The Central Michigan Chippewas (1-1) look to show their improved performance in recent weeks isn’t a fluke, stepping into the legendary Big House to take on a Michigan Wolverines (1-1) team which will be down their head coach due to a self-imposed suspension.
Both teams enter the game coming off a loss, with the Chippewas unable to stop the relentless Pitt offense from scoring in bunches despite a spirited second-half rally and the Wolverines licking their wounds from a flat performance on the road
against Oklahoma.
It is imperative for both teams to show they’re capable of performing at higher calibers this Saturday, as they near the start of their respective league slates.
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, September 13th, 2025 at noon Eastern time
- Location: The Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan
- TV network options: The game will be aired nationally on the Big Ten Network; a valid cable subscription is required for viewing. Coverage by Jeff Levering (play-by-play) and Jake Butt (color analyst).
- Radio options: Adam Jaksa (play-by-play) and Brock Gutierrez (color) will provide the Central call for 98.5 WUPS-FM; Doug Karsch (play-by-play) and Jon Jansen (color) will provide the Michigan call for the 94.7 WCSX-FM.
- Gambling considerations: Nebraska favored by 27.5 points, with an over/under of 42.5, per FanDuel.
- All-Time Series: Michigan has won all four meetings between the two programs, with the last game a 59-9 evisceration of Central in 2013. That game saw QB Cody Kater injured for the season, opening the door to Cooper Rush’s eventual reign as CMU’s starting signalcaller the next four years.
About the Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines, ranked #23 in the latest Associated Press Poll, are coming off a tough road loss to the Oklahoma Sooners, where the offense mustered 288 total yards and one touchdown. Oklahoma QB John Mateer, the former Washington State star, carved UM for 270 passing yards, 74 rushing yards and three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in the effort, wounding a proud defense in the process.
Michigan now returns to familiar grounds looking to right the ship. They’ll be under the guidance of former Charlotte head coach Biff Poggi, who was previously an offensive assistant at UM under Jim Harbaugh, due to the school’s self-enforced suspension of Sherrone Moore for his role in the Stalions sign-stealing scandal.
Moore, a former tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator for Central Michigan under Jon Bonamego, is 10-6 as the Wolverines’ head man since 2023.
All eyes will be on freshman phenom Bryce Underwood at quarterback. The reportedly multi-million dollar man will see his third game of action against Central after a decent debut against Fresno State and a pedestrian effort against Oklahoma. So far, Underwood sits at 30-of-55 for 393 yards and a touchdown. CMU defensive back Caleb Spann, a New Orleans native, expressed excitement to face Underwood, saying during press availability he had heard tales of Underwood’s performance in the 7-on-7 circuits from friends in Louisiana prior to Underwood’s flip from LSU to Michigan.
Halfback Justice Haynes has emerged as the favorite at UM to tote the rock, handling 35 of the team’s 64 rushes thus far in the season. Haynes has four of the team’s five offensive touchdowns as well, with 284 net yards gained. Haynes will be looking to snag his third-straight 100-yard game. Jordan Marshall (20 carries, 57 yards) will likely see short-yardage situations.
At receiver, former Indiana Hoosier Donaven McCulley leads the charge, with 122 yards on seven catches— including 91 yards against Oklahoma last week. Highly-regarded recruit Semaj Morgan sits third-highest on the team in receiving (five catches, 52 yards) and also contributes in the run game, with 14 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown so far as a Wolverine. Marlin Klein is the likely security blanket tight end for Underwood, notching six receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown vs. New Mexico. He sat out last week due to injury.
Defensively, the unit is led by Ernest Hausmann’s 19 total tackles (nine solo), while Cole Sullivan is responsible for two of the team’s four sacks. UM’s defense is aggressive as ever in its second year under defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, with 17.5 tackles-for-loss between 17 different players and four interceptions by four different players in just two games. That said, there’s work to be done. As a unit, UM has allowed 20.5 points per game, 337 yards per game, 45 percent opposing third-down conversions and 60 percent of fourth-down conversions.
CMU’s unorthodox offensive outlook could prove to be a tough scout for the UM staff which is down their head coach, but the talent gap should help to paper over some of those concerns.
About the Central Michigan Chippewas
The Chippewas have looked feisty in their last two contests despite sitting at 1-1.
They won their first contest on the West Coast to start the season, taking down legendary head coach Ken Niumatalolo’s San Jose State squad as double-digit underdogs in new head coach Matt Drinkall’s debut. Last week saw CMU give the Pitt Panthers a second-half scare, utilizing a second-quarter interception and get the ball back quickly to cut a three-score gap down to one midway through the third quarter. The talent gap eventually came back into play and CMU ultimately lost 45-17, but there was a lot of potential on display.
CMU’s success has largely hinged on a power run game, and they’ve got the legs to run it. Despite a bit of a road bump against Pitt’s ferocious run defense, CMU has still put up 336 yards rushing as a unit, with Tulane transfer Trey Cornist and Nahree Biggins each toting the rock for 112 yards. All three QBs (yes, you read that right) also figure into the run game, contributing 95 pre-sack yards on 37 carries. The Chips are also eighth in the NCAA in time of possession, holding the ball for an average of 35 minutes per contest; it’s been crucial to their ability to stay in games.
Speaking of the quarterback rotation, the Chippewas toss for 70 percent completion as a unit, with 292 passing yards and a touchdown. Joe Labas carries the majority load, finishing 16-of-24 passes for 145 yards and a score. Angel Flores, a Northern Arizona transfer, has been a complete package at QB, with a 5-of-6 mark passing for 69 yards while also carrying the ball for 48 net yards (63 before sacks)— third best on the team. Jaydn Glasser has a touchdown on the ground and a 7-of-9 mark passing for 78 yards.
The receiving game is still a work-in-progress, and will likely have a tough time against the Wolverines. Tight end Decorion “DC” Temple leads the effort with five catches for 35 yards and the team’s only receiving score. He was a crucial part of CMU’s third-quarter rally against Pitt, with a key conversion and the end-cap reception. Justin Ruffin Jr., Langston Lewis and Tyson Davis have combined for 75 yards on nine receptions.
CMU’s defense is still largely rounding into shape as well. The Chips have four takeaways on the season, sitting seventh in the NCAA in interceptions (three), complimenting the offense’s zero interceptions very well. They’ve also boasted an excellent rushing defense, allowing an average of 99.5 yards per game (48th in the NCAA.)
However, the unit has also been torn asunder in the passing game, giving up 324 yards per game (131st in NCAA) and struggle on third-down, allowing 56 percent of attempts (126th in NCAA.) This especially showed up against Pitt, as the Panthers took advantage of several miscommunications for big scores to further their lead and keep Central away from being a true danger.
That said, there’s some good talent on the defensive side of the ball. All-MAC linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski is the heart and soul of the defense, with 14 total tackles on the campaign— including eight tackles, a half-TFL and an interception against the Panthers last week. Redshirt freshman transfer defensive end Korver Demma has logged decent pressure in his first two games as a Chippewa, with two QB hits and 1.5 tackles-for-loss opposite Michael Heldman, who has seven tackles and one TFL and sack each. Cincinnati transfer Kalen Carroll has quickly established himself in the secondary, with nine tackles and two pass break-ups.
Final Thoughts
This game has a lot of outside intrigue attached to it, for better and for worse. The Stalions sign-stealing scandal, resolved during the offseason, implicated both programs being responsible to varying degrees.
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, a then-assistant, was alleged to have destroyed evidence of tampering and lied to NCAA investigators about what he knew. He will miss this week’s game due to a related suspension, putting Biff Poggi— another former Harbaugh assistant— front-and-center.
The previous Central Michigan coaching staff, led by the since-retired Jim McElwain, is under investigation for allegedly allowing Stalions to patrol their sideline in a 2023 tilt with Michigan State after a staffer with Michigan ties had earlier resigned his position due to potential links to the Stalions incident.
That will be heavy on the minds of many heading into the matchup on Saturday.
Another storyline will be if Bryce Underwood can shake off a bad personal performance and take care of business against what should be an easy assignment. One touchdown and a completion percentage hovering around 50 is a bit of a concern he’ll hope to address with a decent outing.
There’s a lot on the line on-field for both teams as well.
Michigan, a team with a shot at the College Football Playoff, saw their margin for error shrink after a loss to Oklahoma. They’ll want to bury all doubt of their ability in a big way this week ahead of a tough-as-nails Big Ten season.
CMU, meanwhile, has shown their moxie through two contests so far, and want to prove their own recent run of performance is not a fluke either. In his press availability this week, head coach Matt Drinkall emphasized this week of practice was all about preparing for the environment in a way they failed to do last week against Pitt. Expect a ready team who won’t fold early, as they want to make a statement heading into the MAC slate they’re a team to beat.
The spread has the Wolverines as four-score favorites, and should win this contest handy, but it could get a bit snug if UM gets off to a slow start on both sides of the ball, given Central’s tricky offense and senior-laden defense.
