Michigan’s Thursday availability report brought no new surprises ahead of Saturday’s matchup with No. 6 Indiana.
The Wolverines’ second injury update of the week was identical to Wednesday’s, with every player holding the same designation. Under Big Ten rules, Michigan will continue to issue reports Wednesday through Saturday morning before kickoff.
Among the players listed OUT are offensive tackle Andrew Sprague, wide receiver Kendrick Bell, tight end Mason Bonner, wide receiver Braydon Alford, running back Micah Ka'apana, defensive end Julius Holly and offensive lineman Ace Hamilton. Sprague is the only one in that group who has started a game this season or was in position to compete for a starting job before the year began.
Michigan’s QUESTIONABLE group includes safety Rod Moore, edge Dom Nichols, defensive tackle Enow Etta, center Jake Guarnera, guard Brady Norton, offensive lineman Blake Frazier and linebacker Aisea Moa. Moa is the only player in that category who has not started multiple games this season, and he sits as Michigan’s No. 4 linebacker. The others are all players the Wolverines would count on in Saturday’s game plan.
The lone player listed as PROBABLE is offensive tackle Andrew Babalola. Michigan had projected Babalola as its starting left tackle before fall camp, but he has yet to play this season after also missing all of last year because of injury.
Moore is the headline name to keep watching. The fourth-year starter and third-year captain made a huge play in Michigan’s win over Penn State last week, picking off a pass that helped set up a touchdown in the Wolverines’ 21-18 victory. He later returned to the sideline, but he did not get back into the game.
Afterward, Kyle Whittingham said x-rays came back negative and Moore is not expected to miss much time, if any.
"He should be all right," Whittingham said. "It's something minor, and we'll see how it responds.
We'll know a lot more tomorrow. But x-rays were good, and so we think he's going to be okay."
He added at his press conference: "It's nothing major. Now I'll say, okay, will he be ready for the next game? That's debatable, but it's nothing that's long-term."
Guarnera and Nichols spent all of last week listed as questionable before ultimately playing starter snaps. Norton sat out last week, while Frazier has dealt with injury-related missed snaps this season.
The offensive line remains the position group most affected by Michigan’s injuries, with Norton, Frazier, Sprague and Guarnera all on the report. Babalola’s possible return, though, would give the Wolverines another option.
"We hope so," Whittingham said. "That gives us a little more flexibility.
Although he was available, he was not quite ready, in our opinion, to jump in yet. He'd only had that week of practice.
But getting that week of practice under his belt was big. Going forward, we're going to try to start integrating him in whatever is the best situation.
"Left tackle is where he really feels the most comfortable. We'll see.
Jim Harding is obviously going to make that call, and we'll see what direction that goes. But, yeah, we're down a few linemen, and to get him back and available is going to be big for us."
In Other News...
Urban Meyer Sees One Important Thing In Michigan's QB Switch
Michigans halftime quarterback switch against Penn State drew immediate attention, but the larger issue was less about one player sitting and more about how the offense could keep moving. Bryce Underwood gave way to Tommy Carr after the first half as the unit struggled to find its rhythm, and Urban Meyer pointed to a key part of making that kind of change work in the middle of a game: having a backup whose skill set is close enough to keep the same playbook in place.
Carr gave the Wolverines some of that continuity once he took over, with the offense leaning on RPOs, quarterback counters and a speed option touchdown in the second half. For a team trying to steady itself on the fly, the fact that the game plan did not need to be reinvented made the switch easier to absorb, even if the bigger question around the position is still far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
Roddy Gayle Jr. Gives Michigan A Needed Boost At The Right Time
Roddy Gayle Jr. is set to give Michigan a timely boost, with a temporary restraining order clearing him to return in the upcoming exhibition against Houston. For a program still sorting out its next look under the new seasons spotlight, getting an experienced guard back on the floor is the kind of development that can help settle things quickly.
Mike Boynton didnt hide his excitement about the return, pointing to Gayles experience and skill as reasons the Wolverines stand to benefit right away. Gayle, meanwhile, said he leaned on support from teammates and peers as he made the decision to come back to college basketball, a reminder that the path back has been about more than just one ruling. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's Defensive Front Has A Huge Chance To Flip Indiana Game
Michigans defensive front is staring at one of those games where it can shape the whole afternoon, and Larry Black knows the matchup from both sides. The Wolverines defensive tackles coach once played at Indiana, and he still remembers the 2010 meeting in which he lined up against his brother, Jibreel Black, who was then at Michigan. It gives this weeks trip an extra layer of familiarity, even as the focus remains on a game that pits two programs with different strengths and plenty on the line.
For Michigan, the front sevens ability to control Indianas offense could be the key to tilting the field. Kyle Whittingham has stressed the importance of turnover margin, and that makes every pressure, tip, and takeaway feel bigger than the down in front of it. Black sounds eager for the chance to help decide the game from the defensive side, and with his background in Bloomington, he brings a little more edge to what should already be a physical matchup. [Read more 🡒]