Michigan Football suffered its second consecutive defeat Saturday afternoon, falling 20-14 to Minnesota in Minneapolis and surrendering the Little Brown Jug for the first time since 2014.
The Wolverines entered halftime with a 14-7 advantage, thanks in large part to a pair of defensive takeaways, including a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Nathaniel Staehling. However, Michigan’s offensecompletely unraveled in the second half, committing three turnovers and failing to score
another point.
Quarterback Bryce Underwood completed just 10 of his 21 passing attempts for 101 yards and threw two interceptions. Meanwhile, a muffed punt by Andrew Marsh compounded Michigan’s offensive struggles and helped Minnesota erase its halftime deficit.
The loss drops Michigan to 3-2 on the season ahead of its bye week, with a home matchup against Penn State looming on Oct. 17.
Here’s a closer look at how the Wolverines performed according to PFF.
Offensive team grades
Michigan’s offense earned a disappointing 62.7 overall PFF grade, a significant decline from its 81.0 grade against Iowa the previous week.
The Wolverines’ biggest struggles came in the passing game, where they received a season-low 47.6 passing grade after earning a season-high 88.1 against Iowa.
Offensive snap counts (snap count \ overall grade)
- J.J. Buchanan — 49 \ 72.3
- Jake Guarnera — 49 \ 71.3
- Blake Frazier — 49 \ 71.2
- Evan Link — 49 \ 67.3
- Jordan Marshall — 29 \ 66.9
- Brady Norton — 49 \ 66.6
- Nathan Efobi — 46 \ 62.0
- Bryson Kuzdzal — 2 \ 60.0
- Andrew Marsh — 48 \ 58.8
- Channing Goodwin — 9 \ 57.0
- Eli Owens — 6 \ 56.3
- Jalen Hoffman — 5 \ 56.2
- Savion Hiter — 18 \ 55.9
- Bryce Underwood — 49 \ 55.6
- Salesi Moa — 14 \ 55.5
- Hogan Hansen — 23 \ 55.4
- Jaime Ffrench Jr. — 8 \ 53.7
- Avery Gach — 28 \ 50.6
- Zack Marshall — 9 \ 36.3
Five highest-graded offensive players (min. 5 snaps)
- JJ Buchanan — 72.3
- Jake Guarnera — 71.3
- Blake Frazier — 71.2
- Evan Link — 67.3
- Jordan Marshall — 66.9
Buchanan was Michigan’s highest-graded offensive player on the afternoon, earning a 72.3 overall grade and a 70.5 receiving mark. He caught four passes for 50 yards, accounting for nearly half of Michigan’s passing production.
The offensive line occupied three of the top four spots, with Guarnera earning a 71.3 overall grade, followed closely by Frazier at 71.2 and Link at 67.3.
Guarnera earned strong grades in both blocking categories, with an 82.0 pass-blocking grade and a 76.1 run-blocking grade. Frazier earned a 73.2 run-blocking grade, while Link received a 71.9 pass-blocking grade.
Jordan Marshall rounded out the top five with a 66.9 overall grade. He led Michigan with 50 rushing yards and its only offensive touchdown, earning a 67.4 rushing grade.
Five lowest-graded offensive players (min. 5 snaps)
- Zack Marshall — 36.3
- Avery Gach — 50.6
- Jaime Ffrench Jr. — 53.7
- Hogan Hansen — 55.4
- Salesi Moa — 55.5
Zack Marshall earned Michigan’s lowest offensive grade at 36.3, including a 34.6 receiving grade. He also received a 16.4 drop grade after being charged with one drop.
Avery Gach, who saw an uptick in usage yesterday following the Wolverines’ injury struggles on the O-Line, struggled in his blocking assignments, finishing with a 50.6 overall grade and a 49.1 run-blocking grade.
Underwood narrowly avoided the bottom five, earning a 55.6 overall grade. His 47.6 passing grade seems about right, following a difficult afternoon in which he threw two interceptions and was sacked three times.
Defensive team grades
Michigan’s defense still produced some encouraging performances despite the loss. Nathaniel Staehling was predictably a standout, earning the highest overall defensive grade at 82.5, while Aisea Moa and Enow Etta also finished above 75.0.
The Wolverines managed to hold Minnesota to 262 total yards and forced two interceptions. However, the defense was unable to prevent Minnesota from capitalizing on Michigan’s turnovers and consistently short fields.
Defensive snap counts (snap count \ overall grade)
- Nathaniel Staehling — 54 \ 82.5
- Aisea Moa — 37 \ 75.8
- Enow Etta — 47 \ 75.1
- Shamari Earls — 18 \ 74.7
- Jyaire Hill — 63 \ 73.6
- Max Alford — 2 \ 72.6
- Benny Patterson III — 34 \ 71.9
- Tariq Boney — 25 \ 70.0
- Nate Marshall — 14 \ 69.4
- Bobby Kanka — 8 \ 66.6
- Chris Bracy — 64 \ 66.6
- Zeke Berry — 28 \ 66.1
- Trey Pierce — 39 \ 64.0
- Smith Snowden — 59 \ 63.6
- Rod Moore Jr. — 60 \ 63.3
- Mason Curtis — 5 \ 61.6
- Jonah Lea’ea — 22 \ 61.6
- Troy Bowles — 60 \ 60.8
- Chase Taylor — 24 \ 59.5
- John Henry Daley — 55 \ 58.6
- Jordan Young — 8 \ 51.9
- Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng — 12 \ 47.2
- Dom Nichols — 8 \ 41.8
- Cam Brandt — 2 \ 29.6
Five highest-graded defensive players (min. 5 snaps)
- Nathaniel Staehling — 82.5
- Aisea Moa — 75.8
- Enow Etta — 75.1
- Shamari Earls — 74.7
- Jyaire Hill — 73.6
Staehling was Michigan’s highest-graded defensive player, earning an 82.5 overall grade across 54 snaps.
He received an 82.9 coverage grade and a 71.6 run-defense grade. PFF credited him with allowing three receptions on five targets for 46 yards, but his biggest contribution came when he intercepted Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey, running it all the way back for a 79-yard touchdown.
Moa earned Michigan’s second-highest defensive grade at 75.8, including a 72.1 run-defense grade and a 72.1 grade in coverage.
Etta was particularly impressive against the run. He earned an 80.4 run-defense grade, the highest on Michigan’s defense, while finishing with a 75.1 overall grade across 47 snaps.
In the secondary, Earls played perhaps his best game of the season, earning a 74.7 overall grade and a 71.6 coverage grade. Jyaire Hill followed with a 73.6 overall and a 74.4 in coverage, allowing just one reception on two targets for nine yards.
Five lowest-graded defensive players (min. 5 snaps)
- Dom Nichols — 41.8
- Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng — 47.2
- Jordan Young — 51.9
- John Henry Daley — 58.6
- Chase Taylor — 59.5
Nichols earned Michigan’s lowest defensive grade among players with at least five snaps, finishing at 41.8 across eight defensive snaps. He started the game for Michigan, but played just 8 snaps after entering the week listed as questionable.
Owusu-Boateng finished with a 47.2 overall grade, including a 43.3 coverage grade. However, he performed considerably better as a tackler, earning a 76.0 tackling grade.
Daley’s performance was another notable concern. Despite playing 55 defensive snaps, he earned a 58.6 overall grade and a 52.6 run-defense grade. He finished the game with just one tackle and one QB hurry.
Taylor rounded out the bottom five with a 59.5 overall grade, including a 53.5 coverage grade and a 27.2 tackling grade.
