The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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16 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2026 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS 18 Plays of 10-plus yards for Michi- gan football in the first two games, ranking tied for 128th in the country and last in the Big Ten. The Wolverines have expressed a desire to get more chunk plays down the field with players like junior run- ning back JORDAN MARSHALL. 1-2 Is Michigan's all-time record against Oklahoma, winning for the first time in a 17-10 game against the then-No. 11 Sooners Sept. 12 in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines lost 14-6 in the 1976 Orange Bowl on New Year's Day and 24-13 last Sep- tember in Norman. 2 Seed is where ESPN analyst Joe Lu- nardi slotted Michigan basketball in his early Bracketology released Sept. 15, with a hypothetical matchup against No. 15 seed Austin Peay in the first round and the win- ner to take on either No. 7 Miami or No. 10 Providence/Iowa. 3 Tackles for loss versus Oklahoma for senior defensive end John Henry Daley, a half-TFL shy of his career high, which came in 2025 as a member of the Utah Utes against Kansas State. Daley had a sack on the first third down of the game and also tipped a screen pass to force an incom- pletion. As a result, Daley earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. 10th Is where Michigan basketball checked in on ESPN's list of the teams that will be impacted by upcoming eligibility decisions, with the Wolverines waiting on conclusions of lawsuits for guards Roddy Gayle Jr. and Kenny No- land. Writers Myron Medcalf and Jeff Borzello tabbed Michigan's "best-case scenario" as a top- 25 team with NCAA Tour- nament second weekend potential and "worst-case scenario" as a borderline top-25 team. 1 To u c h d o w n a l l o w e d i n the first two games of the season by the Michigan defense, a 22-yard passing score by Oklahoma in Week 2. Through the first two weeks of the season, helped by senior defensive back S M I T H SNOWDEN'S 7 solo tackles, U-M was one of only 13 teams that had only given up 1 touchdown, joined by Penn State, South Carolina, Kansas State, Virginia, Iowa, Miami (Fla.), North Caro- lina, Notre Dame, Indiana, James Madison, Georgia Southern and Northwestern (only played one game). BY THE NUMBERS BY CLAYTON SAYFIE 13th Of February at Crisler Cen- ter in Ann Arbor will be the first meeting of the season between Michigan basketball and in-state foe Michigan State, with the return game set for Feb. 26 at the Jack Breslin Stu- dent Events Center in East Lansing. 20 Penalties for Michigan in the first two games, ranking tied for 128th in the country and last in the Big Ten with UCLA. Head coach Kyle Whittingham has circled too many flags as an area to improve. 83.4 Overall PFF grade for sophomore wide receiver JJ Buchanan through two weeks, making him the Wol- verines' highest-rated offensive player. Junior defensive end Dom Nichols led the defense at 90.3. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL