RUSH OFFENSE vs. WMU RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan was #2 in the Big Ten in 2025 with 210 yards/game on the ground and averaged the highest yards per carry (5.44) of any team in the conference, which might be surprising to some, considering the ho-hum season and general feeling about Michigan football last season. They finished with 33 rushing touchdowns (#3 in the conference) but played in only thirteen games, while the top two teams - Indiana and Oregon - played sixteen and fifteen games, respectively. The bad thing is that Michigan swapped out Justice Haynes (who transferred to Georgia Tech) for freshman Savion Hiter. Hiter is undoubtedly talented, but probably not quite as advanced as Haynes was in 2025. Meanwhile, Utah was #2 in the country in rushing (266 yards/game) and #1 in yards per carry (6.02), and Michigan imported Utah's offense with offensive coordinator Jason Beck and offensive line coach Jim Harding. The offensive line is mostly new in 2026; right tackle Andrew Sprague is the only full-time starter returning in the same spot, with part-time starters Blake Frazier (LT), Evan Link (LG), Jake Guarnera (C), Nate Efobi (RG), and Brady Norton (RG) also playing quite a bit. Beck stated earlier this week that there will be a rotation at guard, presumably between Link, Efobi, and Norton, until they decide on a winner. Western Michigan went 10-4 last season and finished #2 in the MAC in yards allowed on the ground (126 yards/game). Their top three tacklers from last season are gone, but they return fifth year senior CB Jarvarius Sims (6'0", 188 lbs.) and redshirt junior S Micah Davis (6'1", 200), who were #4 and #5 in tackles last season. Davis was a walk-on at Michigan from 2022-2023 before transferring to WMU and will be starting once again in 2026. The entire front four consists of transfers from FCS Long Island, JUCO Kilgore College, Ohio State, and Ball State, and none of them is taller than 6'1". The starting linebackers are fifth year seniors Domanick Moon (6'2", 235) and Dillon Moore (6'2", 223), who were both backups last season and had 23 and 19 tackles, respectively. The Broncos gave up 4.1 and 4.4 yards per carry last season to Michigan State and Illinois, and Michigan is a better running team than either. I expect the Wolverines to be able to control the game on the ground.
Advantage: Michigan
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PASS OFFENSE vs. WMU PASS DEFENSE
Michigan was #14 in the conference in passing offense (187 yards/game) last year with limited wide receivers and a freshman quarterback. Bryce Underwood averaged a respectable 7.2 yards/attempt, but he had just 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, which was not a significant upgrade over Davis Warren in 2024 (7 touchdowns, 9 interceptions). The receiving corps has been upgraded to include a sophomore Andrew Marsh (45 catches, 651 yards, 4 TD), sophomore Utah transfer J.J. Buchanan (27 catches, 426 yards, 6 TD), and #3 receiver Channing Goodwin (12 catches, 148 yards). Last year's pass catching crew included WR Semaj Morgan (now at UCLA), who dropped a lot of balls; WR Donaven McCulley (graduated), who never seemed to be on the same page as Underwood; and TE Marlin Klein (now with the Houston Texans), who was injured for a good chunk of the year. The offensive line should be better in pass protection with Harding in charge and another year under the belts of the offensive linemen. Western Michigan defensive end Scoop Gardner, Jr. (6'1", 255) had 14.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks last year at Long Island, but this is a step up in competition and he's undersized. We have seen Michigan pass rushers be successful despite being undersized, but he probably didn't see many 6'6" or 6'8", 300+ pound offensive tackles with good feet at LIU, so that will be an interesting battle to watch. On the back end, WMU is starting 5'11", 165 lb. Joey Pope at safety next to Micah Davis; Pope is also undersized but had 44 tackles and 3 interceptions for the Broncos last year. The guy to watch might be fifth year senior Jervarius Sims (6'0", 188), who had 64 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack last year while moving around some in the secondary. Michigan will probably try to establish the run early, but there are usually some attempted big shots against MAC secondaries.
Advantage: Michigan
RUSH DEFENSE vs. WMU RUSH OFFENSE
Michigan's rush defense was solid last year (112 yards allowed/game), good enough for #6 in the conference under defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. But Martindale was replaced this off-season by BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill, who promises that this defense will look like the 2023 Michigan defense. It seems like Michigan fans have latched onto that idea pretty quickly, but then-defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is now an NFL head coach and Hill's BYU defense was just so-so in 2025 (#35 in yards allowed per play). I'm in wait-and-see mode when it comes to the defense, because I'm not sure Michigan has the horses to be a high-quality defense in 2026 with all-new linebackers and a questionable interior. Meanwhile, WMU returns 6'1", 210 lb. redshirt junior QB Broc Lowry (203 carries, 963 yards, 14 rushing TDs) and fifth year senior running back Jalen Buckley (5'11", 210), who had 1,003 yards and 9 touchdowns on 179 attempts. The offensive line has three fifth year seniors and two redshirt sophomores, none of whom is particularly physically imposing except for left tackle Brandon Smith (6'4", 315). Smith is also the only newcomer, so the players have worked together for a while. Offensive coordinator Walt Bell is in his third season in Kalamazoo, and he commanded a pretty potent offense in 2025. Bell is well known to Michigan fans after spending time at Maryland and Indiana in the past, and his offenses have been kind of fun to watch, even though Michigan's physical superiority and coaching have got the best of him. I don't think Michigan will clobber WMU up front like they would have in years past, and I expect Lowry and Buckley to have a few really annoying, explosive plays as they expose some new linebackers with motions and formations.
Advantage: Michigan
PASS DEFENSE vs. WMU PASS OFFENSE
Michigan was #12 in the Big Ten last year in pass defense (211 yards allowed/game) and #7 in the conference in passer rating allowed. The good news is that the secondary should be better with several players returning (Rod Moore if healthy, Zeke Berry, Jyaire Hill) and a couple touted transfers (Memphis safety Chris Bracy and Utah cornerback Smith Snowden). The defensive coaches are also high on Michigan's edge rushers, including Utah transfer John Henry Daley and holdovers Dom Nichols and Nate Marshall. The interior guys probably won't get after the passer much, but they didn't get much pass rush from the tackles in 2025, either. I expect Michigan to get more turnovers and sacks in 2026, even if the run defense suffers a little bit. Meanwhile, WMU was #12 in the MAC last year in passing yards (139 yards/game) and #7 in passing efficiency, despite the success of the run. Lowry had 1,803 passing yards, 9 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions on 6.9 yards/attempt and 63.4% completions. Against Big Ten opponents Michigan State and Illinois, he was 15/26 for 169 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. He doesn't have much arm strength and only threw for 200+ yards twice in fourteen games. Wide receivers Baylin Brooks (6'0", 207) and Aveion Chenault (6'0", 177) are the top two returning receivers, and they combined for 50 catches, 649 yards, and 2 touchdowns last season. All the noteworthy tight ends were seniors last year, so it's an all new group in 2026. Overall, I have a feeling that Daley, Nichols, Hill, Zeke Berry, and the rest of the defensive crew will smother WMU, with the Broncos best chance to target the inexperienced linebackers.
Advantage: Michigan
ROSTER NOTES
- Western Michigan players who used to play for Michigan include: RB Cole Cabana (4th string), S Micah Davis (starter), OG Ben Roebuck (2nd string)
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED...
- Michigan beat WMU by a score of 47-14 in 2021
- QB Cade McNamara completed 9/11 passes for 136 yards and 2 TD
- QB J.J. McCarthy threw his first TD pass, a 69-yarder from the opposite hash to Daylen Baldwin
- RB Blake Corum ran 14 times for 111 yards and 1 touchdown
- WR A.J. Henning had a 74-yard rushing touchdown
- WR Ronnie Bell caught a 76-yard touchdown and returned 1 punt for 31 yards before tearing his ACL
PREDICTION
- Michigan 44, WMU 6
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