ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 20-ranked Michigan Wolverines took down the Wisconsin Badgers 24-10 to extend their winning streak to three inside The Big House in Ann Arbor.
Saturday’s (Oct. 4) matchup was the 71st meeting between the two programs, with Michigan improving to 58-17-1 all-time during Homecoming week for the men in maize.
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Michigan nearly dropped the game as it couldn’t catch a cold all day vs. Wisconsin, as they improved to 4-1 on the season.
The drops were so egregious that Bryce Underwood joined the party and dropped a snap on fourth down.
It’s either that Underwood is throwing the ball too hard or the team can’t catch the ball, as they were letting the ball hit the ground all day.
1st quarter
Michigan started the game on defense, as Rayshaun Benny recorded the first tackle of the game.
On the play, running back Dilin Jones gained five yards.
Jones toted the rock for four yards on second down and gained two more for a first down.
Quarterback Hunter Simmons completed the first pass of the game to Chris Brooks Jr. for 12 yards as the Badgers moved the ball down the field.
Jones moved the chains for another five-yard gain before Lance Mason gained another first down on the drive with his first reception of the game.
Simmons hit Vinny Anthony II for 17 yards to Michigan’s nine-yard line.
Jones carried the rock for two yards on first and goal, setting up second and seven on the seven-yard line.
He gained another two yards to set up third down and five on the five before punching in the first touchdown of the game to help the Badgers take a 7-0 lead.
Wisconsin drove the ball with ease down the Wolverines’ throat to cap off a 12-play, 75-yard drive in 6:50 to open the quarter.
Wink Martindale will look to seal that drive on the Badgers’ next possession, as it seemed too easy for a team missing their starting quarterback and center.
The Wolverines’ offense looked to match the momentum drive by the Badgers and took the ball on their first possession of the game with a flea-flick from running back Justice Haynes to quarterback Bryce Underwood, who tossed it nearly 40 yards to receiver Donaven McCulley for a pass interference, setting up an automatic first down.
Haynes toted the rock for six yards on his first carry before Underwood connected with McCulley for six yards.
Haynes rushed the ball for 43 yards, getting dragged down at the five-yard line before running the ball into the endzone to tie the game at 7-7.
Michigan needed a quick response, and it capped off a five-play 75-yard drive, eating up 2:08.
Chip Lindsey looked to the Badgers’ opening drive touchdown and said, “I’ll raise you one,” as the Wolverines notched the game at 7-7 quickly.
With fans behind them, Michigan’s defense opened the second drive with a Trey Pierce one-yard stop of Jones on first down and 10.
Figuring out the play calls, Zeke Berry made his first tackle of the game as Simmons completed a pass to Anthony II for four yards before Jones gained 16 yards on third down and five to midfield.
After an incompletion on first down, Jimmy Rolder got his first tackle of the game, stopping Wisconsin for a one-yard gain by Darrion Dupree.
On third down and nine, Simmons threw backside to Lance Mason, who would have scored as there was nothing but green grass in front of him.
Wisconsin punted the ball down to the Wolverines’ two-yard line to set up their offense in their own endzone.
Looking to make a play, Wisconsin jumped offside to give Michigan a free five yards, setting up a first down and five at their own seven-yard line.
Underwood scrambled for seven yards to move the chains before getting the ball batted down at the line of scrimmage.
On second and 10, Underwood connected with Andrew Marsh for a nine-yard catch and run, setting up a third and less than one yard opportunity.
Haynes got tackled behind the line of scrimmage as the Badgers busted through the offensive line with ill intentions to make the stop.
The Wolverines gang tackled Dupree for two yards, setting up a second down and eight, which Simmons connected with Anthony II for four yards to end the quarter.
2nd quarter
Michigan opened the second quarter with a key third-down stop, forcing Wisconsin to lose a yard while punting for the second time of the game.
Underwood connected with Jordan Marshall for an eight-yard catch and run to set up a second down and two on their third possession of the game.
Marshall gained one yard on his first carry of the day, setting up a third down and one from their 28-yard line.
Underwood, after reading the defense, hit Max Bredeson to move the sticks, but he dropped the ball, forcing Michigan to punt for the second time of the game.
Hudson Hollenbeck punted the ball 57 yards down to the Badgers’ 15-yard line.
Derrick Moore stopped a Jones rush, gaining one yard on the play to set up a second down and nine.
Simmons connected with Anthony II for 11 yards. Mason Curtis made the tackle.
Jones rushed the ball for three yards before Jaishawn Barham and Moore made a tackle for minus two yards.
Rolder made the stop after Simmons completed a six-yard pass to set up the punt, which nearly got blocked.
Smelling the blitz, Underwood ran a quarterback draw for six yards to set up a second and four-yard play, which Haynes gained three yards.
On third down and one, Marshall gained two yards to move the sticks.
Underwood hits Marsh down the right sideline for a 32-yard contested catch.
Marshall gained five yards on a rush before Underwood took his first sack of the game for minus four yards.
Underwood ran a sprint left and tossed a floater to Semaj Morgan that nearly got intercepted before kicker Dominic Zvada knocked in a field goal to cap off an eight-play 44-yard drive, which took 3:27 off the clock.
Simmons connected with Anthony II for a seven-yard out route to set up a second and three before Brandyn Hillman laid the boom on Dupree.
On third down and two, with the crowd behind them, Wisconsin called its first timeout of the half.
The timeout didn’t help as Benny made the stifling tackle for no gain on Jackson Ackler to set up another punt, this time on the 23-yard line of the Wolverines.
With 3:27 to play in the half, the Wolverines opened the drive with a two-yard run by Marshall.
Underwood threw an incomplete pass to McCulley on second down and eight, setting up a third and long.
On third down and eight, Underwood scrambled for six yards, punting to the 28-yard line.
The offense looked stuck in neutral as they were out of sync in the first half.
Simmons completed a pass to Mason for 16 yards to stop the clock at 1:53.
Wisconsin ran a filthy reverse, which nearly broke, but Rod Moore ran it perfectly, stopping the big play for only five yards.
On third down and three, Simmons’ pass was broken up by TJ Metcalf.
With 24 seconds on the clock and the ball on their own six, Underwood connected with Moorgan, who dropped the ball on what could’ve been a big play of the half.
The receiving core had hands of stone as they continued to drop passes, and the crowd let out a loud, jovial cheer as both teams headed into the tunnel.
The first half was very sloppy and uninspiring, to be nice, as the bye-week blues kept the Wolverines stuck in the mud, especially in the first half.
Underwood has 55 yards passing and 15 yards rushing on 4-9 passing, while the run game has combined for 87 yards, with Haynes accounting for 62 yards in the first half.
The only saving grace about the uninspiring first half is that the men in maize get the ball to start the second half.
3rd quarter
Underwood and the offense took the field for the first possession of the second half with a Haynes run of six yards.
On second down and four, Lindsey got on the move and connected with Marsh for a 13-yard catch and run.
Underwood connected with Morgan behind the yard of scrimmage for a two-yard gain.
On the move again, Underwood sprinted right and connected with Marsh for 26 yards to the 29-yard line.
On first down, Bredeson got called for holding, costing Michigan 10 yards.
Underwood regained 11 yards to tight end Zack Marshall before Haynes got tackled for no gain.
On third down and nine, Underwood showed elusiveness, evaded two defenders, and hit Morgan for a catch and run of 11 yards.
Morgan got lucky as he nearly dropped that one before Haynes got tackled for a three-yard loss.
Haynes gained the yardage back, but Underwood threw incomplete on third and nine, making for a Zvada field goal attempt that went wide left to the dismay of the crowd.
Wisconsin has the ball on its own 20-yard line to start the drive, trailing 10-7.
Michigan’s defense opened the first drive of the second half of the game against the Badgers with a Barham tackle for one yard on Jones.
Simmons threw incomplete to Mason, setting up a third down and nine on their own 21-yard line.
Simmons threw to Mason, but Barham broke up the play, forcing a punt.
With 8:21 to play in the quarter, Michigan started the drive with a Haynes rush that was stuffed in the backfield, resulting in a three-yard loss on the play.
Underwood ran a tight end screen play to Marlin Klein for 10 yards, setting up third and three, but Underwood threw incomplete as the punt team ran back on the field for a 51-yard punt to the Badgers’ 10-yard line.
Rolder stopped the Badgers’ run play for no gain before Simmons connected with Anthony II for five yards.
On third and five, Simmpons threw a near interception to Berry for another punt.
Looking for any kind of spark, Underwood launched a pass downfield to McCulley, who seemingly got one foot in bounds before getting blasted out of bounds.
The play was called incomplete but after further review, it was overturned for a 33-yard completion to the Wiscon 34-yard line.
Underwood connected with Klein for five yards before McCulley bounced off multiple defenders, juked another before running across the goal line for a 29-yard catch and run touchdown with 4:11 to play.
Michigan needed a spark, and they got it with a three-play 67-yard drive that took up 1:03 seconds to get the fans back into the snoozefest of a game.
Leading 17-7 and the crowd back into the game, Michigan blitzed Simmons, who connected with Anthony II for 29 yards.
Berry got beat off the line and barely got back into the play to make the tackle at the 40-yard line.
After a four-yard run by Durpee, Moore made another big-time play in the big house as he got his first pair of Turnover Buffs after picking off Simmons at Michigan’s 17-yard line.
Moore hasn’t played inside the Big House since his key interception against the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2023, where he called game on the pivotal interception over Marvin Harrison Jr.
Lindsey called a quarterback sprint draw play to Haynes for a 23-yard gain.
Underwood eluded a sack and sprinted out right with nothing but green grass in front of him and found wide receiver Kendrick Bell, who dropped a wide-open pass to the groin of the crowd.
It would’ve been a potential ESPN Top 10 play if it was connected but he dropped it with no one around him.
Haynes rushed the ball for four yards on second down and 20 to end the quarter.
4th quarter
Michigan opened the quarter with a third down and six, up 17-7 at the Wisconsin 49-yard line, and connected with McCulley for 13 yards after the sweet sounds of Mr. Bright Side.
McCulley had five receptions for 87 yards and one touchdown thus far.
Morgan gained eight yards after two catches, setting up a third down and two, which fell incomplete.
Head coach Sherrone Moore, sensing the moment, decided to go for it on fourth down and two on the 28-yard line, and Underwood joined the drop party held in front of over 110,000 as he dropped the snap, causing a turnover on downs.
Simmons threw an incomplete pass as Ernest Hausmann nearly got Michigan’s first sack of the game.
Dupree rushed the ball for five yards to set up a third down and five, but Simmons, on a funky snap, threw incomplete, punting to Morgan for a 13-yard return to the 39-yard line.
Underwood connected with Morgan for a 12-yard catch and run.
Haynes toted the rock for 11 yards before gaining another eight yards.
He accumulated another four yards for 116 yards on the day thus far as Michigan moved the chains.
Wisconsin cashed in on the run game but got caught with a play-action pass as Underwood hit McCulley for a 25-yard catch and run down to the six.
After an offsides penalty, with the ball on the one-yard line, Haynes pounded the rock for a tough score, his second of the game, to take a 24-7 lead with 9:24 to play.
Anthony II opened the drive with a 16-yard fingertip reception before Simmons Trech Kekahuna for a 20-yard catch and run.
Simmons connected with Anthony II for a six-yard gain to set up second down and four.
Dekel Crowdus caught his first pass of the game for no yards before Simmons threw incomplete, setting up a fourth down and four on the 33-yard line.
On fourth down, Simmons completed a pass to Grant Stec for seven yards.
Jones rushed the ball for seven yards to set up a second down and three on the 19-yard line.
Durpee gained two yards to set up a third down and one, which was completed to Jackson Acker for five yards.
With 4:42 to play, up 24-7 with the ball on their 12-yard line, Michigan called its first timeout of the half as Wisconsin started marching down the field.
Simmons threw incomplete as TJ Guy nearly got the teams first sack of the game.
Simmons connected with Mason for seven yards to set up a third and three on the five-yard line.
Wisconsin jumped off sides to move the ball back to third down and eight on the 10-yard line.
Derrick got to Simmons for the team’s first sack of the game, moving the ball back to the 22-yard line, losing 12 yards on the play.
Wisconsin connected on a field goal to bring the deficit to 24-10 with 2:43 to play.
Michigan bobbled the onside kick attempt, but Channing Goodwin collected the kick on the 43-yard line.
Marshall rushed the ball for a four-yard gain as the clock struck the two-minute timeout.
Underwood handed the ball off to Marshall for a two-yard gain, setting up a third down and four.
After a little razzle-dazzle, Marshall gained seven yards.
Underwood completed a pass to Morgan for six yards to set up a second down and four.
Marahall nearly scored but was brought down after rushing the ball for 19 yards.
He sealed the game with a two-yard run as the clock expired, Michigan taking a 24-10 victory.
Underwood finished the game 19-28 for 270 and one, connecting with McCulley, who snagged seven receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown.
Michigan will travel to Los Angeles to take on the USC Trojans on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025.
History
The Wolverines hold a commanding 58-17-1 lead in the all-time series.
Michigan has a 25-7 record in games played at Michigan Stadium, with an overall 30-8 mark in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines have won 21 of the last 30 games against Wisconsin and 35 of the last 45 matchups.
Michigan holds a 25-7 advantage over Wisconsin, specifically at Michigan Stadium.
Wisconsin ranks as the sixth most common opponent for Michigan, with 70 previous contests between the two teams.
The last meeting between the programs was in 2021, when Michigan defeated Wisconsin 38-17 in Madison.
Wisconsin won the last game played in Ann Arbor, a 49-11 victory during the 2020 COVID-19 season, which was held in an empty Michigan Stadium.
This upcoming game will mark Sherrone’s first matchup against the Badgers as part of Michigan’s coaching staff.
The Wolverines have won seven of the last 10 meetings and 19 of the last 21 games played at the Big House.