No. 19 Michigan gets a chance to keep things simple on Saturday.
After surviving a controversial “Hail Mary” finish against Western Michigan and then grinding out a 17-10 win over then-No. 11 Oklahoma, the Wolverines return to Ann Arbor for their final nonconference game against UTEP. Compared with the first two weeks, this one should be a much quieter test.
The biggest reason Michigan is back in the AP Top 25 at No. 19 is the same reason it beat Oklahoma: defense. The Wolverines held the Sooners to 3-for-13 on third down, stuffed their only fourth-down try and forced both turnovers in the game. Through two contests, Michigan has allowed just one touchdown in eight quarters and still hasn’t given up a red-zone touchdown.
First-year coach Kyle Whittingham said the Oklahoma win mattered in the locker room.
"It does a lot, especially for the players and the buy-in of what we're preaching as coaches -- that if they buy in and do what's asked of them, then good things will happen," Whittingham said. "There's no guarantee, but the percentages that good things will happen are much higher. We're 2-0, and we've got a lot of football ahead of us, obviously, but right now the vibe in the building is pretty good."
Offensively, Michigan has not been nearly as sharp, but Bryce Underwood’s legs have become a clear part of the equation. The quarterback ran 18 times for 87 yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma, and Whittingham said that element isn’t going anywhere.
"The QB run game is always going to be a part of what we're doing," Whittingham said. "We can't go too crazy with it because there's a finite amount of times you can carry the ball and you put yourself in harm's way too much, then something will happen that's not good.
But (Underwood) definitely had a huge impact on this past game, and he's a very good runner. We plan to continue to utilize that in some capacity pretty much every week."
UTEP arrives at 1-1 after getting hammered 51-0 by Oklahoma in its opener and then responding with a 51-10 win over Texas Southern. Quarterback EJ Colson Jr. threw four touchdown passes and added another score on the ground in the victory, though he was limited to 52 passing yards against Oklahoma.
Coach Scotty Walden liked the response from his team.
"They played ticked off and that's what I liked," Walden said. "Against Oklahoma in the red zone we couldn't finish drives. (Against Texas Southern), we were able to finish drives."
Raymond Moore III has also taken snaps at quarterback as a running threat and leads the Miners with 142 rushing yards, including a 79-yard run against Texas Southern. Tavorus Jones is averaging 6.1 yards per carry, and Northern Colorado transfer Carver Cheeks tops the receiving group with five catches.
Michigan and UTEP have never met before. The Miners’ last game against a Big Ten opponent came in 2024, when they opened the season with a 40-7 loss at Nebraska.
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Marquis Ray has already made himself a familiar face around Michigan Stadium this fall, checking out both home games and keeping the Wolverines firmly in the mix as his recruitment heads toward the winter. The Saline standout has an offer from the program and, just as importantly, the kind of local and family connection that usually gives Michigan a real edge with top in-state prospects.
Rays ties to the Wolverines run through his father, Marcus Ray, and he has been building a relationship with Michigans coaching staff since landing that offer in June. But the recruiting picture is still crowded, with Kentucky, Illinois and Pitt also in the mix, and the longer this one stretches out, the more pressure Michigan will feel to keep one of its most important legacy targets close to home. [Read more 🡒]
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Cason was back in Ann Arbor recently to get his championship rings, a reminder that he was part of a season Michigan fans will never forget even if his own role ended earlier than anyone hoped. His return also reopened the conversation around what might have been, and why his departure still resonates with Wolverines supporters who watched a promising young guard leave just as the program was trying to carry its momentum forward into another season. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Is Chasing A Defensive Fit Fans Will Want To Track
Michigan has added another name to its defensive board in Javontae Eldridge, a multi-sport athlete whose frame and movement skills make him an easy projection for college coaches looking for upside. At about 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, he brings the kind of length and explosiveness that can stand out quickly in recruiting evaluations, especially for a program that values pass-rush traits and players who can grow into multiple jobs on defense.
The Wolverines staff appears to see Eldridge as more than just a one-position target. His quick first step, ability to work with long arms and versatility in a defensive scheme give him a profile worth monitoring, and the effort he shows on the field only adds to the appeal. For Michigan, the offer signals interest in a player with a high ceiling, and it will be worth watching how strongly the fit develops from here. [Read more 🡒]