10 Michigan football stories you might have missed during 2023 season
10 Michigan football stories you might have missed during 2023 season
At least on the field, Michigan’s football program’s year couldn’t have started any better.
It is undefeated for the second straight year and is the top seed going into the College Football Playoffs. When 2024 rolls around, the Wolverines hope to build on their current success.
On January 1, they take on No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl semifinal with the goal of ending a two-game losing run in the CFP.
Michigan has not made any mistakes even with two distinct NCAA investigations and six games without a head coach in 2023.
It managed to defeat Ohio State in order to secure the Big Ten East title, and it subsequently defeated Iowa 26-0 in the conference final to guarantee a postseason berth.
There have been plenty of storylines throughout the year, ranging from on-field triumph to off-field turmoil.
Here are some tales from the Wolverines’ incredible season that you might have missed before they take the field in Pasadena, California:
In the Big Ten final game, the Wolverines dominated the Hawkeyes, limiting them to just 155 total yards as they won their third consecutive league championship.
For the last few minutes of the fourth quarter, MLive reporter Andrew Kahn was on the field, capturing sights and noises from the postgame celebration.
The Wolverines last week signed 27 players from their 2024 recruiting class, with Jadyn Davis, a four-star quarterback, being one among the standouts. He is the highest-ranked quarterback Harbaugh has recruited to Michigan since J.J. McCarthy, and he recently won Mr. North Carolina and two consecutive state championships.
The Wolverines had been aware of the outside commotion around their purported sign-stealing scheme, which was purportedly led by former employee Connor Stalions, for more than a month. On November 25, however, Michigan played Ohio State without its head coach and defeated the Buckeyes handily to appease some of its detractors.
This year, the senior running back for Michigan has a lot to be grateful for. During Thanksgiving week, Corum conducted its third annual turkey drive, raising 600 turkeys to be donated to Ypsilanti’s underprivileged neighborhoods. In addition, he was fit for the first time throughout the tournament, having struggled with injuries in the previous two years and only getting a few snaps against Ohio State the week before. He led Michigan’s offense with 22 rushes for 88 yards and two touchdowns this season.
April should show that this is one of the most talented Wolverines teams in program history. Though it doesn’t seem like Michigan currently has any lock for first-round selections,it could have more than a dozen players drafted and set a new program record.
The week leading up to Michigan’s Nov. 11 showdown at Penn State was a whirlwind. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti levying a three-game suspension the day before a top-10 showdown in Happy Valley was met with a fervid response from the university, which was determined to fight the ban in court. A court date was set for the following Friday as Michigan hoped to obtain a temporary restraining order that would have blocked the suspension, but in a late twist, the university decided to accept the suspension less than 24 hours before the hearing.
With Harbaugh serving two separate three-game suspension in 2023, Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore stepped into the interim head coaching role for four of those games, including wins over Penn State and Ohio State.
The 37-year-old has been on Harbaugh’s staff since 2017 and has been touted as a future head coach by Harbaugh and others.
The Wolverines faced Michigan State in their first game since news broke of the NCAA’s investigation over alleged impermissible in-person scouting, but they didn’t appear affected by the scandal that shook the college football world. They pounded the Spartans 49-0 in East Lansing to improve to 8-0.
Noah Stewart isn’t a household name for the Wolverines, but the walk-on reserve offensive lineman has overcome several hurdles to be able to play college football at Michigan.
Before the season, sophomore tight end Colston Loveland was one of the most hyped players on Michigan’s roster. He largely has lived up to it and is a go-to target for J.J. McCarthy. The former four-star recruit from a small town in Idaho is second on the team with 572 receiving yards on 40 catches in 2023.
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