Michigan
COLUMN: Even if he lands Bryce Underwood, can Sherrone Moore lead Michigan Football back to success?
Replacing Jim Harbaugh was always going to be a next-to-impossible task for the University of Michigan.
Harbaugh has won at every coaching stop he’s been. He led Stanford to a AP Top 5 finish, the San Francisco 49ers to three straight NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl appearances, and the Wolverines to an average of 10.5 wins per full season, three straight Big Ten titles and a national championship. Harbaugh is one of the very best coaches at any level of football, and you don’t just replace a guy like that.
Particularly, with a guy who’s never been a head coach before.
Even before Harbaugh ultimately made the decision to return to the NFL, I had serious misgivings over Michigan’s perceived plan to promote then-offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore from within the program to replace its star head coach. Fresh off a national championship, the Michigan job should have been one of the most coveted in the country (even with all the NCAA uncertainty surrounding the program). Was a first-time head coach really the best decision?
Some of those concerns were alleviated when I heard different national college football analysts like Joel Klatt proclaim their belief that Moore was the right fit for Michigan to continue what Harbaugh had built in Ann Arbor. Fast forward 10 games into Moore’s tenure as head coach, as the Wolverines’ fall to 5-5 with Saturday’s 20-15 loss to undefeated Indiana, all of those doubts and then some have returned over Michigan’s direction as a football program.
Yes, Michigan lost a ton of outstanding players to the NFL this offseason. Yes, Harbaugh gutted the Wolverines’ coaching staff, and his late decision to depart hamstrung Michigan’s ability to add talent out of the transfer portal, particularly at quarterback. With that understood, Moore and the staff he hired at Michigan have still underachieved with the talent they do have in Schembechler Hall.
Michigan’s defense played inspired in the second half against the No. 8 Hoosiers, shutting down Indiana’s high-powered offense with a dominant run defense, a relentless pass rush and strong coverage on the back end. But, that half has been the exception this season.
Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale may be the “O.G.” of the defensive system Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter run to great success in Ann Arbor, but the two young bucks clearly surpassed their mentor (Martindale) in their abilities to stifle opposing offenses. More often than not, Martindale has made head-scratching decisions in how he’s used NFL-ready talent like Mason Graham and others. And Martindale has mostly come up short in adjusting to young personnel who aren’t ready to execute an NFL-style system.
On the other side of the ball, offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell has been a dreadful play-caller throughout the year for the Wolverines. The quarterbacks coach has routinely stunted Michigan’s momentum with the Alex Orji packages, and/or has been inconceivably predictable and unwilling to break tendency while calling a game. Sure, not having a Power 4 level quarterback is limiting for any offensive coordinator, but Campbell has done nothing to make things easier for Davis Warren or Orji out there.
There’s one thing Moore and his staff have done very well this season — recruit. Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class ranks No. 11 in the country, and is a Top 10 haul based on average prospect rating. Moore has also found a way to unlock more of Michigan’s NIL potential, with boosters like Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy being willing to open their wallets in an attempt to flip five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, among others.
Here’s the concern though: Even if Michigan flips Underwood from LSU, and/or lands a Top 10-caliber class in this cycle, can this staff be trusted to coach and develop that class to the level needed to compete for championships again?
Nothing Michigan’s staff has done this season suggests so.
Defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan is a great example of this duality on U-M’s staff. Morgan has landed big win after big win on the recruiting trail since being hired by Moore, but Michigan’s secondary has been inconsistent at best, and totally lost at worst, on the field for much of this season.
Michigan has gone from one of the most sure-tackling teams in the country to one that routinely misses tackles, in some of the biggest moments especially. That falls on the entire defensive coaching staff, whether it be the techniques being taught or the way this staff has practiced it throughout the season.
While the Wolverines played hard, battled and had themselves in position to knock off a Top 10 team against Indiana on Saturday, the same coaching shortcomings reared their ugly heads again, and some new ones have emerged as well.
Campbell’s playcalling was dreadful, particularly in the red zone. Moore made several questionable decisions, like okaying a run on 3rd-and-7, cutting the down and distance in half, but then choosing to take a delay-of-game and punt rather than going for it in Indiana territory.
How about the decision to not give Kalel Mullings — Michigan’s most effective rusher — a carry until the second quarter. Moore told CBS’ Jenny Dell at halftime that the Wolverines were “going with the hot hand” in Donovan Edwards and Benjamin Hall, despite the fact that Hall had only seven carries this season prior to today. Was Moore just giving Dell coach-speak to cover up another reason for Mullings absence? One would certainly hope, because not much else about that decision or the reason given makes a whole lot of sense.
Kalel Mullings saw just one carry in the first half against Indiana. He scored a touchdown and saw more carries in the second half. But why was his usage the way it was?
Sherrone Moore explained it after the game.
STORY:https://t.co/iafwxL5CD3 pic.twitter.com/b0vmgCMI8o — Trent Knoop (@TrentKnoop) November 10, 2024
Finally, after Michigan’s tackling issue reared its ugly head again on Indiana’s last possession, Moore looked like a deer in headlights while letting 28 seconds tick off the clock before calling the first of Michigan’s three timeouts. Sure, the Wolverines were likely cooked by that point, facing a 2nd-and-2 and needing a stop for any hope of getting one more possession, but Moore’s indecision cost Michigan nearly a half-minute.
Throughout this entire season, Moore has looked like a young head coach who’s in way over his head leading one of the most prominent programs in college football. In one offseason, this program has regressed back to the spot it was in before Harbaugh led an instant turnaround in Ann Arbor. Moore was hired with the goal of continuity, but this looks far more like Brady Hoke or Rich Rodriguez’s Michigan program than it does Harbaugh’s.
What the Wolverines’ have been able to do on the recruiting trail has brought some excitement and hope for the future under Moore, but the overall downgrade in coaching between the previous regime and this current one undermines much of that optimism.
Look, Michigan isn’t going to fire Sherrone Moore after just one season as head coach. While I understand that reality, I also believe it’s never too soon to correct a mistake, and I’ve never felt more strongly that promoting Moore from within after Harbaugh’s departure was a mistake. In my opinion, a proven head coach who can bring in a fresh, modern offensive identity is needed badly. There’s little indication that a move like that will be made this offseason, but based on what we’ve seen in 2024, it feels like a change in direction will be necessary in two or three years.
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Porter Martone becomes first teenager to score game-winning goals in his first two NHL playoff games.
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Three Michigan State recruits will represent Team USA at the world U18 hockey championships in Bratislava and Trencin, Slovakia.
The U.S. opens against Czechia on Wednesday (10 a.m., The Hockey Network).
The future Spartans are: defenseman Nick Bogas (Royal Oak), defenseman Tyler Martyniuk (Washington Township) and forward Brooks Rogowski (Brighton).
Other local commits include: defenseman Abe Barnett (University of Michigan) and goalie Luke Carrithers (Western Michigan).
Team USA’s head coach is Nick Fohr (Dexter) with Kevin Porter (Northville) and Dan Darrow (Livonia) among the assistant coaches.
The tournament features 10 countries with the final scheduled for May 2.
Bruins tie series with Sabres
The visiting Boston Bruins scored three second-period goals and held off a late Buffalo Sabres rally to post a 4-2 win on Tuesday and even their Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series at one victory apiece.
Viktor Arvidsson scored in the last two periods, giving the Bruins 1-0 and 4-0 leads. Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha also lit the lamp for Boston, which heads home for Game 3 of the best-of-seven series on Thursday.
Jonathan Aspirot, Casey Mittelstadt and David Pastrnak each dished out two assists for the Bruins, and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves.
Bowen Byram and Peyton Krebs scored as Buffalo climbed within 4-2 in the closing minutes.
Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed four goals on 19 shots before Alex Lyon entered in relief following Arvidsson’s second marker, which came just 16 seconds into the third period.
Buffalo had a 36-26 shot advantage, including 20-8 in the third period, but its power play went 0-for-5. Boston finished 1-for-6 on the man advantage.
The physical contest featured 47 penalty minutes for each team.
Following a scoreless opening period, the Bruins took over in the second, scoring on three of their 11 shots against Luukkonen.
Arvidsson broke the deadlock 4:54 into the middle frame, taking Aspirot’s lob pass in ahead of the defense and beating Luukkonen five-hole with a backhander from the left circle.
A gaffe by Luukkonen helped Boston double its lead with 3:31 left in the period, as Geekie’s high backhanded dump from the far side of center ice eluded him over the glove.
The Bruins’ power play got in on the action 1:41 later. After Geekie’s one- handed keep-in at the blue line extended the play, Zacha tipped in Pastrnak’s shot from the top of the right circle while stationed in the bumper position.
Arvidsson made it 4-0 early in the third, prompting Sabres coach Lindy Ruff to change goaltenders. Aspirot banked a long feed off the boards to set up the play, leading Arvidsson down the left wing to score on a 2-on-1 rush with Zacha.
The Sabres struck twice in a 1:14 span to make things interesting. Byram accepted Beck Malenstyn’s back pass for a wrister from the top of the right circle to break Swayman’s shutout bid with 6:06 left.
Krebs soon made it 4-2, batting down and scoring the rebound of a Rasmus Dahlin point shot that caromed off the post and back into the crease.
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Michigan mother of three talks about how she broke her kratom addiction
Melanie Clark, 35, of Kincheloe in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has fought a four-year-long addiction to kratom, the so-called “gas station heroin.”
Michigan lawmakers are debating a complete ban on the sale of kratom products in the state, citing cases of addiction and instances of death from people consuming the herbal supplement known as the “gas station heroin.”
Here is what to know about this unregulated herbal substance commonly sold in convenience stores, gas stations and tobacco shops across Michigan:
What is kratom?
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia whose leaves contain compounds that can produce stimulant effects at low doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. It is manufactured and sold in different forms: liquid tonics, tablets, gummies, powders and capsules.
What is kratom used for?
Kratom is marketed as a herbal supplement for energy, mood, pain relief or opioid withdrawal, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any of those uses. Some kratom users take it to get off heroin or fentanyl, according to University of Michigan researchers.
How is kratom pronounced?
Kratom is pronounced KRA-tum. The letter “a” takes a short “a” sound, as in crab or crack.
What is 7-OH?
7-hydroxymitragynin, or 7-OH, is an alkaloid found in kratom leaves. It is manufactured in a synthetic form to produce an opioid-like sensation of pain relief or sedation. It is more potent than pure leaf kratom and sometimes referred to as the hard liquor version of kratom (if pure leaf kratom were considered beer, which typically has a much lower percentage of alcohol by volume compared with distilled liquor).
Is kratom an opioid or addictive?
Kratom users, substance abuse counselors and doctors report symptoms of dependence and withdrawal from the substance, particularly when users exceed the recommended serving size.
The Drug Enforcement Agency has warned that kratom has “sedative effects” that “can lead to addiction.”
On July 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved to declare certain 7-hydroxymitragynine synthetic kratom products a Schedule I controlled substance, the same class of drugs as heroin, ecstasy and peyote. As of April 9, the substance had not yet been formally added to the list of Schedule I drugs, which would effectively ban 7-OH nationwide.
Does kratom have side effects?
The FDA has warned that kratom use can lead to liver toxicity, seizures or substance use disorder.
Withdrawal from the substance can lead to increased anxiety, insomnia and psychiatric episodes, according to University of Michigan researchers.
Dr. Eliza Hutchinson, a family physician based in Ann Arbor who is a clinical instructor at UM, said her substance abuse patients describe withdrawal from kratom as “the worst influenza of your life — times 10.”
CARE Southeastern Michigan, a recovery advocacy group, has reported some individuals experiencing psychotic episodes after taking 7-OH, the synthetic form of kratom.
The FDA has also said kratom is “not appropriate for use as a dietary supplement” and unsafe as an additive to food. The powder and liquid forms of kratom are sometimes marketed as an additive to shakes and smoothies.
Does kratom show up on a drug test?
Yes, if it’s part of a specialized screening of narcotics and other substances that looks for active ingredients in kratom products.
Some substance abuse clinics in Michigan are starting to test for it, said Madison Lauder, a counselor at The Guidance Center in Southgate.
“We see you so often, we have added into our (drug test) panel,” Lauder said.
Is there any age restriction on buying kratom in Michigan?
No, Michigan has no laws governing the sale of kratom and related synthetics, such as 7-OH.
But retailers set their own rules. Some stores won’t sell to anyone under age 21.
Some of the 7-OH kratom products on the shelves of stores are labeled “21+.”
But there’s no law on the books in Michigan requiring buyers to show a photo ID when buying kratom, as is required to purchase alcohol, tobacco or marijuana.
Which states have bans on selling kratom?
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin have outright bans on the sale of kratom.
In December, Ohio’s Board of Pharmacy used the state’s controlled substance laws to ban the retail sale, distribution and possession of 7-OH and other synthetic forms of kratom, board spokesman Cameron McNamee said.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has a separate proposal to ban natural kratom products that remains in the rulemaking process, McNamee said.
Some cities and counties across the country have imposed varying local sales bans, including Anaheim, Calif., Spokane, Wash., and the New York City suburbs of Nassau County on Long Island, according to published reports.
What’s the status of legislation to ban kratom in Michigan?
On March 18, the Republican-controlled Michigan House voted 56-48 on legislation that would completely ban the sale of kratom products in Michigan. All 46 Democrats and two Republicans opposed the legislation.
Democrats cited a lack of any committee hearings on the legislation.
“There is no question of the growing concern around this product, and no one is saying, with this vote or otherwise, that the concern isn’t justified,” the House Democratic caucus said in a statement. “What we are saying is an outright ban, without any testimony or dialogue, is not the solution.”
The bill moved to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, assigned it to her Government Operations Committee.
Some kratom industry interests and individual users have advocated for a ban on just the 7-OH synthetic form of kratom.
Sen. Kevin Hertel, the St. Clair Shores Democrat who chairs the Senate Health Policy Committee, said the House’s passage of a total ban on kratom has changed the debate toward prohibition, which he favors until the FDA can further study the substance and its impact on the human body.
clivengood@detroitnews.com
Staff Writers Anne Snabes and Beth LeBlanc contributed.
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