2025 W4 Michigan(21) vs Nebraska Cornhuskers(-)

Highlights

Game Overview

September 21, 2025 at Nebraska Lincoln
The weather was clear and sunny.
Attendance was 87,278. While this feels small if you are used to Michigan's Big House, you rarely hear of stadiums with over 87,000 capacity in Japan.
(Note: I looked it up and the maximum capacity for the Japan National Stadium in expanded mode is 80,000, and Nissan Stadium is 72,327 for standard use.)

The scene of them coming out of the locker room. So cool! It gets me pumped up!

Pre-game predictions favored Nebraska by 2.5 points, but we successfully
won 30-27!
We controlled the game by running the clock out at the end, so it felt more secure than the point spread suggested.

Following this, Michigan has recovered to 19th in the AP rankings.

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola was a good player who couldn't be stopped even while
taking 7 sacks. He finished with 308 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT. If he keeps this up, he is definitely a top NFL draft pick the year after next.

And the long-awaited return of Rod Moore. He played 20 snaps in this game; his PFF grade was 59.8 and his tackling grade was a poor 27.0, but I think it was a decent performance. I'm looking forward to the next game and beyond.

On special teams, kicker Zvada earned BIG10 co-special teams player of the week.

Stats are below

Offense

*The () after the names are the PFF grades for this game
QB Bryce Underwood (54.9) went 12/22 for 105 yards with no TDs or INTs. He built the game using QB runs, which he started using frequently from the previous game. I'm curious about how he will be utilized in the next game and beyond now that the HC is back to Moore.

One reason for Underwood's poor stats is the drops by the receivers. Even at the NFL level, Marvin Harrison Jr. dropped a wide-open long pass, so I suppose drops are unavoidable at the college level, especially at Michigan...
(Due to the cold and the difficulty in recruiting receivers that comes from building a team centered on the run.)

Perhaps because they were wary of Underwood's runs, the RB runs were effective, and Haynes (75.5) had 149 yards and 1 TD,
and Jordan Marshall also had 80 yards and 1 TD. It was impressive how the offensive line and TEs opened up huge holes with effective blocking.

On the OL, the starters change every game due to injuries.
RT Andrew Sprague (73.2)
RG Jake Guarnera (60.1)
C Greg Crippen (64.4)
LG Nathan Efobi (62.3)
LT Evan Link (62.6)
The PFF grades are on the lower side considering they produced a run game and only allowed 1 sack.

★Players who improved their rating
Jordan Marshall (PFF 72.1)

The poor performance in the first two games was painful to watch, as it felt like seeing last year's Donovan Edwards, but he has shown signs of a comeback with consecutive big gains in the third and fourth games.

Andrew Sprague (PFF 73.2)

A 4-star OT from the 2024 recruiting class.
While LT Evan Link was making headlines like a rollercoaster—getting a big promotion, then struggling, then recovering—he quietly secured the starting RT spot.
Moreover, he showed the most growth among this season's OL, earning the highest rating.
I'm also looking forward to the starting battle between the 2025 5-star recruit Babalola (out this season) and the top 4-star, and in some places 5-star rated, Ty Haywood.

Players whose ratings dropped

Channing Goodwin(PFF 48.0)

A player expected to be a thoroughbred whose father and uncle (the current Buccaneers RUN coordinator) are both Michigan football alumni.
He became a starting WR in his second year, but he has too many dropped passes.
His overall season PFF is also low at 54.6.
Since WRs other than Donaven McCulley have many drops, I get the impression he is being used by process of elimination.

Kendrick Bell (PFF 58.3)

The younger brother of WR Ronnie Bell (a generation that built the foundation for the national championship team with Aidan Hutchinson and others, and entered the 49ers in the 2022 draft), who became a 2-time BIG10 champion at Michigan.
He also entered in 2023 as a 3-star QB, another thoroughbred.
Upon enrollment, he converted to WR, the same position as his brother.
He had many starts last season, but this season he has been demoted to a rotation WR and is not producing results. He also has a habit of dropping passes.

Defense

The defense is the core of the team building again this season.
In this game, 7 sacks and 1 INT overwhelmed the opponent, centered on the front.
My personal favorite, Cole Sullivan, also performed well in this game.

And after Cole Sullivan made a tackle, it became a hot topic that even that "Jaishawn Barham who never smiles" was smiling lol

The way he smiles is scary lol

And I don't know which ranking this is from, but here is an article saying Cole Sullivan is amazing.

The DB unit has many true freshmen playing, so instability at this stage is undeniable.
Of course, expectations are high as the season progresses.

Players whose ratings improved
Trey Pierce (PFF 83.6) 35 snaps

Roderick "Trey" Pierce, whose name spelling varies.
A 3-star DT who entered in 2023.
He blossomed this year after being pushed by many senior DTs.
Before the season started, attention was on Tre Williams and Benny, but he is this year's version of the Michigan DL players who suddenly appear on the road to stardom every year.
The development ability is amazing!
His season grade is 77.6, ranking 39th among all college DIs with over 100 snaps, which is high for a backup DI.No. 1 candidate for next season's main pillar

Derrick Moore(PFF 72.7) 38 snaps

His rating dropped in the opening game, but he had a great performance with 3 sacks in this game, redeeming himself.
Did having Jaishawn Barham on the opposite side have a positive effect?

Jayden Sanders(PFF 71.7) 72 snaps

Performing beyond expectations as a True Freshman who enrolled as a 4-star in 2025. His classmate Shamar Earls is also getting snaps, so the entire CB unit is rotating.
The depth is thin, so I just hope they stay injury-free.

★ Players whose stock dropped

Brandyn Hillman(PFF 58.0) 69 snaps

4th quarter, Michigan leading 27-20. The moment they forced the opponent into a 4th down, he committed a personal foul for taunting.
Of course, it resulted in an automatic 1st down and a field goal.
It was unnecessary and effectively a turnover play.
I really hope he reflects on this.

■ This week is a BYE WEEK. Outlook for the next game against Wisconsin

With many players injured, this BYE comes at a welcome time. The next game against Wisconsin will be held at Michigan's home, Ann Arbor.
It's a marquee matchup that the FOX broadcast team will be covering.

Michigan's win probability is projected at 89.1% apparently.

By the way, the Big House is being used for a concert this week.
I'm worried about the condition of the turf~

It's apparently Okinawa-born singer-songwriter Zach Bryan.

Go Blue !!

■ BIG10 viewership rankings

The TEXAS-OHIO game is way out in front, but that makes sense as it was a high-profile matchup between top contenders.
Michigan has three games ranked, and what catches the eye is the New Mexico game at 8th. Unlike the other matchups, there is a significant talent gap, yet it drew this many viewers, which really makes you feel that Michigan is a popular school.

Other news

■ LSU star LB announces relationship with Ole Miss HC's daughter just before the game

LSU's LB Whit Weeks and Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin's daughter, Landry, have announced they are in a relationship.

2024 PFF 71.7
2025 PFF 71.5
He has been producing results as a starting LB, so he looks like a player who could be picked in the middle rounds if he declares for the NFL Draft after this season.

And in the game, 13th-ranked Ole Miss upset the 4th-ranked LSU. Weeks himself had a decent performance with 10 tackles and 1 TFL, ranking 3rd on the team.

■ About the player named Ryan Williams

A 5-star recruit who everyone was watching, he enrolled at Alabama in 2024.
Last season, during his true freshman year, he secured a starting spot at Alabama and had a breakout performance right from the season opener.
He is a player who completely captivated me with his otherworldly catching ability, showing strength in contested situations and along the sidelines.

However, he slowed down in the middle of the season.
Through the first four games, he showed performance beyond his years with PFF grades of 87.4, 67.1, 73.7, and 79.4, but...
in the nine games that followed, he only exceeded a PFF grade of 70 once.
In the final game of the season against Michigan, he had a dismal performance with a PFF grade of 50.8. Honestly, I remember not feeling threatened by him when watching him as an opponent of my favorite team.

He is serving as a starter again this season, but his PFF grade in the opener was 52.8.
In the second game against Wisconsin (which I happened to be watching), he had a great performance with an 85.5.
It felt like the Ryan Williams who had captured my heart was back, and I was a bit moved.

By the way, the X quote above shows Ryan Williams dropping a wide-open long pass in the big game against Georgia in the third week.
(It's tough because there's a law that players I root for stop performing well.)

And Will Johnson, who saw his draft stock drop due to injury concerns, is predictably continuing to miss games due to injury...