The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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18 THE WOLVERINE ❱ DECEMBER 2024 GAME WRECKER Edge Josaiah Stewart Is Chasing Down His Dreams In nine games played this season, Stewart ranked 19th nationally in sacks, averaging .72 per game (6.5 total). He also was tied for 20th in tackles for loss, at 1.2 per game. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL BY JOHN BORTON J osaiah Stewart couldn't be denied. The 6-foot-1, 245-pound senior edge rusher launched himself to- ward Michigan State's Stanton Ra- mil, a massive 6-7, 305-pound offensive tackle who towered over the oncoming enemy. The Spartan blocker put up a battle, hand fighting Stewart and forcing him farther off the right edge. It didn't matter — Stewart's quickness and forcefulness threw him off. Stewart then continued his pursuit of MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles, who isn't lumbering, by any measure, and was rolling right, away from Stewart on his blind side. The winged helmeted attacker came on in full sprint, closing the gap, perfectly laying out in a horizontal dive, raking his arms down over those of the MSU quar- terback and forcing the football to tumble onto the Michigan Stadium turf. Michigan junior defensive tackle Ken- neth Grant smothered the ball on the Michigan State 34-yard line. Seconds later, Michigan slammed through a 37-yard field goal. Suddenly, in a game in which the Wolverines hadn't scored for 29:31 of the first half, they were trotting off to the halftime locker room with a 9-7 lead. U-M went on to win, 24-17, and Stewart — thanks in no small measure to his relentlessness — will never taste defeat in the ancient rivalry. "He just continues to be just a tone- setter," head coach Sherrone Moore in- sisted, regarding Stewart. "He's a great leader. He's so quiet, but humble, works his tail off, is extremely strong and just does everything you want in a leader … He's an impact player. He's a game- wrecker." Stewart helped wreck Michigan State, for certain. The Spartans hoped to drive downfield to take a 14-6 or 10-6 lead. In- stead, Michigan grabbed the advantage, the momentum, and ultimately the game. Game-wrecker. "As an edge defender, you always want to cause havoc on the opposing offense," Stewart acknowledged. "Stretch their tackles and make their day a living hell. It's a great compliment by Coach. When you can go out there and wreck games, definitely shift momentum, it's huge." Chiles wasn't Stewart's first victim in that regard. The senior made life miser- able for USC quarterback Miller Moss, sacking him twice, hurrying him 4 times, forcing a fumble and posting 3 tackles for loss in Michigan's 27-24 win over USC. Through Michigan's first nine games, Stewart ranked 14th nationally, averag- ing .81 sacks per game (6.5 total in eight games played). He was tied for 11th in tackles for loss, at 1.4 per game. Stewart maintains it's not all about size. The bigger they are, the harder he mauls. "It's about your leverage, and what you're good at," the senior said. "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." A LIFE-CHANGING DECISION Stewart enjoyed plenty of advantages at Coastal Carolina, just two years ago. The former Freshman All-American burst onto the scene with 12.5 sacks, fifth best in the nation and more than any other fresh- man in the land. He built on that great start and became an established stalwart for the Chanticleers. He stood as a big man on the Conway, S.C., campus. But he wanted more. He wanted bigger, more challenging and more high profile. He'd get it at Michigan. U-M veteran Mike Sainristil — now in his rookie season with the NFL's Washington Commanders — guaranteed it. "On my recruiting trip here, Mikey told me, 'You have a chance to come here, and we're going to win a national champi- onship. We're just a few pieces away,'" Stewart recalled. "Mikey told me that, and I believed him. He's a guy I trust, and he didn't lie to me one bit." After Stewart became signed, sealed and delivered, the Wolverines came through for the vow of Sainristil and many others. They did win it all, going a perfect 15-0, taking down Ohio State for the third straight year, smacking down Alabama in the Rose Bowl semifinal and battering Washington in the championship contest. Stewart basked in it all, despite a couple of early misgivings. "It's about taking risks," Stewart mused. "Without risk, there's no reward. I took a big risk, coming here, leaving a school where I had a spot. "Coming to Michigan, I didn't start ini- tially. I thought maybe I made a mistake, but I kept my head up. I kept pushing, and it worked out during that season, and it's working out now." Stewart found himself rotating in, with edge rushers now in the NFL. He wound up performing in all 15 Michigan games, his 38 tackles featuring 5.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. Whatever early adjust- ments he worked through became swal- lowed up in his increasing impact, and the team's drive toward Michigan's all-time dream season. When it comes to 2023, the memo- ries flow easily. When Stewart thinks of his first encounter with Ohio State, his mind goes right to the end — safety Rod Moore's game-clinching interception in The Big House, and the euphoria erupting throughout the stadium and beyond. "That final interception," he said, smil- ing. "The whole vibe of the stadium was just ecstatic. It was loud, and everybody's rushing the field. That was just a big mo- ment, being able to point to that game and what it means to everybody in this program. "As a first-time player in that game, you don't really understand rivalries until