The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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28 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2025 ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Five Best Players 1. Junior defensive tackle Mason Graham The 6-foot-3, 320-pound Graham was incred- ible in Michigan's 13-10 win over Ohio State Nov. 30, per usual, with 7 tackles (5 solo). Here were the Ohio State gains on his tackles: 0, 1, 2, 2, 1, 3 and 0 yards. That helped the Maize and Blue completely take away the Buckeyes' run game, with head coach Ryan Day's crew amassing only 77 yards (3.0 per carry) on the ground. Graham, who declared for the NFL Draft after three sea- sons in Ann Arbor, also totaled 2 tackles against Northwestern. 2. Graduate running back Kalel Mullings The 6-foot-2, 233-pounder registered only 64 rushing yards in three games leading into the last two tilts of the regular season. He surged to round out the slate, though, rushing 12 times for 92 yards and a career-high 3 touchdowns in a 50-6 win over Northwestern Nov. 23, before car- rying the team in key stretches of the victory over the Buckeyes. Mullings recorded 32 rushes for 116 yards and the team's only touchdown, with 103 of his yards coming after contact. 3. Junior kicker Dominic Zvada Zvada holds Michigan's career record for field goals of 50-plus yards. Of his 7 so far, 2 of them came in the final two regular-season clashes. He nailed a 56-yarder against Northwestern, and then drilled a 54-yarder to give the Wolverines a 10-3 edge at Ohio State. Given that it was such a low-scoring game, his big boot proved crucial. Zvada also made a game-winning, 21- yarder with 45 seconds left. 4. Graduate cornerback Aamir Hall A Richmond and Albany transfer, Hall had started just two games at the Power Four level until this stretch. He opened tilts against North- western and Ohio State, and played his best football of the season. Hall had an interception against the Wildcats — his first in a winged hel- met — and then picked off Ohio State quarter- back Will Howard along the sideline in the second quarter. He intercepted the ball at the 13-yard line and returned it 11 yards, setting up a 1-yard touchdown rush for Mullings two plays later. That got Michigan out to a 7-3 lead, and the Wolver- ines never trailed from that point forward. 5. Junior defensive tackle Kenneth Grant Michigan made Howard uncomfortable on 50 percent of his drop-backs, and Grant was responsi- ble for 5 of the 17 pressures, according to PFF. The Wolverines continuously collapsed the pocket from the interior on pass plays, all while stopping the run without loading the box. Michigan threaded that needle perfectly — limiting big plays and not allow- ing Ohio State to get anything going up the middle. Grant made 4 tackles in that one, after notching 3 stops with 2 pressures versus Northwestern. Key Moment Michigan was trying to churn as much clock as possible before kicking the game-winning field goal in a 13-10 win over Ohio State Nov. 30. The Wolverines kept the ball on the ground on second- and-7, gaining 5 yards. Ohio State used its second- to-last timeout with 1:55 remaining, but out of the huddle the Buckeyes had 12 men on the field — a 5-yard penalty that moved the chains for Michi- gan. That allowed there to be only 45 seconds left after Zvada's game-winning field goal, and the defense forced a four-and-out to notch the victory. For the fourth straight season, "The Game" against Ohio State ended with a Michigan quarterback kneeling the ball down in victory formation. Best Highlight A run for the ages. Mullings put the team on his back (while dragging Buckeyes) on a third-and-6 rush with just over three minutes to play from the Ohio State 44-yard line. If he didn't pick up the first, Michigan may have been going for it or kicking a long field goal. But Mullings wouldn't be denied, even if it looked like the Buckeyes had him dead to rights in the backfield. He didn't just break arm tackles and keep his balance, though, he found a lane down the numbers on the right side of the field to pick up 27 yards. That let the Wolverines bleed the clock and seal the game. Bold Prediction Since several Michigan starters heading to the NFL won't play in the Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl, there will be some underclassmen who get in- creased opportunities to show out, and we'll say a slew of them will make big plays. Freshmen such as cornerback Jo'Ziah Edmond, safety Mason Curtis, edge Dominic Nichols and running back Jordan Marshall have all impressed behind the scenes. Meanwhile, sophomores Enow Etta and Trey Pierce have earned playing time on the inte- rior of the defensive line, while Brandyn Hillman has made some impact plays in the secondary. — Clayton Sayfie Superlatives For Michigan's Two Games From Nov. 23 To Nov. 30 Junior defensive lineman Kenneth Grant was responsible for 5 of the 17 quarterback pressures the U-M defense had in the win against Ohio State Nov. 30. He also finished with 4 tackles against the Buckeyes. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL