With Ohio State ahead, Michigan football HC Sherrone Moore stresses sportsmanship as rivalry tensions rise

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – No. 18-ranked Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore addressed concerns about postgame antics ahead of the upcoming Ohio State matchup.

Referring to last year’s game-ending scuffle and flag incidents, Moore, when asked if he thought had any bearing on this season or if he brought it up with his players on what to do or not to do, he responded, “No, we talked about that at the beginning of the year and we’ve been pretty good about any postgame interactions.”

Moore outlined the team’s approach to sportsmanship.

“When we win a game, or when you end the game, we’re going to go to our student section, go to our band, and shake hands, cordial ending, and be done with it,” Moore said.

Moore added, “Our guys have been good about that, and we’ll continue to do that.”

After the Wolverines upset the Buckeyes inside the Horseshoe in Columbus, 13-10, Michigan players grabbed their flag and ran to the 50-yard line to plant it, prompting Ohio State players to react, which sparked an all-out brawl.

The then-unranked Wolverines took down the No. 2-ranked Buckeyes in the nail-biting victory to improve to 7-5 on the forgettable season.

The victory was the first time an unranked Wolverines team upset a ranked Buckeyes team in Columbus since Nov. 25, 1950, when the men in maize took down the then-No. 8 Buckeyes 9-3.

After the clock struck triple zeros, the Wolverines celebrated while grabbing their flag to plant it at midfield in the middle of the Ohio State logo.

Speaking like a champion, running back Kalel Mullings described how his team overcame adversity and upset the Buckeyes as three-touchdown underdogs.

“For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game. It’s bad for the sport.

It’s bad for college football, but at the end of the day, they got to learn how to lose. You can’t be fighting and stuff just because you lost a game. All of that fighting, we had 60 minutes.

We had four quarters to do all of that fighting, and now they want to talk and fight. That’s wrong. That’s classless in my opinion.”

Kalel Mullings

Mullings, alongside kicker Dominic Zvada and the Wolverines’ stout defense, which held the Buckeyes to 10 points, put on a performance for the ages.

The victory was Michigan’s fourth consecutive win over the Buckeyes since the 1988-1991 seasons.

To make matters worse, Ohio State spent $20 million on this roster that lost to an undermanned Wolverines.

Mullings finished the game with 32 carries for 132 yards and one touchdown.

But he was more proud of his team than of his individual stats.

“I’m so proud of all the boys out here. All of the boys at home. The entire program. Through the ups and downs.

Fighting all season. We didn’t have the necessary season that we wanted to have. But going through those ups and downs.

Some things don’t change. We came out knowing what we had to do. Knowing that it was possible if we played our game, we could come out with a win, and we did just that,” Mullings said.

Kalel Mullings

Following the melee, players from both sides could be seen rubbing their eyes as Columbus police began peppering everyone with pepper spray to break up the fight.

Michigan went into the matchup without an ounce of offense with a walk-on quarterback, without the NCAA College Football 24 cover athlete, a top 15 NFL draft pick at tight end, and a CFP MVP at cornerback, and still won.

This season, Michigan will have six freshmen playing in The Game on offense for the first time, including true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who comically told future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame forward Lebron James that ‘It’s over for Ohio State,’ getting a chuckle out of the Buckeyes fan during the offseason.

Moore spoke about Underwood and how they’re preparing him for the upcoming battle inside Michigan Stadium.

“He’s well educated on the rivalry. He knows everything about it. He’s seen it from afar, and we’ve talked about this game for a very long time,” said Moore. “It’ll be about going through the routine and just doing the things that he’s done to this point to get them prepared for the game.”

Moore called on fans to create an unprecedented atmosphere at Michigan Stadium for the upcoming rivalry game.

“We want it to be the loudest, most rabid, craziest, energetic environment that we’ve had in Michigan Stadium ever,” Moore said. “That’s what we want it to be.”

Moore emphasized the importance of fan energy peaking on game day.

“I don’t know what the decimals have been or what they could be, but we needed them to reach peak on Saturday.”

Moore outlined the keys to winning Saturday’s rivalry game.

“One, you’ve got to win the line of scrimmage. Always got to do that,” Moore said.

Moore stressed the importance of blocking out distractions.

“You can’t let outside variation, outside things, outside noise control the preparation and the progress of what we’re doing and the process of what we’re doing,” Moore said.

Moore acknowledged the many distractions on game day, including ESPN College GameDay and the Big Noon Kickoff, but emphasized the importance of focus.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to channel our focus on our preparation. And that’s how you win, you know, prepare the way we prepared for those last three games,” Moore said.

Mental edge

Moore addressed the idea of a mental edge against Ohio State amid their recent winning streak.

When asked about the outside noise of people saying Michigan has the mental edge over Ohio State, Moore responded, “I mean, I just think we’re just going to go prepare for the game. I don’t know what’s really outside the building. None of that really matters. What people think, what people say doesn’t matter.”

Moore emphasized the importance of mental preparation.

“What matters is how we prepare and how we get ready for this game mentally, and that’s it,” Moore said.

Reflecting on the turnaround from previous years, Moore credited the players’ performance.

“Our players are playing really well in those games, and executing those games has been a huge piece,” Moore said.

Moore added, “We’ve had good game plans, but our players have played their best games in those games. And that’s ultimately been the difference.”

Ohio State

Moore discussed preparing for Ohio State’s potent offense ahead of their rivalry game.

When asked if Ohio State’s offense, specifically the passing game, Moore responded, “It’s potent, man. It’s one of the best in the country. Obviously, the best team in the country. The receivers are elite — Jeremiah Smith is elite, Carnell Tate is elite, Brandon Inniss is elite. Tight end Max Klare is a really good player as well. The quarterback (Julian Sayin) is elite. They’ve got elite players everywhere on the field from a skill position standpoint. Running backs are really good. O-line’s good. So, it’s a challenge. I know our defense is ready to go take on that.”

Moore acknowledged momentum after blowing out the Maryland Terrapins 45-20, but cautioned that it isn’t everything.

“Momentum is a real thing, right? Guys understand how they played and prepared that way. We expected to play well. We can’t really worry about the outcome or the score, but we felt like we played good compared to the game before. We moved the ball, took care of the football, scored in the red zone when needed, and did the things we thought we could to win the game. That gives us good momentum, but again, that doesn’t mean anything. You still have to prepare for it,” Moore said.

On the value of a four-game winning streak in the rivalry, Moore said, “Being part of rivalries, the other games don’t matter. Whatever happened in the past doesn’t matter. All we can do is focus on now. This is a new team, new staff, new players, new coaches, new environment. So all we can do is focus on today.”

He added, “The players on the team the previous couple years win. They know what it takes to win this environment. They understand what the game is about. But again, it’s a different team. They’re a different team. We’re a different team. We can’t predicate this win or the prediction of a win or the prediction of the game or the score on what has happened in the past. All we can do is work to be successful on Saturday.”

Intensity

Moore discussed the intensity of the rivalry with Ohio State and how it remains as fierce as ever.

Before last year, no team had ever lost The Game and finished higher than third in the bowl record.

Ohio State lost but went on to win the national championship.

Moore was asked if that result, along with the possibility of playing Ohio State multiple times in a season, might lessen the rivalry’s intensity.

Moore responded, “I don’t think anything changes the intensity. It’s as intense as a rivalry you’ll see in sports.”

He emphasized that each year is a new game.

“It’s a new year every year. It’s a new game. So, I don’t think that’s going to change the intensity,” Moore said.

When asked how the team channels that intensity, Moore said it fits Michigan’s identity.

“Just the way this place is built, what Michigan is all about, the intensity, the intentionality of how we practice, how we prepare. That’s what we want.”

Moore added, “We want that physical battle. We want the toughness. We want the violence. That’s what we want.”

He acknowledged Ohio State’s physical play as well.

“They’re playing really well. They’re playing physical as well. So, we’ve got to match it, and they’ve got to match us,” Moore said.

Moore talked about the unique intensity players feel when stepping onto the field for their first rivalry game.

When asked how the team ensures no player is overwhelmed by that first experience, Moore explained the preparation process.

“We’ve tried to educate them throughout the year about what this game is all about. Training camp had speakers come and talk about it. We’ll talk about it throughout the week. Throughout the building, they see it every day. They see it even more now,” Moore said.

Moore acknowledged that the initial feeling of intensity can’t be fully prepared for.

“I don’t think there’s really a way to just take away that initial feeling that you’re going to get when you walk on the field. And you kind of don’t want them to take that away,” Moore said.

Moore described the feeling as a motivating “burn,” comparing it to “putting on that favorite song on your AirPods right before the game.”

“You want them to have that feeling a little bit, that little jolt right before the game,” Moore said.

Magnitude of The Game

Moore reflected on the magnitude of “The Game” as Michigan prepares to host Ohio State for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Asked how he would describe the rivalry to those who haven’t experienced it, Moore said, “I was talking to coach Chip Lindsey about it.

He’s been to the Iron Bowl, and we’ve talked to people who have been to the Iron Bowl and been to this one. It’s different. You can’t describe it."

Moore tried to convey the feeling.

“I could try to describe the feeling exactly what it feels like. Oh, it feels like this. It feels like this. I can’t,” Moore said.

Moore recalled a moment from last year during warm-ups.

“I remember last year going on the field with Jaishawn Barham, and we’re running out during warm-ups. He’s like, ‘Oh, this is different.’ And Jaishawn doesn’t say much. So for him to say that, he said, ‘This is different.’"

Moore described the rivalry’s intensity and aura.

“It’s a feeling you can’t really describe until you get on the field. But it’s awesome to be a part of. It’s great to be a part of,” Moore said.

Moore called it “the best rivalry in sports, in my opinion, the funnest one to be a part of. It’s competitive. But there’s nothing like it.”

Matt Patricia

Moore discussed what makes Ohio State’s defense, led by former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia, so different and challenging.

“Those guys play together. They play really good together,” Moore said. “There’s so many different coverages, front variation, blitz variation, and it’s game by game. There’s a story in each game of how he calls the game.”

Injuries

Moore discussed key injuries heading into the matchup vs. Ohio State, including Semaj Morgan, Ernest Hausmann, Max Bredeson, and Rod Moore.

Regarding Bredesen, Moore said, “X-rays—we’ll see. Didn’t look great, but if anybody can push through it, it’s Max Bredesen. We’ll know more as we go through the week.”

He added, “Semaj will be fine, and Ernest will be day-to-day.”

Moore also addressed the status of Rod, confirming, “Rod will be out. Most likely out for the season.”