TAYLOR UPSHAW

While the Wolverines think they have found one star in the making, the hunt is on to fill the other. And Taylor Upshaw, a fifth-year senior lurking on the fringes in recent years, believes he fits the bill. “I have all the intangibles to be one of the most versatile players in the country,” Upshaw, listed at 6-foot-4 and 262 pounds, told reporters on Tuesday. “Credit to those guys — when they had their opportunity, they went off and they did a lot for our football team,” Upshaw said. “We have a lot of new guys — including myself — who are going to have to take on roles they’ve never had,” Upshaw said.

Earlier this year, players praised first-year coordinator Mike Macdonald and his new-look staff for the give-and-take that goes on behind the scenes at Schembechler Hall. As a result, Hill-Green made his first collegiate start in the season opener against Western Michigan. Colson, a true freshman, has taken on the starting role in recent weeks. In an interview with reporters this week, Macdonald said he’s had to have frank conversations about their role and playing time last week. And he’s backed it up in recent weeks with personnel changes, like Colson starting over Hill-Green at inside linebacker and D.J.

Unlike Michigan’s past two trips to State College, this Saturday’s game at Penn State won’t be a night game -- kickoff is scheduled for 12:06 p.m. 23 Penn State (6-3, 3-3). Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and a pair of players, offensive lineman Trevor Keegan and defensive lineman Taylor Upshaw, spoke about embracing that challenge during Monday’s press conference. Harbaugh also spoke about the notion of “saving” plays or schemes for important games later in the season. The players addressed bouncing back from the first loss of the season, at Michigan State, to beat Indiana this past Saturday, as well as the importance of the final three weeks of the regular season: at Penn State, at Maryland, and at home against Ohio State.

ANN ARBOR – Michigan remained alive in the Big Ten East with a 29-7 victory over Indiana on Saturday. The senior made the most of the added workload, totaling a career-high yards 168 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. He also had a key 20-yard reception that set up Michigan first-and-goal in the second quarter. He had a sack in the second quarter and then blew up a run play in the backfield on a third-and-2 in the fourth quarter. But he received the most playing time he has all season against Indiana and had a solid game with four tackles.

Roman Wilson, who was emerging as a top target for the sixth-ranked Wolverines, is in uniform and going through pre-game warmups ahead of Saturday’s game against Northwestern (noon, FOX). Wilson, who is sporting a wrap on his left hand, sat out Michigan’s 32-29 win at Nebraska two weeks ago. Another starting guard, Zak Zinter, exited the game with an injury but is in uniform and expected to be available today. With Keegan out, look for redshirt junior Chuck Filiaga and redshirt sophomore Karsen Barnhart to get extended playing time at guard. ... Twenty minutes before kickoff, Michigan remains a 23 1/2-point favorite over the Wildcats at sports books across the country.

Michigan’s football team is set to return two starters along the defensive line this fall, but there are question marks about health and depth. The introduction of first-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald presents new opportunity for a defensive line that has plenty of promise and experience. Guy, Ike Iwunnah, George RooksLike linebacker, Michigan isn’t short of bodies along the defensive line. Thirteen scholarship players are back from a year ago — plus, the coaching staff moved Jack Stewart from offensive line to defensive line. That will need to change this offseason — and, according to Hutchinson, Jeter is already beginning to emerge as a vocal leader up front.

Here are five things we learned about Michigan football this week. Hutchinson has been one of the Wolverines' most productive defensive players the past two seasons and won’t easily be replaced. Harbaugh agitated when asked about Michigan futureHarbaugh’s contract situation continues to receive national attention with Michigan’s slow start. Get Wolverine Confidential texts straight to your phone from our Michigan football writers. Michigan football players, families adjust to new Big Ten postgame protocolsSpeed gets freshman WR Roman Wilson on the field quickly for Michigan footballMichigan secondary coach: ‘We’re going to get it fixed’

The 13th-ranked Badgers are set to play at Michigan on Saturday night, three weeks after their season-opening win. Wisconsin has been idle because it canceled two games due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the program. “It’s been kind of weird and sad a little bit, not being able to play," Badgers receiver Kendric Pryor said. The Badgers bounced back well enough with testing results that athletic director Barry Alvarez announced Monday the team would be back on the field against the Wolverines (1-2, 1-2), confident that the coronavirus outbreak has been handled. Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 24, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, might play at Michigan.

“It’s a huge opportunity for me,” Upshaw, a redshirt sophomore from Bradenton, Fla., told reporters on Monday. "Obviously when you have Aiden or Kwity — two guys that we rely on — go down, it’s really going to affect the game. He was redshirt his freshman season and did not see game action, then appeared in just six games in 2019, totaling two tackles. More: Michigan secondary coach: ‘We’re going to get it fixed’“Taylor Upshaw just gets better everyday,” Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown said this week on WXYT-FM radio in Detroit. I’m going to be competitive.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan football made plenty of huge plays in its blowout win over Minnesota, but what about the under-the-radar moments that helped Jim Harbaugh’s team maintain control of the game? Upshaw’s tackle ultimately saved Michigan four points, and instead of a tie game, the Wolverines maintained a 14-10 lead. Four plays later, Haskins punched the ball into the end zone to give Michigan an 18-point lead, and the game was virtually over. After coming out with an impressive touchdown drive to get back within 11 points, Minnesota kicked off and forced a fumble during Blake Corum’s return. “There was a ton of hustle plays throughout the game,” Harbaugh said.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Which pair of Michigan football players who share a jersey number will unite to be the most valuable this season? This year’s roster, with the new rule in place, has 45 duos who will wear the same jersey number. Some of the Michigan jersey number duos contain players who will contribute on different sides of the ball. 1: Both players must wear a jersey number for the entire season for their stats to qualify in favor of said jersey number. Other eligible duosHere are all the other jersey number duos listed on the 2020 Michigan football roster, as of Oct. 16.

Every single recruiting class is important, and the Wolverines have reached the point where the 2018 class -- by far Harbaugh’s most criticized group -- has to make major contributions. Remembering the 2018 recruiting cycleThe 2018 class was recruited amid Michigan’s worst season of the Harbaugh era. The result was Michigan’s only full recruiting class to be ranked outside the top 20 since Harbaugh took over. Michigan’s recruiting has since rebounded, but that 2018 unit will play a major role in the coming seasons. 18 in MissouriRole: Guaranteed starterNobody better exemplifies the 2018 class than Bell, and everyone who follows Michigan football knows his story.

Slowly but surely, depth is beginning to form along Michigan’s defensive line. On the outside, names such as Luiji Vilain and David Ojabo have been discussed, as has Taylor Upshaw, a little-known redshirt sophomore who’s appeared in just six games for the Wolverines over the past two seasons. “But Taylor Upshaw has shown a lot of improvement from last year. Vilain, healthy again after injuries hampered in 2017 and 2018, is expected to see more playing time along the end. “I think for the D-end depth, it’s been really great because Taylor Upshaw has been making strides to be a strong 2,” Paye told reporters earlier this month.