The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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20 THE WOLVERINE ❱ DECEMBER 2024 you play in the game. I actually played in the game, and you feel it after that." He really played against Alabama, nailing Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe for a 7-yard sack among 7 stops, in Michi- gan's 27-20 overtime win. The game featured a pair of iconic coaches, with Stewart's eyes drifting toward the 'Bama sideline prior to the game. "It's lifelong memories," Stewart said. "Playing in the Rose Bowl, against Ala- bama and Nick Saban, a coach I watched while playing football in high school. "I'm looking at Nick Saban on the sideline, and my jaw's dropping. I'm like, that's Nick Saban. That's the first thing I saw. I wasn't even playing football when I saw him in a national championship game. "Seeing where I've come from then to now, it's amazing." The finale might have been anticlimac- tic, had it not been for planting the flag at the top of the mountain. Stewart made 5 tackles in Michigan's defensive assault against Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. By the time Penix limped away, the Wolverines had tucked away their 34-13 rout, and a national championship. No broken promises here. Only broken Huskies. "Just 15-0 … winning every game," Stewart marveled. "Coming into that last game, you feel like nobody can stop you. The mindset as a team was to just go out there and dominate. You win the champi- onship, and the confetti is coming down. All the work you put in throughout the year was worth it. You can finally calm down and breathe and celebrate that win." NEW SEASON, NEW CHALLENGES There hasn't been as much celebrating in 2024. Yes, the Wolverines welcomed the Trojans to the Big Ten with a pun- ishing defense and rushing attack. No doubt, the win over Michigan State un- der the lights proved satisfying. But it's always hard to improve on perfection, and given Michigan's massive personnel losses from 2023, that path never loomed as realistic. "There are a lot of guys on this team that hadn't lost in the regular season, for a while," Stewart pointed out. "Person- ally, I lost in the regular season at my pre- vious school. It's showing guys how to respond to losing. You go on as a team and try to get better." Stewart's shown plenty to NFL scouts, with some observers insisting he's play- ing himself into a very high draft posi- tion next spring. He's shown much to his teammates, with a bigger voice, given his strong play last season combined with some dominant efforts in the first portion of the 2024 campaign. Moore enhanced his voice even more following Michigan's loss at Washington. The Wolverines began the year with Rod Moore, an injured senior leader, and grad safety Makari Paige as defensive cap- tains. Sherrone Moore wanted a second active performer as a captain's voice on the field, and the choice wasn't a difficult one at all. "First of all, it's the production he's had on the field," Moore said of the promo- After earning Freshman All-America honors at Coastal Carolina in 2021, Stewart transferred to Michigan in 2023 and made a big impact on the national championship squad. The 2024 team captain had 28 career sacks (including 12 at U-M) in 49 career games through Nov. 9. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL ❱ Stewart "It's about your leverage, and what you're good at. A big offensive lineman might be able to just maul you and get downhill on you. But if you can use your leverage, be quicker and faster than him, you have an advantage."