yard run by Marshall.

Northwestern had a touchdown pass wiped out by a penalty on the ensuing drive, settling for Olson’s 34-yard field goal. Olson’s 26-yarder pulled Northwestern within 7-6 at the half.

Zvada missed a 34-yard field goal attempt on Michigan’s first possession and a 60-yarder on the final play of the first half.

–Field Level Media

Nov 1, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Jordan Marshall (23) rushes for a touchdown in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

No. 21 Michigan’s ground game too much for Purdue

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jordan Marshall rushed for 185 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries to lead No. 21 Michigan to a 21-16 home win over Purdue on Saturday in a Big Ten contest.

Michigan (7-2, 5-1) won its third straight game and sixth of last seven to keep its conference title and College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Quarterback Bryce Underwood went 13-of-22 passing for 145 yards for Michigan, which rushed for 253 yards and overcame two turnovers.

Ryan Browne went 19-of-24 passing for 133 yards and a touchdown for Purdue (2-7, 0-6), which has lost seven straight.

Purdue rushed for 139 yards and had the edge in time of possession at 32:55, but lost to Michigan for a seventh straight time. The last time Purdue beat Michigan was in 2009.

Leading by just 4 points in the second half, Michigan extended its lead to 21-10 with 10:03 remaining in the game on a 9-yard touchdown run by Marshall, which ended a nine-play, 50-yard drive.

But Purdue answered, driving 67 yards in nine plays and cutting Michigan’s lead to 21-16 on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Browne to Malachi Thomas with 6:00 remaining. The two-point conversion failed.

Michigan took over on its own 25-yard line with 6:00 left and ended up running out the clock by driving the ball down inside the Purdue 10-yard line.

With the game tied 7-7 late in the second quarter, Michigan grabbed a 14-7 lead with 17 seconds remaining until halftime on a 3-yard touchdown run by Marshall.

The score came after Michigan took over on the Purdue 32-yard line following a 21-yard punt by Purdue’s Jack McCallister.

Michigan opened the scoring with 1:25 seconds left in the first quarter on a 54-yard touchdown run by Marshall.

Purdue answered in the second, tying the game at 7-7 on a 2-yard touchdown run by Antonio Harris, which finished off a 16-play, 75-yard drive that took 9:30 off the clock.

–Field Level Media

Oct 25, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Justice Haynes (22) reacts after running for a touchdown against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

Justice Haynes (2 TDs), carries No. 25 Michigan past Michigan State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Justice Haynes rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 25 Michigan to a solid 31-20 victory over rival Michigan State in Big Ten play on Saturday night at East Lansing, Mich.

Jordan Marshall added 110 rushing yards, including a 56-yard scoring scamper, as the Wolverines (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) won their second straight contest.

Quarterback Bryce Underwood rushed for a touchdown and Jimmy Rolder had 10 tackles, one fumble recovery and one sack for Michigan, which stopped two Spartans’ fourth-down opportunities in the fourth quarter.

Aidan Chiles completed 14 of 28 passes for 130 yards for Michigan State (3-5, 0-5), which lost its fifth consecutive game. Brandon Tullis rushed for a touchdown and Makhi Frazier had 109 yards on the ground.

Underwood completed 8 of 17 passes for just 86 yards and Derrick Moore had two sacks for the Wolverines.

Haynes carried the ball 26 times while topping 100 yards rushing for the sixth time this season. He missed last week’s victory over Washington with an abdominal injury. Marshall rushed for more than 100 yards for the second straight week.

Michigan led 10-7 at halftime before opening up a 17-point lead on two scoring runs by Haynes in the third quarter.

Haynes’ 5-yard touchdown run on the first possession of the second half pushed the Wolverines’ lead to 10. He later scored from the 14-yard line to make it 24-7 with 3:08 remaining in the third quarter.

The Spartans answered early in the fourth quarter. Chiles appeared to throw a 25-yard scoring pass to Nick Marsh but a replay review displayed Marsh stepped out of bounds inside the 1. Tullis then scored on the next play to pull Michigan State within 24-13 with 12:34 left before the ensuing two-point conversion throw was broken up by Rolder.

The Spartans reached the Michigan 27 on their next possession but Chiles’ fourth-and-3 pass to Jack Velling was incomplete with 8:01 remaining.

Two-plus minutes later, David Santiago stripped Haynes of the ball and recovered it at the Michigan State 46 with 5:51 left.

On fourth-and-1, Chiles attempted to hurry the quarterback sneak before the Wolverines were ready. Rolder shot through the gap to stop Chiles’ momentum and multiple teammates finished off the tackle for no gain with 4:37 remaining.

Marshall then broke loose through a big hole at the line of scrimmage on his long TD run with 2:48 left to push the lead to 31-13.

Michigan State backup Alessio Milivojevic tossed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Michael Masunas with seven seconds remaining.

Michigan scored the game’s first 10 points in the first quarter on a 21-yard field goal by Dominic Zvada and Underwood’s 13-yard run.

The Spartans answered with Chiles’ 1-yard run with 8:24 left in the second quarter.

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) runs for a first down before he is stopped by Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jimmy Rolder (30), defensive back Rod Moore (19) and defensive end Cameron Brandt (9) in the second half at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

USC’s 17-0 run too much for No. 15 Michigan to overcome

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jayden Maiava threw a pair of touchdown passes and Southern California overcame two red-zone turnovers to top No. 15 Michigan 31-13 in a Big Ten matchup on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

USC (5-1, 3-1 Big Ten) came in having committed only five turnovers in its first five games, but the Trojans coughed up two against Michigan (4-2, 2-1). Both negated possible scoring opportunities, the first coming when Jyaire Hill wrested the ball from Lake McRee at the Wolverines’ 8-yard line after a completion from Maiava in the first quarter.

In the third quarter, Maiava — who did not throw his first interception of the season until USC’s last game, a Sept. 27 loss at Illinois — was picked off by Zeke Berry. But the ensuing change of possession encapsulated the night for the Trojans’ defense.

Bishop Fitzgerald intercepted Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood to thwart the Wolverines in the USC red zone. The sequence became a 10-point swing for the Trojans, who capitalized with a 54-yard Ryon Sayeri field goal.

Sayeri’s kick capped a 17-0 run. USC began the pivotal stretch just before halftime, breaking a 7-7 stalemate when Maiava found Makai Lemon for a 12-yard touchdown with 14 seconds remaining in the half.

Lemon’s diving catch in traffic was part of a nine-reception, 93-yard performance.

Maiava, who finished 25-of-32 passing for 265 yards, started the scoring with a 2-yard strike to Ja’Kobi Lane with 8:57 left in the opening quarter.

Underwood also threw two touchdowns, hooking up with Donaven McCulley on an 8-yard pass in the late second quarter. Underwood ended Michigan’s scoring drought and pulled the Wolverines to within 11 early in the fourth quarter on a deep pass to Andrew Marsh, good for 69 of the quarterback’s 207 yards on 15 completions and 24 attempts.

Michigan came no closer, however, giving up a 29-yard Bryan Jackson touchdown carry on the next possession. USC chewed nearly five minutes off the clock on the nine-play, 75-yard drive.

Jackson’s was the second Trojans rushing touchdown of the second half. King Miller ran for 15 yards to pay dirt in the early third quarter. Miller averaged almost nine yards on his 18 carries en route to 158 for the game.

Miller handled the majority of the work in the second half with USC’s season-long rushing leader, Waymond Jordan, sidelined with an unspecified injury in the first half. Michigan also lost its leading rusher, Justice Haynes, to an apparent rib injury.

Haynes carried for 51 yards before coming out of the game.

–Field Level Media

Dec 31, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jaydon Hood (34) talks with his mother after a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Four-star WR Zion Robinson commits to Michigan

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Four-star wide receiver Zion Robinson announced his commitment to play for the Michigan Wolverines on Wednesday.

“Trying to pick a school that’s good academically, good at football, it’s hard,” Robinson said on Instagram Live. “But without further ado for the next 3-4 years, I will be taking my academic and athletic talents to the University of Michigan. Go Blue.”

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound wideout out of Mansfield High School in Texas reportedly chose Michigan over offers from Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Penn State, Stanford, Miami and Nebraska.

In his junior year in 2024, Robinson caught 42 passes for 527 yards and eight touchdowns and ran 14 times for 76 yards as a junior in 2024.

He is ranked as the No. 132 national prospect, No. 18 wide receiver and No. 19 player in Texas for the Class of 2026 in the 247Sports Composite rankings. Robinson also excels in track and field, earning Texas 6A state high jump champion honors with a 6-8 jump as a sophomore in the spring of 2024. His father, Khadevis Robinson, is a two-time Olympic qualifier in the 800-meter (2004, 2012) and is currently the director of track and field at TCU.

Robinson’s commitment comes on the heels of the same from Titan Davis, a four-star class of 2026 defensive lineman from DeSmet High School in St. Louis.

–Field Level Media

New Hartford's Jake Garcia runs the ball at Don Edick Field in New Hartford, NY on Friday, November 8, 2024.

Michigan adds veteran QB Jake Garcia from East Carolina

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Michigan football program added a depth piece to its quarterback room on Monday, according to multiple reports.

Veteran Jake Garcia committed to the Wolverines after spending the 2024 season, and playing in six games, with East Carolina. Garcia visited Ann Arbor earlier this month amid speculation that Michigan was looking to add another option behind center.

The 6-foot-3 pivot completed 109 of 181 passes (60.2%) for the Pirates last season, throwing for 1,426 yards with eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He rushed for 46 yards on 40 attempts (1.2 yards per carry) and added two scores on the ground.

After opening the season with a four-touchdown performance for ECU, Garcia thew just four touchdowns with nine picks over the next five games before losing the starting job to Katin Houser. The Pirates were 3-3 at the time of the QB change.

Prior to joining East Carolina, the Whittier, Calif., native spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with Miami. In nine games with the Hurricanes, Garcia threw for 950 yards and seven TDs with four interceptions on 79-of-129 passing (61.2%).

The Wolverines have several players at quarterback, but no healthy options with Garcia’s experience.

In addition to former No. 1 overall prospect Bryce Underwood — a true freshman — and redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis, Michigan has Davis Warren, recovering from a torn ACL, and Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene, dealing with a shoulder injury.

–Field Level Media

Newbury Park High quarterback Brady Smigiel is Ventura County Star All-County Football Offensive Player of the Year on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023.

Michigan lands 4-star QB Brady Smigiel from Newbury Park (CA)

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Brady Smigiel, a four-star quarterback in the Class of 2026, announced his commitment to Michigan on Saturday.

A three-year starter at Newbury Park (Calif.) High School, Smigiel had verbally committed to Florida State in June 2024 before decommitting in January following Florida State’s 2-10 season and subsequent coaching changes.

He had initially picked the Seminoles over finalist Michigan and more than 30 other programs. He visited Michigan again last Saturday and attended the team’s spring game.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Smigiel is ranked the No. 63 overall prospect in his class, No. 5 at his position and No. 10 in California, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

As a junior, Smigiel threw for 3,521 yards, 49 touchdowns and three interceptions. He ran for 11 TDs and more than 400 yards. Smigiel has a total of 147 TD passes and more than 11,000 passing yards in three seasons. He led Newbury Park to a CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship this past season and was named Division 2 offensive player of the year.

Michigan finished 8-5 last season for seventh place in the Big Ten in Sherrone Moore’s first season after Jim Harbaugh’s nine-year tenure. The Wolverines beat Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

–Field Level Media

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