Overview
- Michigan is 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten, listed as a 14-point favorite at Michigan State as Sherrone Moore warns against complacency and expects the Spartans’ best effort.
- After yielding nearly 500 yards to USC, Michigan emphasized fundamentals and rebounded to beat Washington 24-7, forcing three turnovers and allowing just 54 second-half yards with markedly improved tackling.
- The Wolverines rank last in FBS on fourth-down conversions at 1-for-9, going 0-for-2 against Washington on a Semaj Morgan drop on fourth-and-1 and a Jordan Marshall run stuffed on fourth-and-2 at the 6.
- Moore explained a field-position-first philosophy, opting to punt from his own 27 in a tie game after earlier failures and pointing to complementary football given the defense’s performance.
- A four-game run against Michigan State, Purdue, Northwestern at Wrigley Field, and Maryland could position Michigan at 9-2 before Ohio State, heightening the urgency to clean up short-yardage execution.