Michigan gets another shot at its first Big Ten win of the season Saturday, and the setting could hardly be more familiar: Penn State coming to the Big House for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines have handled this series well lately. Michigan owns a 17-10 edge all-time against Penn State, has taken the last three meetings, and is 9-4 against the Nittany Lions at Michigan Stadium. This will be the 14th time the teams have met at the Big House.
Homecoming has also been a comfortable stage for Michigan for a long time. The Wolverines have won 13 straight Homecoming games and 49 of their last 56 dating to 1968. Bo Schembechler, of course, went 21-0 in Homecoming games.
The backbone of this team has been the defense, and the numbers are loud. Michigan ranks third nationally in total defense at 241.4 yards allowed per game and fifth in passing defense at 146.8 yards per game. Through five games, the Wolverines are giving up 15.8 points per contest, good for 20th nationally, and no opponent has reached more than 14 points in a half against them.
Against the run, Michigan has been just as stingy, allowing 94.6 yards per game, which ranks 17th nationally. Minnesota is the only team to score a rushing touchdown against the Wolverines this season.
Troy Bowles leads the defense with 40 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. Dominic Nichols tops the team with five tackles for loss, while John Henry Daley has a team-high three sacks.
Michigan’s defense has also found the end zone twice on interceptions. Jonah Lea’ea returned a pick nine yards for a touchdown against UTEP, the shortest interception return for a score in program history, and Nathaniel Staehling took one 79 yards to the house against Minnesota, the longest road pick-six in program history.
In all, Michigan has forced five turnovers, four of them interceptions.
On offense, the Wolverines have shown they can win in more than one way. They’ve had at least one scoring drive of 10 plays or more in four of five games, and they’ve also produced at least one scoring drive of six plays or fewer in every game.
Bryce Underwood has thrown five touchdown passes this season. He turned in a career-high 276 passing yards and two touchdowns against Iowa, and he has added 242 rushing yards on 49 carries in 2026.
JJ Buchanan has become one of the team’s biggest weapons, leading Michigan with 446 receiving yards and four touchdown catches. He has already posted two 100-yard games, including a 130-yard performance against Iowa.
Andrew Marsh has been another steady deep threat, going over 100 receiving yards against UTEP and Iowa. Together, Buchanan and Marsh have accounted for four 100-yard receiving games this season.
Jordan Marshall leads the Wolverines with three rushing touchdowns. Six different Michigan players have scored touchdowns this year, including three rushing scorers and three receiving scorers.
Up front, the offensive line keeps taking steps forward. Evan Link, Andrew Sprague, Jake Guarnera, and Blake Frazier have each made at least 13 career starts, and the unit has allowed 3.8 negative plays per game on average.
Special teams have done their part, too. Trey Butkowski is a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals, with makes from 40 yards against Oklahoma, 49 yards against UTEP, and 41 yards against Iowa.
He leads Michigan with 25 points. Cameron Brown is averaging 43.3 yards per punt and has put 11 of his 24 punts inside the opponent’s 20.
Jacob Baggett has recorded 15 touchbacks on 22 kickoffs.
Michigan has also leaned on a wave of newcomers. Seven Wolverines have made their first collegiate starts this season: Jalen Hoffman and Eli Owens at tight end, Bowles and Chase Taylor at linebacker, Nichols at defensive end, Shamari Earls at cornerback, Salesi Moa at wide receiver, and Avery Gach on the offensive line.
That youth has been part of a season that’s felt tight from the jump. Four of Michigan’s five games have been decided in the final minute.
Now the task is simple enough to say and hard enough to do: protect the home field, keep the defense rolling, and finally bank that first Big Ten win.
In Other News...
Michigan Fans Are Stuck Waiting On The Team's Biggest Indiana Decision
Michigan has already made its quarterback call for Indiana, but fans will have to wait a little longer to hear it from Kyle Whittingham. After Tommy Carr helped steady the offense in relief against Penn State, leading touchdown drives and protecting the ball, the conversation around the position has only gotten louder, especially with Bryce Underwood coming off a rough outing that included two interceptions.
Whittingham declined to reveal the starter, leaving the most important question for Saturday still hanging over the week. The decision could shape how Michigan approaches Indiana, and there is at least some intrigue around whether the Wolverines lean on the hot hand, try to get Underwood back on track, or use both in some capacity. For now, the plan is in place, even if the public part of it is still being kept under wraps. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Should Watch Utah's QB Decision Before Indiana Closely
Utah still has a quarterback decision hanging over its upcoming matchup with Indiana, and Kyle Whittingham didnt tip his hand when he met with reporters this week. He said a plan is in place, but he stopped short of naming a starter, leaving the Hoosiers to prepare without knowing exactly who will be under center.
Whittingham did sound encouraged by what he has seen elsewhere on offense, pointing to the Utes recent rushing production and the play of the offensive line. He also singled out the contributions and availability of several individual players, a reminder that the quarterback situation is only part of the picture as Utah works through the final stages of game prep. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Penn State Win Raised A Massive QB Question
Michigans 21-18 win over Penn State came with a notable halftime tweak, and it changed the feel of the offense almost immediately. After the Wolverines were blanked in the first half, head coach Kyle Whittingham turned to true freshman Tommy Carr in place of starter Bryce Underwood, and Michigan responded by putting up all of its points after the break.
Carrs line was modest on paper, but it was enough to give the offense some rhythm, with 5 completions on 7 attempts for 47 yards, plus 36 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. The result leaves Michigan with a bigger conversation at quarterback than it had going into the game, especially with a road win in a tight conference game showing how quickly the depth chart can become a moving target. [Read more 🡒]