The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 23 thinking, 'Oh my gosh, you're Dono- van Edwards.' He's like, 'Hey, what's up, man!' He was super cool. Then it just hit me — he's my teammate. It's normal. He was super awesome. He was a big help with me getting adjusted. He's just a su- per great guy. If you ask anybody around here, Donovan is a great guy who will help anyone. That helped me feel more welcome when I got here." NEXT-LEVEL EVERYTHING Michigan Stadium itself furthered the this is my home vibe. Centennial Bank Stadium at Arkansas State holds 30,382, but Zvada estimates he never performed in front of more than 20,000 there. That changed suddenly, and dramati- cally. "I remember walking down the tun- nel, and you start to see the bleachers," Zvada said of his first encounter with The Big House. "They keep going up, and up, and up. I'm thinking when are these bleachers going to end? They fi- nally ended when we got outside, and I'm looking around. This is pretty crazy. You can't even imagine 110,000 people in this space. It was surreal to be in that stadium for the first time and see the people in the stands. That's something I'll never forget." He wasted no time making himself at home. Zvada showed off his range in the season opener against Fresno State, connecting from 45, 53 and 55 yards. He nailed a 52-yarder against Texas a week later and went on to slam through 7 field goals of 50 yards or more. That's three more than a Michigan kicker had ever recorded in a career. "I was just doing my job," Zvada down- played. "I'm glad the coaches trusted me to be able to go out there and do that. We pretty much got to the point that, if we were in a spot and it was fourth down, and it was deep, Coach Moore would look at me and I would give him the 'Yeah, I'm good to go,' or 'No, probably should get a couple more or punt it.' But usually it was, let's go out and get this thing — especially toward the end of the year, where I was riding with very high confidence. I felt like, no matter how I hit it, it was going to find a way to get in." Even in an 8-5 season that — unlike Zvada's field goals — fell short, there were no lack of highlights for a new- comer. He marveled at the spectacle as well as the showdowns. He keeps a framed im- age of his very first game as a Wolverine in his apartment, showing off Michigan Stadium in all of its nighttime glory. "It was super cool when they turned out the lights," Zvada marveled. "We had those maize-and-blue lights, too. I had a good game. It was something you never forget." He won't soon forget the warmth de- spite the chill in The Shoe, either, or the Crimson Tide drying up in the downpour at Michigan's bowl game. All in all, the magic of college football left Zvada feel- ing like he wanted another crack at it. "It was a fun run," Zvada insisted. "But a lot of people in this building would agree that it wasn't what we wanted, es- pecially coming off the year they had be- fore. You only get college football once. Once you leave, you don't get it back. I felt like I had a great season, and I'd done things individually I wanted to do, but I wasn't satisfied with the team achieve- ments I would have had, if I'd left. "Being able to come back for an- other year is great. Coach Moore and the whole staff have done a great job of reloading this lineup with great tal- ent, great teammates and great guys, for hopefully a great run. To be able to experience college traditions, play in that Maize Out game and The Game, go to East Lansing, experience differ- ent atmospheres, that's something you won't get in the NFL. It's different. Be- ing able to play college sports one more year is special to me, and that's ulti- mately what drove my decision." When you're Moore or Michigan of- fensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, that one more year looks extra special. "Any time you have one of the best kickers in the country — which I be- lieve he is — you're talking situational football," Lindsey said. "If we're in field goal range, we're going to be really smart with the ball. If we've got a shot to throw it in the end zone for a touch- down, great. If not, check the ball down to a back. Don't take a sack. Those are things you're trying to teach, especially to a couple of the young guys we've got in the room. "Dominic's impressive. He can really boom it. It's definitely something that goes into game plans. It's important for our players to understand that part of situational football. "I've been in places before where you've had to get a lot closer. You might go for it on fourth down. But he made seven field goals over 50 yards. It's unbelievable a n d c h a n ge s eve ry- thing. He's definitely a big part of our team." Zvada wants everything to be bigger in his final season. "Knowing that's what he thinks of me is super inspiring," Zvada said. "It builds my confidence and allows me to feel like they believe in me. "I don't want to let anyone down. I don't want to be the person he says that about, and then I go out there and prove him wrong. It really does push me in practice, just mentally to keep progress- ing and getting better. When we get to the games and have that opportunity where we're in range, he knows I have his back and can put points on the board when we need it." ❏ The Over-50 Club One season into his Michigan career, senior placekicker Dominic Zvada stands as the king of long-range Wolverine boomers. His 7 field goals of 50 yards or more in 2024 rocketed him to the top of the U-M career list. Here's a look at who's who among those hitting the deep threes. U-M Career Field Goals Of 50 Yards Or Longer Rk. Name (Years) No. 1. Dominic Zvada (2024-) 7 T2. Hayden Epstein (1998-01) 4 Quinn Nordin (2017-20) 4 Jake Moody (2018-22) 4 T5. Bob Bergeron (1981-84) 3 James Turner (2023) 3 T7. Mike Gillette (1985-88) 2 J.D. Carlson (1989-91) 2 Mike Lantry (1972-74) 2 Jay Feely (1995-98) 2 — John Borton ❱ Offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey "Dominic's impressive. He can really boom it. It's definitely something that goes into game plans."