The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 33 And a nice showing at Nebraska, too, including a 37-yard score on a beautifully designed draw play. The goal during the bye week is to get the receivers to elevate their play. That and the offensive line were the two con- cerns heading into this season, and ques- tions remain after a win at Nebraska in which receivers dropped at least four more passes. For the season, starters Semaj Morgan and Channing Goodwin had 4 drops apiece (tied for second-most nationally), and the team had 11 total drops through four games, including some costly ones. There's an argument to be made that Underwood's lower efficiency ranking has more to do with leaky pass protection versus Oklahoma and pass catchers with butterfingers than his own play. "We had some drops, some key drops, but he made some excellent throws," Poggi said after the win in Lincoln. "He had some excellent runs. "The thing you don't see is his poise and leadership in the huddle and on the sideline, and I'm not exaggerating. There was not a doubt in anyone's mind on our sideline at any point that we weren't win- ning that game, and he was a big part of that." And a huge part of the Michigan pass- ing game's improvement, which figures to continue throughout the year. Under- wood had completed 58 of 102 passes for 733 yards. His leading receivers were Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley (13 catches, 197 yards), Goodwin (7 for 112), Morgan (11 for 143, 1 TD) and senior tight end Marlin Klein (9 for 122 and 1 TD in three games). Drops, though, impeded the progress here, and improvement could determine the offense's ceiling. "It's consistency, being a hands catcher," Moore said. "We're really harp- ing on that. It's an emphasis [during the bye week] on not allowing the ball to con- nect to your body. "In coaching, you hear it all the time — 'Catch the ball … catch the ball.' What does catch the ball mean? You've got to teach people how to catch the ball, whether it's seeing the ball to the top, or whether it's catching away from your body." On a positive note, there's been more separation from this group this year, and they have a guy who can get it to them when they're open. RUNNING GAME TAKES A STEP FORWARD The ground game, meanwhile, has been outstanding, and Alabama trans- fer Justice Haynes is the biggest rea- son why. Expected to split carries with sophomore Jordan Marshall this year, Haynes has emerged as one of the na- tion's best backs a third of the way into the season. The junior ranked No. 3 na- tionally through four games with 537 yards rushing, averaging a whopping 8.1 yards per carry. In addition, he had run for a 50-plus yard touchdown in three of four games and had a 70-yarder called back for a fourth against Central Michigan in prov- ing his home-run ability. "He's the first running back in Michi- gan football history to rush for over 100 yards in his first four games. He has ex- ceeded my expectations, well beyond," Moore said. "He exceeded it in the spring. In spring ball, he would break big runs, and no one would catch him. I remem- ber [running backs coach] Tony [Alford] asking me, 'Do you think he's that fast?' I was like, 'He's not getting caught.' "It didn't happen in training camp. He never got caught. And things that happen in practice become reality. He's just been spectacular." Credit the offensive line here, too, for its improvement despite rotating play- ers in and out due to injury. Starting left guard Giovanni El-Hadi left midway through the Oklahoma loss with a leg in- jury and missed the CMU and Nebraska games, while right guard Brady Norton also went down. Redshirt freshman Jake Guarnera replaced Norton, while junior Nathan Efobi switched to left guard, and grad center Greg Crippen rebounded from a tough outing at Oklahoma with his "best game" at Nebraska, making key blocks on each of U-M's three long touchdown runs in the win. Inside and outside zone plays, mean- while, have been responsible for a lot of the big runs and really seem to fit the per- sonnel. "We've run it here a little bit, but it hasn't been a major staple of what we've done," Moore said. "But that doesn't mean you can't always do it. That's a great example of a change, and we started to do that when [coordinator] Chip [Lindsey] got here because he had comfort with it and familiarity with it." Expect more of it in the weeks to come. ❏ Early Accolades On Offense STRONGEST POSITION GROUP: Running Backs. Justice Haynes has been the workhorse here — "And he wants to be better. He wants to continue to get better, and he's not satisfied," coach Sherrone Moore said after his back became the first in Michigan history to run for 100-plus yards in his first four starts. Jordan Marshall has come on, too. The sophomore ran for 80 yards on 6 carries with a 54-yard touchdown at Nebraska and iced the game with two late runs for first downs. MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER: QB Bryce Underwood. As we saw last year, the quarterback position is almost everything. The freshman hasn't put up gaudy numbers, but his threat to run and pass and his ability to get the ball where it needs to be on a dime opens up the entire offense. They will be some- what careful with him given the drop-off behind him, but they've let him loose. There's no turning back. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: TE Marlin Klein. Some wondered if the tight end group would take a huge step backward with Colston Loveland moving on, but Klein has picked it up. He'd hauled in 9 passes for 122 yards in three games, missing the Oklahoma game with an ankle injury, and that in- cluded 6 catches for 93 yards and a touchdown in the opener, a win over New Mexico. He's long and fast and has taken steps to become as good a football player as he is an athlete. IMPACT NEWCOMER: RB Justice Haynes. This one is clear and obvious. The Alabama transfer was a "nice player" but not the first option in Tuscaloosa, per the Crimson Tide media we spoke with in the offseason. We're guessing they'd walk that back after Haynes' incredible start (537 yards, 6 touchdowns). Haynes, in fact, has entered the Heisman Trophy conversation through four games and is one of the most explosive backs we've seen in a Michigan uniform. POSITION THAT NEEDS THE MOST IMPROVEMENT: Wide receivers. The offensive line needs strengthening, too, and was overwhelmed in the biggest game of the year, a 24-13 loss at Oklahoma. The receivers, though, just haven't made the impact U-M needs, having dropped 11 passes. Klein has helped here and sophomore tight end Hogan Hansen, too, in the few reps he's received since returning from an offseason injury. But this group needs to improve in a hurry. — Chris Balas