Michigan football beat Michigan State on Saturday night, the first rivalry win of the Sherrone Moore era. Here are our winners and losers following the narrow victory:
Michigan was looking to end a two-game losing streak this weekend, and successfully did so against in-state rival Michigan State behind starting quarterback Davis Warren, with help from Alex Orji, Donovan Edwards, and reliable play from Colston Loveland on offense.
The defense struggled at times but only allowed 17 points. The edge rushers were fantastic, especially and Josaiah Stewart who forced a fumble that set up a field goal for Michigan before the end of the first half.
As is true with any game, there are still some areas to improve, but man, it feels good to have a win over the Spartans. Here are our winners and losers after Michigan’s performance against Michigan State.
Winner: Quarterbacks
Davis Warren was 13-of-19 for 123 yards, one touchdown and, most importantly, zero turnovers. He found Colston Loveland multiple times, hitting him for a touchdown to get the Wolverines on the board. Warren even got a few receivers into the mix, which is worth celebrating each week.
Along with Warren, the coaching staff opted to work Alex Orji back into the game plan, and he did not disappoint. He had six carries for 64 yards and a touchdown. With Michigan State slowing down Kalel Mullings in this one, Orji was the go-to option on the ground. Shout out to the coaches for a game plan that seemed to look at matchups they could take advantage of.
Loser: Rush defense
Michigan gave up too many yards to Michigan State running back Nate Carter, who had 19 carries for 118 yards. The frustrating aspect was how often the defense held Michigan State to third-and-long, only to allow Carter to pick up a first down. Michigan gave up 163 yards rushing overall, but for a team that’s only giving up an average of 92 per game, you would’ve liked to have seen them play better.
Winner: Donovan Edwards
This was a game where the coaches finally got a little more creative with Donovan Edwards, and I loved every minute of it. Watching him complete another touchdown pass in a big game was everything I thought it would be. While his ground game was limited — nine carries for just 24 yards — he helped get Michigan’s passing game going. He had two catches for 17 yards but added a little extra to the offense.
Donovan Edwards with the TD PASS @UMichFootball extends its lead ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/rHla6D3aFX
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 27, 2024
Loser: Kalel Mullings
Kalel Mullings has been a reliable option for the Wolverines all season, but Michigan State’s rush defense held him to just 18 yards on 13 carries. Even more surprising is Michigan managed to win the game without putting up more rushing yards than the Spartans. I don’t think there’s any reason to panic, so we will chalk this up as a down game for Mullings and the Wolverines’ run game.
Winner: Edge rushers
There were some areas of concern on the defense, but Michigan’s edge rushers did a lot to keep the Wolverines in this one. As referenced earlier, Stewart forced a crucial fumble that set up Michigan’s lone field goal attempt of the night. Stewart and Cameron Brandt each had sacks, and Derrick Moore also had five hurries and six pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Loser: Makari Paige
This was not a good game for Makari Paige. He was the lowest-graded player in Saturday’s game (40.6 overall) according to PFF. He missed six tackles, which hurt the Wolverines on some crucial drives. While Paige was a reliable part of Michigan’s secondary in previous seasons, he just hasn’t played like that this year, and it showed again this week. While I still think some aspects of this are because of a new defensive system, missed tackles rest more on the players than coaches, and that’s a huge mark against Paige.
Who are your winners and losers after the Michigan-Michigan State game? Let us know in the comments!