Michigan
Michigan football opponent preview: Arkansas State
Arkansas State is out to its first 2-0 start in a long time under former Tennessee head coach Butch Jones. The Red Wolves have been in some shootouts so far this year with both Central Arkansas and Tulsa. But Arkansas State has found ways to win both games and the Red Wolves are entering the Big House this weekend.
Michigan, on the other hand, is coming off of a big loss to Texas last weekend. The Wolverines are hoping to right their wrongs against an undermatched Arkansas State team. The Red Wolves may come from the Sun Belt, but as Jones said earlier this week, his team is going to dig, watch the Texas tape, and see if his team has any sort of advantage they can use on Saturday.
Saturday will make the first-ever matchup between the two programs. The game will be aired on Big Ten Network and will kick at Noon ET.
Here are some stats to look at along with some noteable Arkansas State players to watch.
2024 stat comparison:
Scoring offense: Michigan (103rd) 21 PPG — Arkansas State (68th) 31 PPG
Scoring defense: Michigan (70th) 20.5 PPG — Arkansas State (102nd) 27.5 PPG
Passing offense: Michigan (113th) 162.5 YPG — Arkansas State (37th) 286 YPG
Passing defense: Michigan (98th) 240.5 YPG — Arkansas State (70th) 198 YPG
Rushing offense: Michigan (101st) 114 YPG — Arkansas State (85th) 140.5 YPG
Rushing defense: Michigan (25th) 76 YPG — Arkansas State (115th) 199 YPG
Total offense: Michigan (120th) 276.5 YPG — Arkansas State (52nd) 426.5 YPG
Total defense: Michigan (70th) 316.5 YPG — Arkansas State (100th) 397 YPG
Turnovers Lost: Michigan 4 — Arkansas State 4
Turnovers Gained: Michigan 2 — Arkansas State 2
Sacks Allowed: Michigan 2 — Arkansas State 4
Sacks: Michigan 3 — Arkansas State 2
2024 PFF comparison:
Overall grade: Michigan (63rd) 81.2 — Arkansas State (108th) 69.4
Offense: Michigan (70th) 70.7 — Arkansas State (109th) 64.0
Passing: Michigan (40th) 78.1 — Arkansas State (108th) 62.0
Pass block: Michigan (117th) 55.0 — Arkansas State (102nd) 60.7
Running: Michigan (46th) 77.2 — Arkansas State (87th) 69.9
Run block: Michigan (45th) 67.1 — Arkansas State (100th) 57.6
Defense: Michigan (92nd) 70.3 — Arkansas State (117th) 64.8
Run defense: Michigan (43rd) 79.5 — Arkansas State (114th) 65.7
Pass rush: Michigan (45th) 69.7 — Arkansas State (72nd) 65.5
Coverage: Michigan (114th) 60.5 — Arkansas State (115th) 60.2
Top Arkansas State players to know:
QB Jaylen Raynor: Raynor is a true dual-threat athlete at quarterback for the Red Wolves. He has thrown for 572 yards, three scores, and two interceptions through the air in two games. Raynor has also rushed for a team-high 122 yards and two scores on the ground. Raynor will test the Michigan linebackers on Saturday.
RB Zak Wallace: As important as Raynor is to the Arkansas State ground game, Wallace is a major part as well. The true bell-cow of the running backs, Wallace has run for 119 yards and two scores for the Red Wolves. The read-option is a big part of the Red Wolves’ offense.
WR Corey Rucker: The 6-foot receiver has dominated the touches and yardage through the air. Rucker is the only receiver who has double-digit receptions sitting at 13 catches on the season. He has a whopping 239 yards and two scores for Arkansas State. Rucker is averaging 18.3 yards per reception.
DE Jayden Jones: The big 6-foot-5, 265-pound lineman has four tackles through two games. But he is leading Arkansas State with 1.5 TFLs and one sack through two games.
LB Charles Willekes: After a 90-tackle campaign in 2023, Willekes is back in 2024 and he’s already racking up the tackles. The linebacker is tied for a team-high 17 tackles in two games. Willekes also has a .5 TFL to his name as well.
S Justin Parks: Parks is the best defender Arkansas State has and is tied with Charles Willekes with 17 tackles on the season. The hard-hitting safety also has forced a fumble for the Arkansas State defense through two games.
– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI –
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Michigan
Michigan State Police patrol car damaged in hit-and-run on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
The Michigan State Police is looking for the driver of a Jeep that the agency said hit one of its patrol cars on Lodge Freeway in Detroit Sunday night.
According to officials, the incident happened at 7:50 p.m. on the northbound side of the freeway near Shaefer Highway. The agency said a trooper was investigating a crash and had the patrol car parked on the right shoulder of the freeway with its emergency lights on when it was rear-ended by the Jeep.
“The impact forced the patrol car to strike the concrete wall on the right shoulder,” according to the agency.
The Jeep then went across three lanes of the freeway and hit a median wall, officials said. The driver, identified by law enforcement as a 29-year-old Detroit woman, left the vehicle and fled the scene.
Michigan State Police First Lieutenant Mike Shaw said that while the trooper was evaluated and cleared at the scene by medical personnel, he was still taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Michigan
Indiana extends Big Ten streak to five as the Michigan women win for the first time since 2018
The Indiana men didn’t just win, they secured a fifth straight conference championship, continuing a swimming and diving dynasty in Bloomington. Michigan’s women surged to the top of the league, capturing the title with authority and balance across the lineup.
Records fell left and right throughout the week as this year’s Big 10 championships featured some of the best performances in conference history in the pool.
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Here are the main takeaways from this year’s Big 10 swimming and diving championships:
Indiana breaks away from Michigan to win fifth straight title
The Indiana men continued their dominance in the pool in 2026, extending their Big 10 dynasty.
From start to finish, the Hoosiers demonstrated experience and elite talent. Indiana won ten different events, including two relays and eight individual wins from six different athletes.
Indiana dominated the distance events this week, winning the 400-yd IM, the 500-yd freestyle, and 1,650-yd freestyle. Senior Zalan Sarkany won both distance freestyle events while freshman Josh Bey started off his Big 10 career with a win in the 400-yard IM.
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Owen McDonald was the second highest scorer in the meet behind Michigan senior Tyler Ray, who was named Big 10 Swimmer of the Championships. The senior won the Big 10 title in the 100-yd backstroke and 200-yd IM.
Senior Kai Van Westering and junior Dylan Smiley closed on the week with wins on the last night of competition for the Hoosiers. Van Westering grabbed the win in the 200-yd backstroke and Dylan Smiley won the 100-yd freestyle before leading Indiana to a win in the 400-yd freestyle relay to close out the meet.
Beyond individual stars, the Hoosiers stacked swims in the top eight of each event, showcasing balance across not only distance, but sprint and mid-distance events as well. Indiana’s performance combined consistency and poise, placing swimmers in the establishing control from the first event individual event to the final relay.
The win marks Indiana’s 32nd Big 10 title overall, which is second all time behind Michigan. Head coach Ray Looze won his ninth men’s Big Ten title, moving him into the top five all time in conference history.
The Hoosiers have once again positioned themselves as one of the nation’s elite teams, ready to challenge for another top-three finish at the NCAA Championships in March.
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Michigan women continue building momentum
The Michigan women left Minneapolis with its first Big 10 title since 2018 and the Wolverines’ 18th all-time, the most in conference history.
The Michigan women started the season ranked tenth in the CSCAA Top 25, one spot behind Big 10 rival Indiana. Since December they’ve moved into the top four and have cemented themselves as one of the best teams in the country.
“We had a really great team this year,” senior Devon Kitchel told Yahoo Sports. “Throughout the season we consistently worked hard and continually improved. By the time B1Gs came we were ready to go.”
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As a team Michigan won eight individual events, took first in four of the five relays and medaled in five additional events.
Bella Sims lead the charge for the Wolverines. The junior transfer won two out of her three individual swims and was named Swimmer of the Championships, the first for Michigan since Maggie MacNeil won it three times between 2020-22.
As a team, Michigan put eight athletes of a possible 17 on the All-Big 10 First Team. Along with Sims, eight-time Big 10 champion Stephanie Balduccini, eight-time Big 10 champion Brady Kendall, five-time Big 10 champion Letitia Sim, and five-time Big 10 champion Hannah Bellard led the way for the Wolverines.
Michigan will now turn its focus to the NCAA Championships in March, where the team will attempt to improve on its ninth-place finish in 2025.
Welcome to the Big 10, Bella Sims
Bella Sims is finding her groove in Ann Arbor.
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Sims swam in seven Big Ten finals, which included the 200-yd and 400-yd IM’s, the 100-yd backstroke, and four relays. She finished the meet with five gold medals and two silvers.
In her first two years of collegiate swimming Sims was a three-time NCAA champion, thirteen time All-American, and nine time SEC champion. However, all three of her NCAA titles came during her freshman season at Florida.
The Las Vegas native has represented the United States at the Olympics and World Championships and transferred to Michigan to finish her collegiate career.
Now approaching her third NCAA championship meet, Sims has momentum on her side. Although she is yet to go a personal best this season, Sims is leading the Michigan women to new heights in 2026.
“Bella Sims is an amazing swimmer and an even better person,” Kitchel said. “Obviously she helped our team with points, but she is such a light on deck and such a joy to train with everyday.”
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Sims barely had a lowlight during her week in Minneapolis. Her lowest finish was second in the 100-yard backstroke, where she was upset by Wisconsin’s Maggie Wanezek by 0.03 seconds.
There is little doubt Sims will go down as one of the best in Big Ten history when she finishes her career as a Wolverine.
Big 10 records come crashing down
Across the men’s and women’s meets, six Big Ten conference records were set in 2026. In addition, 16 meet records fell over the two championship weeks.
On the women’s side Michigan set two conference records in the 200-yd and 800-yd freestyle relays. Kendall and Bellard added to the total with their marks in the 50-yd free and 200-yd butterfly, respectively.
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Six additional meet records were broken including Michigan’s 200-yd and 400-yd medley relays, Sims’ 400-yd IM. Indiana’s Liberty Clark broke the meet record in the 100-yd freestyle, and Wanezek added one in the 200-yd backstroke. Indiana finished the week with a meet record in the 400-yd freestyle relay.
Nine total records fell in the men’s meet, including two conference records and seven additional meet records.
Ray broke 44 seconds in the 100-yd fly to set the Big 10 record in 43.83, which moves him up as the tenth fastest performer in history. The Michigan senior also broke the meet record in the 200-yd butterfly in his last Big 10 swim.
Bey cut over seven seconds in the 400-yd IM to win the title and break the conference record. The IU freshman came into the meet seeded with a 3:43.34 stopped the clock in a blistering 3:34.90.
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The other four meet records came from Michigan freshman Luka Mladenovic in the 200-yd breaststroke, Indiana senior Zalan Sarkany in the 500-yd and 1,650-yd freestyle, and Ohio State in the men’s 800-yd freestyle relay.
After a fast two weeks, it seems the top athletes from the Big 10 will be ready to roll at the NCAA championships in March.
Full Team Results
Men
Women
Michigan
Woman accused of driving at the bottom of an Oakland County ski hill near guests
A 58-year-old woman is accused of driving a vehicle at the bottom of a ski hill near skiers and snowboarders in White Lake Township, Michigan, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said Saturday.
Prosecutors allege the Bingham Farms, Michigan, woman drove near guests of Alpine Valley Ski Area, including children, on Tuesday.
According to the prosecutor’s office, witnesses said they saw the woman smoking what appeared to be marijuana before the incident and wearing ski boots while driving. Officers attempting to perform sobriety tests reported that she “exhibited poor balance, slurred speech, and open hostility.”
Online court records show the woman is charged with operating while impaired for the third time. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $5,000 and “mandatory vehicle immobilization” for one to three years, the prosecutor’s office said.
“This defendant endangered children with her irresponsible actions,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a written statement. “There is no excuse to drive impaired, even once. If you’ve had too much to drink or are under the influence of marijuana or other drugs, call a friend, call an Uber, just don’t drive.”
The woman is scheduled to appear at a probable cause conference on March 12.
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