Tag: Wolverines

Oct 10, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) prepares to throw the ball during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Prolific Washington QB Demond Williams Jr. faces reeling Michigan defense

Posted on | by Field Level Media

While it has been overshadowed by Penn State’s collapse, the first half of Michigan’s season hasn’t exactly gone to plan.

The Wolverines’ 31-13 loss last week at Southern California dropped them to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten, which means they’ll probably have to win their last six regular-season games to have a shot at qualifying for the College Football Playoff.

Step One in that task comes Saturday when Washington (5-1, 2-1) visits Ann Arbor, Mich., for a conference clash.

Not much went right for Michigan in Los Angeles. The defense gave up 489 total yards and missed 14 tackles, while the offense averaged only 3.5 yards on 31 rushes and converted just 2 of 11 third downs.

Second-year coach Sherrone Moore passed on a simple message to his team Monday.

“We got to go back to work,” he said. “There’s no pouting. There’s no worry about it. There’s no making excuses for it. That’s all we got to do. They’re trying to fix all the problems and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

The Wolverines defense will get a stiff test from Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. In a 38-19 win last Friday against Rutgers, Williams set a school record with 538 total yards of offense as he threw for 402 yards and rushed for another 136.

Williams, who set career highs for passing yards, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, fired two scoring strikes and ran for two touchdowns. He became the 16th player in FBS history to throw for at least 400 yards and run for at least 100 in the same game – joining a club that features Lamar Jackson, Taysom Hill and Johnny Manziel.

On the season, Williams has accounted for 2,010 yards of offense — 1,628 in the air. He has completed an impressive 74.1 percent of his passes with just one interception in 158 attempts.

“He made great decisions with the ball,” said Washington coach Jedd Fisch. “Everything that he’s continuing to do, he’s doing it at a high level. It was fun to watch.”

The Huskies won last year’s meeting with Michigan 27-17, which cut the Wolverines’ series lead to 9-6.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) drops back to pass against the Michigan State Spartans during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

USC hosts No. 15 Michigan in first Coliseum meeting since 1957

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All six of Southern California’s Big Ten Conference losses since joining the league last season have been by one-score margins, a streak that began in 2024 against the Trojans’ visiting opponent on Saturday, No. 15 Michigan.

The Wolverines (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) welcomed USC (4-1, 2-1) to the conference last September by scoring a 27-24 comeback win in Ann Arbor, Mich.

When Michigan visits Los Angeles for this season’s encounter, the Wolverines will see a Trojans team returning to action from a bye and one game removed from a 34-32 loss at Illinois on Sept. 27.

But although USC ran into a familiar scenario for its first loss of the season, the 2025 Trojans are not the 2024 Trojans that finished 6-6 in the regular season. The same is true for Michigan, as coach Sherrone Moore noted during his media availability.

“This is this year, not last year,” Moore said when asked of avoiding a slide similar to 2024. ” … This is a different team, I think, with a different mindset and a different focus.”

A season ago, the Wolverines’ win over the Trojans, decided on an 89-yard drive in the closing minutes, was part of a 4-1 start. Michigan went 3-4 the rest of the regular season.

Following its 24-10 win against Wisconsin last week, Michigan is again 4-1 and a winner of three straight since a 24-13 setback at Oklahoma in Week 2.

“They just adjust,” Moore said of the current Wolverines defense, which comes into Los Angeles allowing just 16.2 points per game. ” … You watch the film and they are physical. They are tenacious. They are fast. They want to hit you.”

That includes hitting opponents in the backfield, where Michigan has racked up 15 sacks — tied for 18th-most in the FBS. Jaishawn Barham, Derrick Moore and Cole Sullivan lead the way, each with multiple sacks on the season.

Generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks has turned into takeaway opportunities for the Wolverines, too, with Michigan having picked off seven passes through its first five games.

Conversely, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava went the first four contests without throwing an interception.

That streak ended at Illinois, but Maiava finished the game 30-of-43 passing for 364 yards with two touchdowns. Both scores, thrown to Makai Lemon, came during a fourth-quarter rally in which USC pulled ahead, 32-31, with 1:55 remaining.

“I’m fired up,” said Maiava of facing Michigan. Last season, Miller Moss started the game in Ann Arbor, making Saturday Maiava’s first opportunity to face the Wolverines in Michigan’s first visit to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since 1957.

“Super good team we’re about to play. Can’t wait,” Maiava said.

Maiava is now 98 of 139 on the season for 1,587 yards — his 317.4 yards per game trailing only Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson at 343 — and he has thrown 11 touchdowns to the one interception.

Lemon’s 117.8 yards receiving per game, meanwhile, rank second nationally and he has hauled in five touchdown catches for a USC offense averaging 48.4 points per game, third nationally.

“There’s not too much we’ve got to adjust because of Michigan,” Lemon said following USC’s practice on Tuesday. “We’ve just got to keep doing our job, paying attention to detail, and we’ll be good.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 4, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Justice Haynes (22) rushes in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Justice Haynes runs wild as No. 20 Michigan beats Wisconsin

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Justice Haynes rushed for 117 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns as Michigan downed Wisconsin 24-10 in Ann Arbor on Saturday afternoon.

The Alabama transfer has reached 100 yards in each of the first five games for the No. 20 Wolverines (4-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten). Bryce Underwood completed 19 of 28 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown, while Donaven McCulley made six receptions for 112 yards and a score.

Dilin Jones rushed for 63 yards and the Badgers’ lone touchdown. Hunter Simmons completed 18 of 29 passes for 177 yards, with Vinny Anthony II making nine receptions for 97 yards.

The Wolverines emerged with a 10-7 halftime advantage.

Wisconsin (2-3, 0-2) drove 75 yards after the opening kickoff to take the lead. Jones finished it off with a 5-yard run.

Michigan only needed six plays to tie the score. Haynes burst through the middle for a 43-yard gain to eventually set up his 1-yard touchdown.

The defenses then clamped down as both punters got plenty of action the remainder of the half. The Wolverines took a 10-7 lead with 5:43 left in the second quarter on Dominic Zvada’s 32-yard field goal.

Michigan controlled the ball for nearly six minutes after the second-half kickoff but came up empty as Zvada missed a 27-yard attempt.

The Wolverines extended their lead to 17-7 with 4:11 remaining in the third. Underwood hooked up with McCulley on a 33-yard pass, and two plays later, the duo connected for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Rod Moore intercepted a Simmons pass deep in Michigan territory later in the quarter. The Wolverines drove as far as the Badgers’ 28 but wound up turning the ball over on downs.

A 61-yard drive, which ended with 9:24 remaining on a Haynes 1-yard touchdown run, gave Michigan a 24-7 lead. A 25-yard pass from Underwood to McCulley was the big play on that drive.

The Badgers drove all the way to Michigan’s 5-yard line during their ensuing possession. Derrick Moore’s sack of Simmons forced them to settle for Nathanial Vakos’ 39-yard field goal.

–Field Level Media

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) runs for a touchdown against Central Michigan defensive back Caleb Spann (15) during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.

No. 21 Michigan out to cool off Nebraska in Big Ten opener

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While Nebraska eyes its first victory over a ranked opponent since 2016, No. 21 Michigan seeks its fifth straight win over the Cornhuskers on Saturday in Lincoln in the teams’ Big Ten opener.

The Cornhuskers (3-0) have won their games by a combined 123 points, including back-to-back 68-0 and 59-7 victories. It was the first time they scored at least 50 in consecutive games since 2007.

“This is a whole other animal,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said of Michigan.

The Wolverines (2-1) are playing their second road game, the first since a loss at then-No. 18 Oklahoma on Sept. 6. That was under head coach Sherrone Moore, who was suspended by the school for the third and fourth games of this season and the first game of 2026 for his role in the NCAA sign-stealing scandal under previous head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Associate head coach Biff Poggi served as interim coach for last week’s 63-3 win over Central Michigan and will do so for this week’s Big Ten opener. This is Poggi’s third stint with the Wolverines, having been an analyst in 2016 and associate head coach in 2021-22 before two seasons as Charlotte’s head coach.

‘”I’ve been a lot of places, I’ve coached a lot of places … but Michigan, honestly, it’s just like home,” Poggi said. “I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.”

Nebraska allowed 202 rushing yards in the season-opening win over Cincinnati, almost half of that coming from the quarterback. It could be in for another tough go defending the run against Michigan, which is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and 242.7 rushing yards per game.

Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood, the Big Ten’s reigning freshman of the week, ran for 114 yards and two scores in addition to 235 passing yards and a TD against Central Michigan.

“That hadn’t really happened the first two games,” Rhule said of Underwood, who had minus-6 rushing yards in the previous two games. “That obviously adds another element to it.”

Poggi said Underwood’s mobility was on display not because of a specific change in the game plan but due to a better understanding of his skill set.

“You really start learning the most when the games are played,” Poggi said. “Coaches don’t win games, plays don’t win games, players win games. And you have to let your players play, so we’re letting them play.”

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola has excelled this season, completing 76.6 percent of his passes for 829 yards and eight TDs with no interceptions. The Cornhuskers also lead the nation in pass defense, allowing just 66 yards per game.

The Wolverines have won 53 of their last 57 conference openers, last dropping their first Big Ten game in 2019. Meanwhile, Nebraska hasn’t won a conference opener since 2019.

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the University of Michigan Wolverines at Gaylord Family Ð Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025.

John Mateer, No. 18 Oklahoma upend No. 15 Michigan

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John Mateer threw for 270 yards and a touchdown and ran for 74 yards and two more scores as No. 18 Oklahoma beat No. 15 Michigan 24-13 on Saturday in Norman, Okla.

The Sooners (2-0) outgained the Wolverines 408-288, making life difficult for Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood (9-of-24 passing, 142 yards) in his first road start.

Mateer played like a quarterback with plenty of experience, finishing 21-of-34 passing with one interception.

The Sooners ground out much of the fourth quarter after getting the ball back at their own 19 with 10 minutes remaining.

Oklahoma converted a trio of third downs on the drive, which didn’t end until Tate Sandell’s 21-yard field goal with 1:44 remaining that virtually put the game away.

The meeting was just the teams’ second and the first in nearly 50 years. The Sooners have won both.

The Sooners struck quickly, scoring on the game’s first drive on Mateer’s 9-yard shovel pass to Deion Burks.

Burks, a Michigan product who wasn’t recruited by the Wolverines, finished with seven catches for 101 yards.

The only other first-half score came on Mateer’s 2-yard run with 22 seconds remaining before the break to put the Sooners up 14-0.

The Wolverines hadn’t been held scoreless in the first half since late in the 2020 season against Wisconsin.

It didn’t take long in the second half for Michigan to get on the scoreboard.

On the first drive of the third quarter, Justice Haynes broke off a 75-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit in half.

The Wolverines’ only two other scores came on third-quarter field goals, the first of which came after Oklahoma turned the ball over on Isaiah Sategna’s muffed punt.

Haynes finished with 125 yards on 19 carries.

Donaven McCulley led the Wolverines (1-1) with three catches for 91 yards.

Oklahoma held Michigan to just 3-of-14 third-down conversions.

Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who missed the first half due to a targeting ejection last week, had six tackles in the second half.

–Field Level Media

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19), right, and quarterback Jadyn Davis (2), left, warm up ahead of the New Mexico game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, August 30, 2025.

No. 15 Michigan visits No. 18 Oklahoma in rare blueblood clash

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Michigan and Oklahoma have been on the biggest stages of college football regularly.

The programs are among the top five in winning percentage in the sport’s history and have churned out All-Americans and championships.

Saturday, the two college football bluebloods meet for just the second time in their history and the first time on either school’s campus when the No. 15 Wolverines take on the 18th-ranked Sooners in Norman, Oklahoma.

“It’s gonna be a really cool matchup — two incredible programs that represent all the excellence in college football for a long, long time,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “Gonna be really exciting from an environment standpoint.”

Both teams are coming off season-opening wins.

Michigan beat New Mexico 34-17 in a game where running back Justice Haynes ran for 159 yards and three touchdowns, while the Sooners knocked off Illinois State 35-3 behind quarterback John Mateer’s 393-yard, three-touchdown performance.

While Mateer has plenty of experience, having started at Washington State last season before coming to Norman along with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, Saturday will be a new experience for Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood.

Underwood, a freshman, will be making his first road start.

“We can’t worry about it, we’re going to create noise,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. “We’ve got ways to create loud noises for our players that make it hard for them to communicate that they’ve got to speak really loud, and they’ve got to do things to make sure the communicate to each other. So, we’ll handle that piece. But within the moment is not to get caught up in all the extra stuff. So just execute and do your job.”

The Wolverines will be without linebacker Jaishawn Barham for the first half after he was ejected for targeting in the second half of the win over New Mexico.

Michigan appealed the penalty, but it was ultimately upheld.

Oklahoma hopes to have several pieces back on the offensive line after five-star freshman Michael Fasusi and Western Carolina transfer Derek Simmons missed the opener.

Both are listed as co-starters on the depth chart.

The Sooners also need more from Cal transfer running back Jaydn Ott, who is expected to see an expanded role after recording just one carry in the opener. Ott missed much of preseason camp due to injury.

“When he’s at his best, we’ve all seen — people that know his journey — what he’s capable of,” Venables said. “So he’s a real weapon, and I think he’ll play a real factor in our season moving forward. So I’m excited about that, to have another weapon like that on our offense, and we’re going to need him.”

It’ll also be a return for Moore.

The Wolverines coach, who was an offensive lineman at Oklahoma in 2006-07, downplayed his Sooners connection.

“It’s about my players,” Moore said. “So there’s no, like, emotional attachment to it. But I’m emotionally attached to the players that are at Michigan. They’re my kids. … It’s going to be an awesome atmosphere, don’t get me wrong. It’s a great town, and obviously I got my degree from there, and there’s a love there, but like, these kids are what’s special to me. So that’s all I’m worried about.”

Venables was the Sooners’ defensive coordinator when Moore was playing.

“He was a guy that loved to compete, super physical,” Venables said of remembering Moore as a player. “One of the lineman that just, man, he did the methodical very, very well. … Guys gravitated to his leadership style.”

–Field Level Media

Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham (1) tackles New Mexico quarterback Jack Layne (2) during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, August 30, 2025.

Michigan LB Jaishawn Barham’s targeting penalty upheld by Big Ten

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Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham’s targeting penalty from the second half of its season opener was upheld by the Big Ten, and he’ll be forced to miss the first half of Saturday’s top-25 matchup at Oklahoma, head coach Sherrone Moore said Monday.

Barham was assessed the penalty on a hit of New Mexico quarterback Jack Layne in the third quarter of the 18th-ranked Wolverines’ 34-17 victory. It was originally ruled a scoop-and-score fumble return by Barham for a touchdown, but overturned to a sack and then became a first down for the Lobos and an ejection of Barham after an instant-replay review.

Per NCAA rules, players ejected for targeting in the second half of a game are ineligible for the first half of the team’s next game.

“(The ruling) was upheld, and we don’t agree with it …,” Moore said. “It’s a rule we have to get changed, and we have to look at in college football just for the general toughness of the game, and how you want to teach tackling, and how you want to teach guys that are 6-3, tackling a guy that’s 5-8.”

Barham, a senior from District Heights, Md., was second on the Michigan defense with 66 tackles in his first season with the program in 2024, adding 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, two pass breakups and five quarterback hurries. He began his career at Maryland.

The ruling being upheld after appeal will make things tougher for the first half of Michigan’s road game against the 14th-ranked Sooners and their revamped offense led by Washington State transfer quarterback John Mateer. He led the way to a 35-3 win in the team’s season opener against Illinois State on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Michigan running back Justice Haynes (22) leaps into the end zone for a touchdown against New Mexico during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, August 30, 2025.

Justice Haynes (3 TDs) propels No. 14 Michigan past New Mexico

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Justice Haynes had 16 carries for 159 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 14 Michigan held firm for a 34-17 win over New Mexico on Saturday night in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Highly touted true freshman Bryce Underwood completed 21 of 31 passes for 251 yards and one touchdown in his collegiate debut for the Wolverines (1-0). Marlin Klein finished with six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.

Dorian Thomas had 10 catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns for the Lobos (0-1). Jack Layne completed 31 of 47 passes for 208 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

Michigan outgained New Mexico 452-267 in total offense.

Haynes opened the scoring with an electrifying 56-yard touchdown run in the opening minutes. The Alabama transfer carried the ball up the middle, broke toward the right sideline and outraced the secondary for the score.

Haynes struck again, this time from 5 yards, to increase Michigan’s lead to 14-0 with 4:26 remaining in the first quarter. Underwood set a block to spring Haynes free for the touchdown.

Michigan made it 17-0 on Dominic Zvada’s 21-yard field goal with 8:21 left in the second quarter.

The Lobos battled back to pull within 17-10 late in the first half.

Dorian Thomas put New Mexico on the scoreboard with a 9-yard touchdown reception with 2:23 remaining in the half. He scored on a trick play as the Lobos snapped the ball between the quarterback’s legs to running back D.J. McKinney, who lobbed a pass to Thomas in the end zone.

Luke Drzewiecki followed with a 44-yard field goal to pull New Mexico within seven points with 1:56 to go in the half.

Michigan responded with an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to go ahead 24-10 with 25 seconds before halftime. Underwood capped the drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Klein.

Zvada added a 39-yard field goal early in the third quarter to make it 27-10.

New Mexico refused to go away as Thomas hauled in his second touchdown reception of the evening with 1:40 left in the third quarter. His 3-yard score cut the deficit to 27-17.

Haynes tallied his third touchdown on a 1-yard run to increase Michigan’s advantage to 34-17 with 10:14 remaining in the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Bryce Underwood, 17, a freshman quarterback at Michigan and the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, participates in football drill during a private workout in Detroit on Saturday, June 21, 2025.

Reports: Michigan to start true freshman QB and prized recruit Bryce Underwood

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True freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, the top national recruit in the Class of 2025, will start for the Michigan Wolverines in the season opener at home Saturday night against New Mexico, according to multiple media reports.

Michigan is expected to make an official announcement on Monday, per the reports.

Underwood, a Michigan native, had flipped his commitment from LSU to the Wolverines last November. He would be the first true freshman to start for Michigan since Tate Forcier in 2009.

Also contending for the starting job were graduate students Davis Warren and Mikey Keene, the latter a transfer from Fresno State after starting his career at UCF. Warren guided Michigan to a 3-0 finish in 2024, including wins over eventual national champion and arch rival Ohio State and Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl, and he is still recovering from a knee injury sustained in the bowl game.

Underwood, listed at 6-foot-4 and 228 pounds, was a five-star prospect and the top overall player in the nation in the Class of 2025, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

A four-year starter at Belleville High School, Underwood went 50-4 with state titles in 2021 and 2022. He’s credited with 12,919 all-purpose yards, including 11,488 passing yards and 179 total touchdowns (152 passing).

He was selected the Gatorade National Player of the Year as a junior in 2023-24.

–Field Level Media

A Michigan cheerleader celebrates a touchdown against Ohio State during the first half Nov. 26, 2022 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. block m michigan logo wolverines flag

Michigan pulls another star recruit, No. 2 RB in ’26

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Michigan landed the No. 2 running back recruit for the 2026 class when Savion Hiter committed to the Wolverines, ESPN reported Tuesday.

In his junior season at Virginia’s Louisa County High School in 2024, Hiter rushed for 1,698 yards on 156 carries with 26 rushing touchdowns.

Hiter is a five-star recruit ranked No. 9 in the country, No. 1 at running back and No. 1 in Virginia, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. The senior from Mineral, Va., chose Michigan over finalists Georgia, Ohio State and Tennessee.

The boost for the Michigan backfield comes a week after the Wolverines’ program was fined upward of $25 million by the NCAA for an advanced-scouting sign-stealing scheme dating back to the 2021-23 seasons.

Michigan also received a 2026 commitment from highly regarded quarterback Brady Smigiel in April. Smigiel is the No. 44-ranked player in the ESPN 300, while Hiter is ranked No. 24 overall.

–Field Level Media