This story originally appeared on Michigan Advance.

Michigan State Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet’s husband, Joseph Rivet, may serve as a Bay City commissioner by day, but could a late career pivot to performing stunts be in the works?

In a recently released ad for McDonald Rivet’s campaign to succeed U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, in Congress, Joseph Rivet is presented as jumping out of a moving vehicle, apparently frustrated with hearing his wife talk about cutting taxes.

“We felt it was really important to tell my record on the largest tax cut for working families in Michigan’s history, and I do talk about it incessantly,” said McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City.

Democrats in the Michigan Legislature, holding a trifecta in Lansing for the first time in 40 years, passed a bill in early 2023 that was introduced by McDonald Rivet to boost the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) from 6% to 30% of the federal credit.

She’s facing Paul Junge, a former immigration official under former President Donald Trump. As for his economic policy, Junge told the Michigan Advance that the U.S. needs to lower the tax burden for working families and seniors and take action on lowering inflation. He said Trump’s campaign proposals of no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security and extending the Trump tax cuts are a “a great start.”

The Rivets wanted to “change the tone” in the race against Junge, said Rivet, who’s a former member of the state House. Junge is making a third bid for the U.S. House after previously losing to U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, in 2020 and Kildee in 2022.

“There’s so much negative. I spend so much time explaining to people that records are distorted in the negative stuff,” Rivet said. “But the reaction to this has just been refreshing, for us too. People have just been very responsive, and they appreciate that it’s taking a completely different tact to how we talk about Kristen’s priorities.”

After the commercial began airing, Rivet said he went shopping and, upon arriving at the register, the cashier told him, “Well, I’m glad to see you’re OK.”

“That’s the kind of response we’ve been getting, with a big smile on her face,” Rivet said. “It took me, like, five seconds to realize. You know, I’m like, what? And then I realized, oh, she saw the commercial.”

McDonald Rivet said that after she spoke at a recent event, people were more interested in taking selfies with her husband than with her.

“That sort of upbeat response, and just making people smile and giving them an opportunity to say some lighthearted things, has just been sort of fun,” Rivet said.

While Rivet said he felt a sense that he could do his own stunts, he added that “the smarter folks at the production company suggested that a professional union stuntman would be a far better thing to do. So I relented to their expertise.”

Rivet said he did not see this year’s remake of “The Fall Guy” – noting that he watched the original series starring Lee Majors – he said he was impressed with the professionalism of the stunt team.

“They knew my height, weight … they tried to make sure the stunt man really did sort of resemble my build and all those kinds of things,” Rivet said. “And they were serious. He practiced. They have a whole stunt safety team who goes through everything to make sure that everything’s done safely. It was impressive to watch.

But don’t rule out a second career just yet, he said.

“I still – if somebody’s a little more flexible with the chance of a nearly 60-year-old guy hurting himself, breaking something, then I might be willing to do it,” Rivet said. “I understand [Tom] Cruise does his own stunts, so, you know, who knows? I thought I was up for it, but they decided to err on the side of caution.”

While McDonald Rivet said there was a debate on staff about whether the ad was “too over the top,” she said she knew when she first read the script that the ad would be a hit.

“I read the script for the first time and literally laughed out loud,” McDonald Rivet said. “I had to put the paper down, I was laughing so hard.”

“It’s good fun and great substance,” McDonald Rivet said. “Politics doesn’t have to be awful. Every ad doesn’t need to be rooted in hate and fear. We can just talk about what we’ve done, and I think if you can get people to laugh and understand that you’re a human being … that’s good politics, too.”

Michigan Advance is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Susan J. Demas for questions: [email protected]. Follow Michigan Advance on Facebook and X.

LPH Men’s College Player of the Week

Garrett Schifsky

Forward

University of Michigan

Andover High School

Garrett Schifsky recorded a hat trick Friday in Michigan’s 4-1 win over Arizona State. The Andover native scored two short-handed goals, including the game-winner in the second period. A native of Andover, the 5’9″ center scored 60 points in 2020-21, helping lead the Huskies to the state tournament. He went on to play two seasons at Waterloo in the USHL before joining the University fo Michigan last season where he racked up an impressive 34 points in 41 games, earning him Big Ten All-Freshman honors. This season Schifsky is off to a great start with four goals and an assist through the team’s first four games.

Name: Garrett Schifsky

Team: University of Michigan

Jersey #: 17

Age: 21

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Andover

High School: Andover

Junior Team: Waterloo Blackhawks

2023-24 stats: 41GP-16G-18A-34TP

Career Collegiate Stats: 45G-20G-27- 47 TP

Junior Stats: 125GP-58G-42A-100 TP

High School Stats: 70GP-52G-46A- 98 TP

Awards/Accomplishments:

• B1G Ten All Freshman Team
• First Career Points vs Providence (10/7/23)
• Two Assists in Regional semifinal vs North Dakota (3/29/24)
• Two Assists in Regional final vs MSU (3/31/34)
• Third Team All-USHL 2022-23
• Competed in the BioSteel All Star Game
• Scored Twice in WJAC (World Juniors) Gold Medal Game
• Led Andover to Class AA State Hockey Tournament in 2020 and 2021
• Led the Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL) in scoring during the final two junior seasons.
• Named Captain and Assistant Captain in Waterloo

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The expanded Big Ten means more cross-country flights and, for teams that lose on the road, more time to sit in an airplane and ruminate.

Michigan had one of those somber flights after losing at Washington. With six games remaining, the Wolverines have two regular-season losses for the first time since 2020 and face a daunting schedule in the second half. For a program that’s accustomed to being on top, adjusting to that new reality was like a nasty case of jet lag.

“It wasn’t a moment where we all had to sit back and weep or overthink what was going on,” safety Quinten Johnson said. “We took it all in, and after 24 hours, we flushed it. We got better from it.”

With an extra week to prepare for Saturday’s game at No. 22 Illinois, the No. 24 Wolverines (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) dusted off the playbook for avoiding back-to-back losses. Coach Sherrone Moore told the players not to let one game beat them twice. The Wolverines talked about relying on their team leaders, taking things one day at a time, not getting caught up in the outside noise. These are familiar sentiments for a team coming off a disappointing loss, but it’s been a long time since anybody had to use them at Michigan.

“Guys on this team, some of them have never lost before, especially in the regular season,” edge rusher Josaiah Stewart said. “It’s kind of hard for them to stomach that. You’ve just got to push through. Some guys have lost on this team, so it’s just showing them how to respond.”

As the second half of the season begins, here’s a midseason report card for each of Michigan’s position groups.

Quarterbacks: D

It’s tough to find many positives for Michigan’s quarterbacks in the first half of the season. Davis Warren, Alex Orji and Jack Tuttle have thrown eight interceptions, and Michigan’s interception rate of 6 percent ranks 133rd out of 134 FBS teams, per TruMedia. The Wolverines are averaging 115 passing yards per game, last among all Power 4 teams. In some ways, Michigan is fortunate to be 4-2 after getting such dismal production from its passing game.

Tuttle will be taking over as Michigan’s starter against Illinois after missing the first five games with an injury. He came off the bench against Washington and gave the offense a spark, despite having limited reps with the first unit in practice. If Tuttle can give Michigan C-plus quarterback play in the second half of the season, it would be a noticeable improvement and might be enough to stabilize Michigan’s offense.

Offensive line: C

Michigan’s offensive line has improved since Week 1, but not quickly enough. The quarterbacks have been pressured way too often — the Wolverines rank 116th in pressure rate allowed, according to TruMedia — which has contributed to Michigan’s turnover problems. The run blocking, though solid at times, hasn’t been dominant. Redshirt freshman Evan Link has been up and down after beating out more experienced players for the right tackle job, and the center position has been a grab bag between Dominick Giudice and Greg Crippen. Injuries have also become an issue, as Giudice and left tackle Myles Hinton both missed the Washington game.

Some teams can get by with average O-line play, but Michigan isn’t one of them. The Wolverines need to get back to being dominant up front if they want to be successful.

Running backs: B+

Where would Michigan be without Kalel Mullings?

His performances against USC and Minnesota helped the Wolverines win two games that easily could have gone the other way, and he’s continued to be the most consistent option for Michigan’s offense. Michigan fans know what to expect from Donovan Edwards by now: He’s going to break some big plays, as he did against Washington and USC, but he’s also going to have some droughts. The biggest issue is that Michigan hasn’t been able to get both running backs going at the same time.

Wide receivers: D

Through six games, Michigan’s wide receivers have 31 receptions for 280 yards. There are 187(!) players in the FBS with at least that many receiving yards. Whether you call that a quarterback problem or a wide receiver problem, the reality is that it’s both.

Michigan hasn’t been able to get the ball to Semaj Morgan and Tyler Morris when they’re open, and the wide receivers haven’t been open frequently enough when quarterbacks have had time to throw. Michigan’s transfer portal additions, C.J. Charleston and Amorion Walker, have one reception each for 22 yards, and no wide receiver has a reception of longer than 31 yards. The explosive plays just haven’t been there for this unit, and that’s on everybody.

Tight ends: A

If there’s one position group that escapes blame for Michigan’s offensive struggles, it’s this one. Colston Loveland has consistently gotten open despite being the clear No. 1 option, and Marlin Klein was a capable replacement when Loveland was injured. Max Bredeson is an old-school tight end/fullback who’s led the way for a lot of Michigan’s biggest plays on the ground. It’s a shame that the offense has been held back by so many other issues, because this tight end group is fun to watch.

Colston Loveland has a team-high 29 catches for 261 yards. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Edge/defensive line: B+

Michigan’s front four has been pretty much as advertised. Josaiah Stewart is on pace for double-digit sacks and has 8.5 tackles for loss. Mason Graham has had flashes of dominance that show why he’s a potential top-10 pick, and TJ Guy has backed up the offseason buzz with disruptive plays off the edge. Though the defense has taken a step back in some areas, Michigan still has a top-10 run defense, with opponents averaging 2.9 yards per rush. Perhaps the only knock on this unit is that it hasn’t been dominant enough to cover up issues on the back end.

Linebacker: C

In hindsight, Michigan’s coaches should have been a bit more measured in their praise for Jaishawn Barham. The Maryland transfer was described as a game-wrecker in practice, but against offenses other than Michigan’s, he hasn’t delivered the same level of disruption. The new starters at linebacker, Barham and Ernest Hausmann, had a rough start to the season, though they’ve cleaned up some of their mistakes in recent weeks. This is still a talented unit, but it’s surprising that Barham has gone six games without getting a sack or forcing a turnover.

Secondary: C

This secondary is too good to be allowing this many explosive plays. It’s tough to run on Michigan, so the Wolverines are defending more downfield passes than a lot of other teams. Still, it’s alarming that teams have been able to find vulnerabilities in Michigan’s secondary with such frequency.

The Wolverines clearly miss Rod Moore, who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. The new starters, including Zeke Berry at nickel and Jyaire Hill at corner, have been in the right place a lot of the time, but when they’re not, teams have found ways to exploit it. Will Johnson is still doing Will Johnson things, but even his two pick sixes haven’t been enough to outweigh the inconsistencies elsewhere in the secondary.

Special teams: B

If everybody on the team had Dominic Zvada’s consistency, the Wolverines would be in a much better place. Zvada is 8-for-8 on field goal attempts and 4-for-4 from 50-plus. Punter Tommy Doman hasn’t been as consistent, and this year it actually matters. If Michigan wants to play the field position game — and at this point, the Wolverines don’t have much of a choice — the punting unit needs to execute at a higher level.

GO DEEPER

Michigan mailbag: How does Sherrone Moore need to change? Can O-line be fixed?

Coaching: C

Last year, Sherrone Moore and Jesse Minter could trust their players to execute almost anything on the call sheet. That’s not the case this year for Kirk Campbell and Wink Martindale. Players are responsible for executing what’s called, and when that’s not happening, it’s up to the coaches to adjust. Nothing’s working? That’s a roster problem, a coaching problem, or both.

Ultimately, it’s up to Moore to build a team that’s capable of contending in the Big Ten and advancing in the College Football Playoff. Over the final six games, the Wolverines are going to find out exactly how they match up with Oregon, Indiana and Ohio State, three CFP contenders. If they don’t like the answer, it’s up to them to change it.

(Top photo of Kalel Mullings: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)