Winning ugly.
If there was a motto for the Michigan Wolverines’ 2025 campaign, it would be that phrase.
Each week Sherrone Moore and his team find a way to beat the team’s they should, the Big Ten’s middle of the pack (or worse) that a couple years ago would be facing second-stringers in the second half. It’s frustrating, but a win is a win. No one should ever be upset with adding a green check on the schedule.
This team has resiliently found a way to be 8-2 and have a possible College Football Playoff
spot ahead. Whether they deserve it or not, it’s where they are with two games remaining. Michigan controls its own destiny, and the goal and focus should be to capitalize on a home game against the No. 1 ranked team in the country to propel into the CFP.
We’ll look at the Michigan win over Northwestern in that context as we evaluate some of the things that we learned.
Sherrone Moore is still learning how to win
Michigan had five turnovers and missed two field goals on Saturday. Imagine if the Wolverines capitalized on all of those opportunities. They had nearly 500 yards of offense and statistically dominated the Wildcats. It should have been a bloodbath win at Wrigley Field.
It was mistake after mistake from this coaching staff that kept a veteran Northwestern team around, and those mistakes nearly cost the Wolverines the game. The Wildcats’ offense had four scoring drives of 40 yards or less, and their run-heavy offense averaged 2.3 yards per carry. The defense did its job to secure the win, despite a couple silly offsides penalties. They even kept the team afloat by forcing two three-and-outs after the offense turned the ball over twice in the fourth quarter.
The problem continues to be on the offensive side. It’s understandable that mistakes will happen with a true freshman quarterback and other young players around him. But instead of leaning on the experience Sherrone Moore has, and the blueprint for victory of pounding the rock late in games with the lead that Jim Harbaugh established in his tenure, Moore puzzlingly put the hands of the game in his true freshman quarterback instead of the SMASH football he has preached.
Underwood had done his job. He was incredibly efficient in the first half, reading a good Northwestern pass defense extremely well and putting Michigan in a two-possession lead. He completed nine of his first 10 passes. Every aspect of what you would want from a true freshman quarterback on the road was given on a platter to this coaching staff.
Instead of taking that and literally running with it, they played with fire and expected it to continue. It was a huge risk that very clearly didn’t work out. Yes, Northwestern was stacking the box, but that didn’t stop Marshall from running for a 24-yard gain, and then Bryson Kuzdzal having some nice runs after Marshall’s injury. Michigan’s offensive line was impressive when it mattered late in the game. That has spelled victory for Michigan for the past decade against opponents like Northwestern.
Averting from that philosophy is more and more shocking as I continue to evaluate this performance. Underwood, an 18-year-old making his fifth career start on the road, should not have even had the option to throw the ball with an RPO. There are way too many variables that are going through his brain with pressure on him. Yes Underwood is special and a five-star talent, so was J.J. McCarthy, and I guarantee you the ball was in Blake Corum or Hassan Haskins’ hands late in a game like this a few years ago.
That’s the difference between years past and today. Michigan has an abundance of talent on the offensive side. Newcomers and young players like Underwood, Marshall and Andrew Marsh continue to step up. But this coaching staff is still figuring out the ways to put them in the best position to win. Ten games into the season, and nearing the end of Year 2 for Moore, the point of that being unacceptable is upon us and may even be in the rearview.
Bryce Underwood is improving
Saturday was the best performance Underwood has had as a Wolverine. If you take away his two horrific interceptions, the narrative coming out of this game would have been Michigan is ramping him up well for the Ohio State game.
In the first half, Underwood completed 15-of-20 passes for 185 yards. The coaching staff prepped him really well for this game, as he him in rhythm earlier and maintained that pace for 30 minutes of game time. It was apparent there was conversation about him keeping the ball more on the RPO, and he was making snap decisions and putting the ball right on receiver’s hands consistently.
It was the kind of performance a lot of fans expected from the former No. 1 overall recruit with Chip Lindsey calling plays. Most importantly, it was working against a stacked box from Northwestern, something the Wolverines will likely see a lot of in the next two weeks as well.
Building that confidence is absolutely key for this team to contend with Ohio State and earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. But instead, Underwood’s performance will be remembered by the two interceptions and going 6-of-12 for 95 yards in the second frame. Also known as — what we’ve seen most of the season.
The coaching malpractice in the second half game plan was not just a travesty for this game, but also for what they’re building towards with the most important game of the season in just a couple weeks.
Andrew Marsh could be the next great Michigan wide receiver
As Underwood continues to develop, so does his connection with fellow true freshman Andrew Marsh. Together, they have the chance to be really special for the Wolverines.
Marsh’s 12 receptions for 189 yards broke freshman records at Michigan in both categories. On the game-winning drive, he made this absurd catch to move the sticks on a 3rd-and-10.
That was the finale for Marsh for what was a performance for the ages, and it feels like things are just getting started between he and Underwood. This was just Marsh’s sixth start for the Wolverines, and you can see these two getting more and more on the same page every week.
A large part of Underwood’s growth showed in this game was Marsh’s 12 catches, all other receivers had nine, and four of them went to Donaven McCulley. It feels like those are the only two receivers Underwood trusts, and understandably so given injuries and drops that have come from others.
It’s showcasing the need Michigan has to get more playmakers in the offseason, because it feels like the Wolverines are heading in the right direction in terms of the talent development in key areas.
