ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Back inside “The Big House” after a tough 24–13 road loss to No. 13 Oklahoma, the Michigan Wolverines returned to form with a commanding 63–3 win over in-state rival Central Michigan on Saturday. Despite missing head coach Sherrone Moore—serving the first of a three-game suspension tied to the NCAA’s sign-stealing investigation—the Wolverines didn’t miss a beat under interim coach Biff Poggi.
From the opening kickoff, Michigan (2–1) imposed its will. The offense set the tone immediately, orchestrating a 10-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown from running back Justice Haynes. The Wolverines followed that up with a 6-play, 59-yard drive, highlighted by a 32-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood to Semaj Morgan to take an early 14–0 lead.
In the second quarter, Underwood scrambled for a 20-yard touchdown, extending the margin to 21–0. Minutes later, following a fourth-down stop by the defense, it took just two plays for Michigan to strike again—this time on a 23-yard jet sweep from wide receiver Andrew Marsh to go up 28–0.
Central Michigan (1–2) tried to respond after Brenden Deasfernandes intercepted Underwood midway through the second quarter. The Chippewas made a quarterback change, bringing in Angel Flores for Joe Labas. Flores led an efficient 14-play, 81-yard drive that ended with a 22-yard field goal by Cade Graham—Central’s only points of the afternoon.
But Michigan wasn’t finished before halftime. Underwood led the offense on an 11-play, 79-yard march, ending with a 1-yard plunge by Jordan Marshall to send the Wolverines into the break with a 35–3 advantage.
Second Half: More of the Same
The third quarter mirrored the first two, as Michigan continued its dominance on both sides of the ball. Another lengthy drive—this time 10 plays for 70 yards—was capped by Marshall’s second touchdown run of the game. After yet another defensive stop, Underwood found the end zone again with his legs, sprinting 18 yards for his second rushing touchdown of the day and pushing the lead to 49–3.
Michigan’s defense was suffocating, forcing a key turnover early in the fourth quarter when defensive back Elijah Dotson intercepted Joe Labas. The offense capitalized again with a 7-play, 48-yard drive ending in a 1-yard score from running back Bryson Kuzdal.
Even with the backups in, Michigan continued to execute. Freshman quarterback Jadyn Davis led the final touchdown drive of the day—nine plays and 45 yards—finished off by a 1-yard touchdown run from Jasper Parker to seal the 64–3 rout.
Standout Performances
Freshman phenom Bryce Underwood delivered a breakout performance, completing 16-of-25 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also led the team in rushing, scrambling nine times for 114 yards and two touchdowns—the most rushing yards by a Michigan quarterback since Devin Gardner ran for 121 against Penn State in 2013.
Justice Haynes added 104 rushing yards and a score on 14 carries, while Jordan Marshall tallied 52 yards and two touchdowns on 10 attempts. Overall, Michigan totaled 616 yards of offense, with touchdowns in every quarter.
“Coach Moore spent a lot of time with the offensive line this week before his suspension,” said right guard Jake Guarnera. “His message was about focusing on how we do things, not just what we do. I think we really took that to heart today.”
Defensive Domination
The Wolverines’ defense was just as impressive, holding Central Michigan to only 139 total yards. Linebacker Jaishawn Barham set the tone early with two sacks in the first quarter and finished with six tackles overall.
Looking Ahead
Next week, Michigan heads to Lincoln for a Big Ten showdown with Nebraska—a critical road test and the final game of Moore’s suspension. If Saturday’s performance is any indication, the Wolverines are more than ready.
