Michigan cruised to victory on Saturday afternoon even without head coach Sherrone Moore on the sideline. It was a complete team effort, but a few Wolverines stood out above the rest in the 63-3 victory over the Central Michigan Chippewas.
Here are four players we believe deserve to take home a game ball for their efforts.
Bryce Underwood
Michigan’s offense looked significantly better against CMU than it did against Oklahoma on Saturday, and the performance and usage of Bryce Underwood were big reasons why. From the start
of the game, we saw Chip Lindsey and the coaching staff feature Underwood in the running game while also still throwing in some downfield shots. He couldn’t connect with Channing Goodwin on his first deep ball of the game, but he more than made up for it throughout the game.
Underwood was Michigan’s leading rusher on the day with 114 yards. He showed his legs on both scrambles and designed runs, something that should be a positive development for the offense. Furthermore, he continued to make throws on the run while also showing some nice touch on his deep pass attempts — most notably to Semaj Morgan for a 32-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 30-yard pass to Andrew Marsh in the second quarter. Granted this was against CMU, but Underwood definitely looked the part of a star quarterback in this one.
Semaj Morgan
Morgan wasn’t the only receiver that stepped up for Michigan on Saturday, but it was an encouraging development to see him make his impact in the manner he did. Fans have gotten used to seeing Morgan make plays behind or near the line of scrimmage, but we saw the Wolverines feature him more as a downfield option on Saturday. Morgan made good on his usage, turning in four receptions for 69 yards and one touchdown.
We saw Morgan make his biggest impact on the second drive of the game with an impressive toe-tap grab for 21 yards on a 3rd-and-10. He then promptly caught a pass from Underwood for 32 yards on a well-executed slot fade to give Michigan a 14-0 lead.
Morgan was certainly able to show he’s more than just a one-trick pony in the passing game. We’ll have to wait and see if he can keep it up against Michigan’s tougher opponents.
Jaishawn Barham
When Barham returned for the second half of last week’s game against Oklahoma, the defense settled down a bit and found it’s groove, showing how much of a difference he can make. He had an even bigger impact for the defense on Saturday, getting the start on the edge rather than from his traditional off-ball position. And he made quite the impression in his new role.
Barham was a one-man wrecking crew for the defense from the first defensive snap of the game, where he registered a sack on Central Michigan quarterback Joe Labas. He finished the game with two sacks and six tackles, showing he can be impactful in both the run and pass game from his new role. The move was made possible by Jimmy Rolder’s and Cole Sullivan’s emergences in the middle, so kudos to them as well for stepping up in their own rights.
It will be interesting to see if Barham’s ability will be fully unlocked as he grows more comfortable in the role. Hopefully it can help raise the ceiling of the defense as a whole.
Jyaire Hill
We didn’t see Zeke Berry in this one as he was sidelined with an injury, so it meant Jyaire Hill was going to need a big day in coverage on his side of the field. The junior stepped up and made his presence felt, a sign of the improvements he’s made so far this season.
Hill finished the afternoon with four tackles — including one for a loss — and a sack on a corner blitz in the second quarter. After his rough finish in 2024, it’s been refreshing to see him settle into his role as a full-time starter so far. It’ll be important for him to keep up his good work and be consistent as Michigan gets into the meat of its schedule. Jayden Sanders deserves a shoutout as well, as the true freshman held his own opposite Hill in his first career start.
