My favorite time of the year is finally upon us. The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, the days are growing shorter and football has finally started. Michigan’s two flagship universities had their first games over the Labor Day weekend: the University of Michigan (U-M) defeated Fresno State 30-10, while Michigan State University (MSU) beat Florida Atlantic 16-10.
Bigger challenges awaited these two programs on Saturday, September 7th. Michigan State traveled to Maryland for a road test against a Big Ten foe, while Michigan welcomed Texas to the Big House for a top ten matchup. Let’s see who came out on top.
Saturday, September 7th: #10 Michigan loses to #3 Texas 12-31
The Wolverines of Ann Arbor had an offseason similar to MSU for different reasons. Head coach Jim Harbaugh departed for the NFL after a national championship run, bringing defensive coordinator Jesse Minter with him to the Chargers. Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore was elevated to head coach for the 2024 season.
Michigan also had an overhaul of their players, losing their entire offensive line to the NFL along with quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Blake Corum. However, they returned stars Donovan Edwards at running back and Colston Loveland at tight end, along with future first-round picks Will Johnson and Mason Graham on defense. The biggest question mark remained at quarterback: could the Wolverines rely on backup quarterbacks Alex Orji and Davis Warren to step in and be reliable?
Despite a close win against Fresno State in week one, Michigan’s flaws were very apparent in the 19-point loss to Texas. The story of the first half revolved around the Wolverines’ inability to get out of their own way. After Texas missed a field goal on their very first drive, Michigan had a meager three-and-out, followed by a terrible 28-yard punt that gave the Longhorns excellent field position. Texas quickly capitalized with a touchdown pass from quarterback Quinn Ewers to tight end Gunnar Helm to go up 7-0.
U-M’s next drive was much smoother, marching all the way downfield led by a poised Warren, who completed four passes in the possession. Edwards contributed on the ground, but Michigan failed to convert a 3rd-and-three by rushing Orji for no gain. Michigan would settle for a field goal, making it 3-7.
The next three drives for Texas all resulted in points, bearing two touchdowns and a field goal. The Longhorns made sure to take advantage of every Michigan miscue, including a tipped interception from Warren and a fumble by Loveland. Texas would score on each drive after these Wolverine turnovers. Michigan faced a huge halftime deficit, down 24-3.
Unfortunately for the home team, it was more of the same in the second half. The offense came out and floundered in a short, five-play drive, eventually punting and forcing their own five-play stop.
Michigan was able to get a field goal aided by a 24-yard completion to Loveland on 3rd-and-10, bringing it to 24-6. Texas answered swiftly with yet another touchdown; Longhorn Ryan Wingo ran for 55 yards to gain a huge chunk of the field.
After some back-and-forth defensive stops, Michigan finally found the endzone late in the 4th quarter with a Semaj Morgan touchdown. It was too little, too late, though, as the Wolverines fell short at home 31-12.
The biggest takeaway from this game is that Michigan’s offense is nowhere near as dominant, let alone capable, as the national championship team from a year ago. The Wolverines had only 80 rushing yards on the day to go along with 204 in the air. Going 3-12 on third downs doesn’t help, either, but when two of your drives end with Orji running the ball on 3rd-and-medium for no gain, what do you expect?
Having three turnovers also doesn’t do your offense any favors. On top of that, Michigan has no standout receivers in the wide receiver room, making its offense incredibly one-dimensional. On a more positive note, the defense is still strong and should keep them in games against inferior competition.
Up next for the Wolverines is a home visit from Arkansas State on September 14th.
Saturday, September 7th: Michigan State defeats Maryland 27-24
Michigan State fans have been waiting for the new season with anticipation ever since the unceremonious firing of coach Mel Tucker. The team finished a dreadful 4-8, and it was clear that a regime change was needed.
The Spartan faithful embraced new head coach Jonathan Smith from Oregon State, trusting him to return MSU to its former glory. Smith helped turn Oregon State into a truly formidable program, overcoming the long shadow that the University of Oregon casts; perhaps he can have the same effect at Michigan State. With him came highly-ranked transfer quarterback Aiden Chiles. The 18-year-old was among the highest-ranked quarterbacks in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports . Could these two help return the Spartans to national contention?
My short answer after a week one win against FAU is to give it time. MSU stumbled to a narrow win, but a road trip to Maryland would be a great test for this new group.
The Terrapins came out of the gate strong, marching 75 yards down the field for a 15-yard touchdown courtesy of quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. Michigan State answered right after, going all the way downfield with a couple of completions from Chiles and a big 30-yard gain on the ground from running back Nate Carter. Chiles found wide receiver Montorie Foster in the endzone for six, making it a 7-7 game.
The Spartan defense forced a stop on Maryland’s next possession, but Chiles quickly gave the ball back with an interception. The Terps took advantage of the great field position as Edwards Jr. kept the ball himself for a 7-yard rushing touchdown.
With a full field ahead of them, Chiles and the offense got to work again. Running back Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams got to work, ripping off a significant 16-yard gain after wide receiver Jaron Glover made a catch for 20 yards of his own. A couple of plays later, Chiles was finally able to connect on a deep ball, linking up with Glover for a 36-yard touchdown, bringing it to a tie again at 14-14.
The two teams exchanged some possessions before MSU manufactured a 56-yard drive for a Jonathan Kim field goal to take the lead into the half, 17-14.
On the Spartan’s first drive of the second half, MSU again got into Maryland territory, but Chiles threw an errant pass into the endzone that was picked off. The Terps would drive the length of the field for a 45-yard field goal to tie the game at 17 apiece.
After forcing another punt, Edwards again drove Maryland all the way down and finished the drive with a touchdown pass. Chiles responded in turn, throwing a 57-yard completion to wide receiver Nick Marsh; however, soon after, Chiles was hit in the pocket and threw yet another pick.
After some more back and forth, the Terps had a chance to go up two scores with a 41-yard field goal but missed it wide. On the very next play, Chiles connected deep with Marsh again for an electric 77-yard touchdown to tie the game up.
MSU forced a stop on Maryland’s next drive, then marched down the field for 65 yards in 13 plays for a game-winning field goal from Kim.
The Spartans could have won the game more easily if Chiles had cut down on his turnovers and connected on a few more passes, but the improvement from week one against FAU to week two was evident. This team is getting better, and they have a tune-up game against Prairie View A&M on September 14th before a challenging road game at Boston College on September 21st.