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Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Amid initial offensive struggles, No. 20 Michigan grinds out win over Wisconsin, 24-10 ALINA LEVINE Daily Sports Editor
W
hen the No. 20 Michigan football team took the field Saturday, it knew its offense was bound to run into struggles. For a team that prides itself on a “smash” philosophy, the Wolverines found themselves toeto-toe with Wisconsin, a team that, entering the matchup, boasted the best run defense in the country. As expected, despite scoring on its first drive, Michigan’s offense ran cold for most of the first half of the game. Its possessions were marred by incomplete passes and promising drives that ultimately ended in punts. But thanks to a second-half offensive push, catalyzed by diverse third-quarter plays, the Wolverines (4-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) managed to churn out a win over the Badgers (2-3, 0-2), 24-10. When the Wolverines first took
the field, it looked like an entirely different ballgame than what ultimately shaped up to be a twotouchdown game. After Wisconsin running back Dilin Jones ran it into the end zone on the Badgers’ first drive for an early lead, Michigan retaliated almost immediately. Ripping off a 43-yard run into Badgers territory, junior running back Justice Haynes put the Wolverines within 5 yards of a touchdown on their respective first drive of the game. Moments later, Haynes broke right and weaved his way into the end zone to even the score. It seemed as though both teams were gearing up for an offensive showdown. What followed, however, was anything but. Michigan’s subsequent two drives, and Wisconsin’s next three, all ended in the same result: a punt. With the
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Wolverines’ run game stifled, freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood’s 4-for-7 completion tally midway through the second quarter simply wasn’t enough to generate any significant offensive momentum. The only points that Michigan managed to put up for the remainder of the half came from a 40-yard field goal scored by senior kicker Dominic Zvada. “They have a great defense,” Underwood said. “We try to lean on, of course, our run game and pass game, but we just went into the halftime saying ‘We’re gonna dominate no matter what we do.’ ” Indeed, despite a lackluster offensive display in the first half, the
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Wolverines still had plenty of time to try and take control of the game. And who better to galvanize the offense than Michigan’s No. 1 receiver, graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley. 5:14 left in the third quarter remained when Underwood scanned downfield, searching for a target. He suddenly spotted McCulley sprinting down the left sideline with a defender hot on his tail, and Underwood decided to spiral the ball toward him. Launching himself into the air, McCulley managed to snag the ball over the head of his defender, planting one foot in bounds for a successful 33-yard catch. It was at
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that moment when the Wolverines, invigorated by McCulley’s play, began to push back. And just one play later, McCulley caught a short pass up the middle and weaved through a maze of defenders for Michigan’s second touchdown of the game and the first of his career. “I was just hungry for the touchdown,” McCulley said. “That’s just what type of player I am. I want to get in that end zone.” For as much as McCulley was hungry for the end zone, the Wolverines were just as hungry for the victory. Sure, Michigan’s newfound seven-point lead wasn’t a comfortable one, but it was something. What followed in the remainder of the third quarter was a return to the tune of the start of the game: incompletions and punts. But with 12 minutes to go, Michigan once again found itself with the ball. And this time, the Wolverines’
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catalyst came in the form of Haynes. Two strong rushes from Haynes and a 25-yard catch by McCulley later, and Michigan once again found itself on the doorstep of the Badgers’ end zone. Driving forward through the dogpile, Haynes successfully bulldozed his way into the end zone for his second and the Wolverines’ final touchdown of the game. Against Wisconsin, Michigan’s offense failed to deliver the performance it had hoped for. In the early stages of the game, the Wolverines’ typical run game was snuffed out, and their passing game lacked the necessary rhythm to compensate. But thanks to sporadic bursts of effective play in the second half, Michigan’s offense did just enough to outpace Wisconsin.
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