The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1530730
22 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2025 THE DRAMA UNFOLDS It didn't take long at all to under- stand this could be a different day than expected. Michigan fans, for the most part, entered the day comforting them- selves with a host of safe-space pillows. Well, yes, we're going to take one on the chin today. But we're fresh off a national championship. We saw massive change- over in the roster and coaching staff. We're about to see an unprecedented ramping up of talent-procurement abil- ity, with breakthroughs in NIL, evidenced by the No. 1 recruit in the nation flipping schools to Michigan. Bryce Underwood is bringing plenty of other interested talent with him. Michigan also appears ready to attack the transfer portal with enthu- siasm unknown to mankind. So sure, this will hurt, but it's a one-off year and next season we rise again. Moore and his players answered through action. Why wait? The Buckeyes, not surprisingly, took the ball right down the field on their opening possession, moving from their own 29 to the Michigan 6. But the Wol- verines' defense stiffened, forcing OSU to settle for Jayden Fielding's 29-yard field goal to make it 3-0 nearly nine minutes into the game. The Wolverines fashioned a 72-yard drive of their own, but on fourth-and-1 at the OSU 3, Mullings got stopped cold, turning the ball back to the Buckeyes. That's when Michigan's defense really began to assert itself. On third-and-9, senior defensive back Aamir Hall picked off Howard, returning the interception from the Ohio State 13 down to the 2. Mullings took it from there, blasting over from a yard out to make it 7-3 with 12:37 left in the half. The Wolverines nailed down their only touchdown on the day on a 2-yard "drive," but the mere closeness of the game 17:23 into it sent a message. "First quarter, the fans were rowdy and loud, as we expected it to be," Stewart said. "We just stayed poised in the mo- ment, and we used their noise as fuel." Offensive fuel proved hard to come by, on both sides. Fielding missed a 38-yard field goal attempt, the first of his two misfires on the day. Zvada didn't miss on a 54-yard missile, making it 10-3 Wol- verines with 2:15 left in the half. "He's a man. … He's an absolute ani- mal," Moore said of Zvada. "He's just a great kicker, a great dude. He's been a great addition to the team. I hope we can keep him for another year. He might go to the NFL, but we'll try to keep them. We just have complete trust in him ev- ery kick. It never, never fazes him." Michigan defensive backs remained largely unfazed by the Buckeyes' All- America roster of receivers, but Smith's handsy handiwork produced Ohio State's only touchdown, capping a 75-yard drive for a score just 30 seconds before the half. At 10-10, the shock waves began to reverberate in The 'Shoe. Once again in this series, Michigan began to prove itself tough enough. "That's who we are," Moore said. "That's how we're built in the weight room, what we do on the field, our physicality, how we practice. That's just who Michigan is." It's who Michigan's defense was throughout a shutout second half. Throughout a third quarter played en- tirely on Michigan's side of the field, the defense stayed strong. Every time the Wolverines needed a bailout, de- fensive coordinator Wink Martindale's crew rose up. Paige blunted one OSU drive with an interception at the Michigan 9. After Michigan senior quarterback Davis War- ren tossed an interception of his own, the defense held and Fielding missed another field goal, this time from 34 yards out. Warren drove the Wolverines 77 yards to the OSU 3, setting U-M up for the touchdown to take a relatively com- manding lead, early in the fourth quarter. But Warren underthrew an open receiver in the end zone, and Jack Sawyer picked off the pass to keep the score deadlocked. "The interception at the goal line just can't happen," Warren said. "That's in- excusable by me, and they bailed me out. I'm just really proud of those guys. They did so much to win this game for us. I trust in them. Head coach Sherrone Moore credited the physicality and toughness of his team for Michigan's 13-10 win in The 'Shoe Nov. 30. The Wolverines' exceptional defensive effort was led by relentless defensive tackle Mason Graham (7 tackles, 5 solo stops). PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL