Michigan’s football team opened Big Ten play with a statement win.
The 21st-ranked Wolverines (3-1, 1-0) never trailed on the road against Nebraska (3-1, 0-1) and held on for a 30-27 victory on Saturday.
Here are observation’s from the game:
— Michigan running back Jordan Marshall said this week that Saturday’s game would be decided in the trenches. He was right. The Wolverines bullied Nebraska up front on both sides of the ball. Bryce Underwood’s running ability was a main storyline all week leading into the game, but it was Marshall and Justice Haynes that led the way against Nebraska. Marshall had 80 yards on just six carries, including breaking off a 54-yarder midway through the third quarter that gave the team a 10-point cushion. Haynes ripped off his fourth run of at least 50 yards this season with a 75-yarder late in the first half.
— What an addition Haynes has been. The transfer running back from Alabama is electric in the open field and showed it again on his long touchdown run. Once he gets to the third level, no one has been able to catch him this season. With 149 yards on 17 carries, he has eclipsed 100 yards in all four games this season.
— The offensive line deserves a lot of credit. On Haynes and Marshall’s long TD runs, the unit opened huge holes. Center Greg Crippen was mauling in the middle all game. Right guard Jake Guarnera earned his second straight start, while Nathan Efobi once again was in at left guard for the injured Giovanni El-Hadi. Michigan rushed for 286 yards and averaged a whopping 8.7 per attempt.
— On the defensive side, Michigan made life uncomfortable for Nebraska sophomore and former five-star QB Dylan Raiola. It finished with seven sacks, and they came from a variety of sources. Edge Derrick Moore and tackle Rayshaun Benny each finished with a team-high 1 ½ sacks. Jaishawn Barham primarily played at edge for a second straight game and recorded his third sack. Raiola still has an elite arm and made some high-level throws to finish with 308 passing yards, but the Wolverines made it difficult for him to find open receivers.
— Sophomore linebacker Cole Sullivan continues to take advantage of his opportunities. He always seems to be around the ball and had an impressive interception on a tipped ball in the first quarter to set up the team’s first touchdown. He also leveled a Nebraska running back on third-and-long that should have led to a punt, but a taunting penalty on Brandyn Hillman moved the chains for the Cornhuskers. Sullivan finished with six tackles as his role continues to grow in this defense, especially with Barham playing more on the edge.
— It didn’t affect the outcome, but Michigan’s clock management at the end of the first half was egregious. Its defense came up with a stop on third-and-16 with 15 seconds left. Michigan interim head coach Biff Poggi should have called a timeout to force the Cornhuskers to punt from their own 48, but instead, allowed Nebraska to milk the clock down to one second before it called a timeout. That set up a Hail Mary touchdown, with Jacory Barney Jr. making an incredible catch in the end zone to tie the game at 17.
— After missing field goals in back-to-back weeks, Michigan’s All-American kicker seems to have settled in. In a tough environment, Dominic Zvada nailed all three attempts from 46, 56 and 21 yards. His 56-yarder gave Michigan a 20-17 lead – a pivotal moment in the third quarter. If he missed, the Cornhuskers would have had a short field going the other way.
— Michigan safety Rod Moore made his long-awaited return to the field. He didn’t play many snaps and finished with only one tackle, but it’s still a notable development for the team to have one of its leaders back out there. We’ll see how much his workload increases, but a positive sign nonetheless. He last played in the 2023 national championship.