The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540586
❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS NUMBERS AND QUOTES BY CLAYTON SAYFIE It reaffirmed everything. He knows the program is going in the right direction. Coach [Sherrone Moore has something really special going on. His coaches and support staff believe in Michigan. They breathe Michigan football. It's really comforting to see that. It reaffirms that he's making the right choice." — Orlando Vallejo, the father of Michigan defensive line commit Alister Vallejo, on their recent visit Hiter could very well finish No. 1 by the end of the year. Yes, I know that running backs don't often get that kind of love, but what Hiter is doing as a senior is unprecedented. He averaged more than 30 yards per carry in his game over the week- end, had more than 300 yards in his first game and literally has opposing teams bleeding every second of the clock to keep him off the field. I'm not sure I've seen quite a season like this from any player regardless of position. Combine that with his elite speed, power and vision, and you have the most dangerous high school recruit in the nation." — The Wolverine's EJ Holland on why Michigan running back commit Savion Hiter could finish as the No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class "Coach [Dusty] May coming to Michi- gan and implementing his style of basketball changed my life. It changed the trajectory of my collegiate career and al- lowed me to feel comfortable playing the style of play that I love to play." — Graduate student guard Nimari Burnett to Big Ten Network We've got to go back to work. That's the reason I have the blue-collar jacket on today. It's 'We've got to go back to work right now.' There's no pouting. There's no worry about it. There's no making excuses for it. That's all we've got to do. And that's all I know. And that's what we're going to do right now." — Head coach Sherrone Moore coming off the loss to USC 17th In the nation is where the MICHIGAN DEFENSE ranked in ESPN's defensive stop rate (72.0 per- cent) entering Week 9. The Wolverines were allowing 1.59 points per drive. For comparison, they finished the 2024 campaign 35th in the country (66.7 percent stop rate), yielding 1.77 points per possession. 6.62 Yards per play for the Michigan offense through seven games, tied for 23rd in the FBS. However, the Wolverines were tied for 60th in scoring at 28.7 points per out- ing, with a constant theme being failing to sustain drives and execute in the red zone. U-M was tied for 69th in red zone touchdown percentage (62.5). 4.6 Million Average viewers for Michigan's 24-10 win over Wisconsin Oct. 4, making it the third-most-watched contest that day and most-viewed noon game of the week in college football. 5 Consecutive 100-plus- yard rushing games for junior running back JUSTICE HAYNES to begin the season. That streak was snapped in the 31-13 loss at USC Oct. 11. Haynes, w h o l ef t t h e ga m e with an injury midway through the second quarter, finished with 51 yards on 10 attempts against the Trojans. He did not play against Washington the fol- lowing week. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL 16 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2025