The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 35 two plays later that put Michigan ahead 17-10 with under eight minutes to go. "We were able to come away with 2 takeaways on defense," Whittingham noted. "We'd like 3 or 4, but 2's a good start. We were able to protect the ball on offense and have 0 giveaways. We were plus-2 [in turnover margin] and if we're plus-2, there's greater than a 90 percent chance to win the game." Michigan allowed 73 yards on UTEP's opening drive, which ended in a touch- down. The Wolverines then gave up a scoring pass right after the offense lost a fumble, putting the Miners up 14-7 in the second quarter. But the group turned up the heat after that and saw UTEP tally only 73 yards after the first possession, go three-and-out four straight times and throw a pick-six to Lea'ea on a screen pass. DOMINANT DEFENSIVE FRONT The pass rush was relentless against the Sooners, making Mateer jittery and uncomfortable for essentially all but one drive, the only OU touchdown march of the game, which came in the third quar- ter. Mateer was under pressure on 41.5 percent of his dropbacks, going 4-of-11 for 20 yards in those situations. He was feeling the heat from the get-go, starting with a third-down sack by senior defen- sive end John Henry Daley on the first possession of the game. Mateer com- pleted only 52 percent of his passes and averaged 5.7 yards per attempt. Michigan's defensive front has been menacing getting after opposing quar- terbacks. The Wolverines notched 10 sacks through three games, which tied for 10th in the country, and led the na- tion with a 52.3 percent pressure rate ac- cording to Sports Info Solutions. Daley (2.5), junior Dom Nichols (2) and sophomore Nate Marshall (2) all have multiple sacks. Marshall's first solo sack of his career came on the final play of the Oklahoma game, sealing the deal in front of a raucous crowd. "It felt surreal," Marshall said. The Wolverines are very real on the defensive line, a position group that the staff identified as a potential strength heading into the season. But Daley, com- ing off an Achilles injury sustained while he was at Utah last November, and others actually showing it to date is a positive development. "He's been a great addition to this football team, and he was the Tasmanian Devil out there on Saturday," head coach Kyle Whittingham said of the Oklahoma game. "He was just nonstop, and that's his game. "He's got a motor that never quits, and he's relentless and physical. The fans re- ally got a taste of what the 'Vanilla Gorilla' is all about." The linebacking corps was a question mark coming into the season — not be- cause it lacked talent but due to the lack of experience. However, that group has been a pleasant surprise, with a ton of bodies rotating in, including Bowles, graduate Nathaniel Staehling, graduate Aisea Moa and sophomores Chase Taylor and Na- thaniel Owusu-Boateng. Bowles, espe- cially, has shined, leading the team with 25 tackles, including 3 for loss. "They've been working their butts off since spring, and the talent in the room was very apparent when I first got here. It was a loaded room, and there were a lot of opportunities for young guys coming in," position coach Alex Whittingham said. "It's been a good start." The Wolverines have shut down the run, ranking 30th in the country while holding opponents to 96.3 yards per game. LOCKDOWN COVERAGE The pass rush helps, but the coverage on the back end has been stellar, too, led by veteran cornerbacks graduate Zeke Berry, senior Smith Snowden and Hill. Graduate safety Rod Moore is healthy again after playing in only three games last season, and junior position mate Chris Bracy has been a pleasant surprise after transferring in from Memphis. "That's the great thing about this de- fense and this team," Daley said. "We've got playmakers up and down the board. I know they're going to hold it down on the back end. I have that trust in them, and they have the trust in us up front." "Those secondary guys are playing well," Whittingham added. The Maize and Blue allowed only 123.7 passing yards per game through the UTEP contest, good for eighth in the country. PFF charts each time a specific player is targeted in coverage, and Michigan's starting corners, in particular, have been outstanding. • Snowden: 5 receptions for 14 yards on 11 targets • Berry: 4 receptions for 43 yards and 1 touchdown on 5 targets • Hill: 2 receptions for minus-3 yards on 4 targets. The 3 touchdowns the Wolverines have allowed came on blown coverages, so there are certainly areas to clean up, but it's been lights out for the most part. Bracy has provided big hit after big hit in the run game and on receivers after they catch it, and Moore has worn the green dot helmet, meaning he gets the play call from the coordinator and disseminates it to the rest of the defense. ❏ Early Defensive Accolades STRONGEST POSITION GROUP: Defensive Line — Michigan is legitimately seven deep at end and five deep at tackle, allowing the front line to come after opponents in waves. The Wolverines rank ninth nationally with 25 tackles for loss, including 11 against UTEP, the most Michigan has had in a game since a victory over Colorado State on Sept. 3, 2022. MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER: Senior defensive end John Henry Daley — Having a dominant pass rusher tilts the field in the defense's favor, and Daley is exactly that. He's still shaking off some rust from his injury but is showing why he was a first-team All-American last season, recording 14 tackles, 4 TFL and 2.5 sacks through three games. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Junior defensive end Dom Nichols — A backup last season, Nichols had 1 career sack before the opener against Western Michigan, when he went off for 1.5 sacks and 2.5 TFL. He leads the team with 11 pressures on the year. IMPACT NEWCOMER: Senior cornerback Smith Snowden — Starting at outside corner but fill- ing in at nickel while Berry was out against UTEP, the Utah transfer has been extremely sticky in coverage, hardly allowing receivers to get any separation. Daley is the best newcomer, but since we gave him most important player, we'll ride with Snowden here, with Bracy as the next man up. POSITION THAT NEEDS THE MOST IMPROVEMENT: Secondary — Michigan's secondary has played well, but there have been three blown coverages for touchdowns. The Wolverines are going to give up yards and points throughout the Big Ten season, but a big key will be cleaning up those missed assignments so nothing comes easy for the opposing offense.