Pain might be the only word to describe how Michigan sports fans are feeling after a brutal weekend of losses across the state.
From college football to the pros, nearly every team stumbled — the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, and Michigan State Spartans all dropped their matchups between Friday and Sunday.
The lone bright spot? The Detroit Red Wings handled business at Little Caesars Arena with a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Even Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan delivered victories in MAC football, salvaging a little pride for the mitten.
Things started Friday with a marathon between the Tigers and Seattle Mariners — a 15-inning thriller that felt like it would never end. With a trip to the ALCS on the line, Tarik Skubal dazzled with 13 strikeouts over six innings, but once he left the mound, things got interesting — and not in a good way for Detroit.
The Tigers ultimately fell 3-2 as the Mariners punched their ticket to the ALCS. Detroit’s bats went ice-cold, with Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Gleyber Torres, Colt Keith, and Parker Meadows all going hitless. In total, the Tigers managed just one run, eight hits, and 17 strikeouts in 15 innings — far from ideal.
Saturday didn’t get much better. Michigan State was drilled 38-13 by UCLA in its homecoming game, falling to 3-3 on the season. Quarterback Aidan Chiles and the Spartans’ offense mustered only 253 total yards — 166 through the air and 87 on the ground — and went 0-for on fourth-down attempts.
Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava went 16-of-24 for 180 yards and three touchdowns, while running backs Jalen Berger and Jaivian Thomas combined for 143 rushing yards and two more scores.
Later that evening, the 15th-ranked Michigan Wolverines were overwhelmed by USC in a 31-13 loss that dropped them to 4-2 and knocked them out of the AP Top 25 altogether. The defeat severely hurt Michigan’s chances to return to the College Football Playoff unless they run the table, which would include a win over rival Ohio State.
Michigan’s Bryce Underwood completed 15-of-24 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns, but losing running back Justice Haynes early proved costly. Before exiting, Haynes had 10 carries for 51 yards, averaging more than five per rush. USC’s King Miller torched the Wolverines’ defense for 158 rushing yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 265 yards and two scores.
By Sunday night, the Lions had a chance to restore some pride to the state of Michigan — but that hope didn’t last long. Detroit fell 30-17 to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football, dropping to 4-2 on the season.
The Lions opened strong with a nearly 10-minute drive that chewed up the clock and kept the Chiefs’ offense, led by Patrick Mahomes, off the field. A bit of trickery appeared to result in an early touchdown before it was called back for an illegal shift, but Detroit still managed to build an early lead.
However, an uncharacteristic fourth-down drop by Amon-Ra St. Brown zapped the Lions’ momentum, and the Chiefs capitalized from there, taking control and never looking back.
The night ended with tempers flaring, as Lions safety Brian Branch got into a brief postgame scuffle with Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster — an incident the NFL is reportedly reviewing, according to ESPN.
It was, in every sense, a forgettable weekend for Michigan sports. But with the calendar turning, the Lions now shift focus to next Monday night’s matchup against Baker Mayfield and the surging Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a chance to steady themselves before the bye week and stay firmly in contention at 5-2.
As for the Tigers, they’ll enter a pivotal offseason with questions to answer. And both the Wolverines and Spartans — two programs appearing to head in different directions — must regroup quickly to salvage what remains of their college football seasons.