Saturday was a turning point for the Michigan Wolverines’ 2025 football season. After being completely dismantled at USC, the media and fans alike were questioning the capabilities of this coaching staff
and players.
Winning cures all, especially when you win the way Michigan did against Washington. That’s because the Michigan Wolverines looked like the Michigan Wolverines. Moore was teased for his blue collar jacket schtick (that several former head coaches have also done), even on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show.
But the players lived up to their head coach’s message in what was easily their best performance since the bye week. Washington had just 40 yards rushing, Michigan’s defense forced three turnovers, and Michigan’s offense possessed the ball for more than 37 minutes. It was a dominant performance, especially in the second half.
So how did they do it? Here’s what we learned that works for the Wolverines.
Get the TEs involved no matter who it is
Michigan has had injuries to both Marlin Klein and Hogan Hansen this season, and it feels like the team has been squeamish about throwing the ball to any other tight end. Outside of Klein’s six reception, 93-yard performance against New Mexico in Week 1, the tight ends as a whole had 13 catches for 125 yards up until this weekend. For an offense that historically leaned on the position and generated stars, that’s unacceptable. Even with injuries, it was a problem I don’t know that many caught at scale and the impact it had on the offense.
That changed Saturday, even with Klein and Hansen both out, as Zack Marshall and Deakon Tonielli combined for eight catches, 110 yards and a touchdown. Tonielli even bounced back after a big drop over the middle on his first target on the second possession. When we’re talking about getting back to Michigan’s roots, getting the tight ends involved in the pass game was a priority, regardless of who was playing.
Marshall had never had more than one catch in a game, but he led the Wolverines with five receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Getting both going made Underwood’s job so much easier, too. It was dump off after dump off as the Wolverines moved methodically down the field. They utilized play action and took some shots in the seams and across the middle as Underwood rolled to his right as well. Underwood was comfortable and composed, putting the ball right on his receivers. That led to another solid performance, as he went 21-of-27 for 230 yards and two touchdowns. If it weren’t for two drops, his stat line would have been nearly flawless.
The ripple effects of having the tight ends involved were showcased not just for Underwood, but the entire offense. This can’t be just a one week thing. For this offense to be effective, they must continue to get the ball in the hands of their tight ends — regardless of who is out there — to continue the development of Underwood and the unit as a whole.
Younger guys need to be getting more opportunities
Following the loss to USC, I hammered the point something needed to change. One of those ideas was playing some of the young guard to start building momentum into 2026. The thing is, that might need to be the case for the success of the 2025 team, too.
For the third week in a row, wide receiver Andrew Marsh shined, this time with an unbelievable one-handed snag and a catch on a screen that resulted in a touchdown.
Marsh, who was tied for the team lead with five receptions, continues to make big plays. As other receivers have struggled to catch the ball and haven’t been on the same page as Underwood, Marsh has showcased a great connection with his quarterback. Their development together could really turn into something special.
Redshirt freshman running back Jordan Marshall was an absolute stud with 25 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown. He’s such a different player than Justice Haynes, who was out due to injury, and we can all agree Haynes is a superstar. But the body blows Marshall had on Washington’s defense helped Michigan control possession and impose its will.
Haynes is more of a home run hitter, and the dynamic to this point has been Haynes getting a large majority of the carries. I’m not advocating for anything crazy here, but I’ll be curious to see what the split turns into once Haynes returns considering how well Marshall played on Saturday.
After the injury to left tackle Evan Link, three of the five offensive linemen were redshirt freshmen — Blake Frazier, Jake Guarnera and Andrew Sprague. They kept Underwood upright and helped establish the run game.
On defense, we saw more snaps for edge rusher Nate Marshall, who, after not seeing the field much the last few weeks, drew a holding penalty with Washington backed up to its end zone. Linebacker Cole Sullivan added another interception, his third of the year, to his 2025 resume and is a budding star. Safety Jacob Oden got a late pick, the first of his career. And Mason Curtis took over a lump sum of the snaps while both Rod Moore and Brandyn Hillman were in street clothes.
In consecutive seasons, the Wolverines have brought in recruiting classes they really like, but so far this year, veterans are still starting across the board. These younger guys keep making plays when they get the chance, so as we head into a stretch where the Wolverines should be favored by two scores in their next three games, I’m really excited to see how they continue to grow together.
