Michigan

Michigan game vs. Fresno State: 3 keys to watch as Sherrone Moore era begins

Published

2 years ago

August 26, 2024

Michigan game vs. Fresno State: 3 keys to watch as Sherrone Moore era begins

Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia looks ahead to Michigan football’s 2024 season opener against Fresno State on Saturday at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

Next up for the Wolverines: Fresno State Bulldogs

Matchup: No. 8 Michigan (15-0, national champions, in 2023) vs. Fresno State (9-4 in 2023).

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Saturday; Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor.

TV/radio: NBC, WXYT-FM (97.1)

Line: Wolverines by 21½.

Know the foe

For the second time in five years, Tim Skipper takes over for Jeff Tedford at the helm of the Bulldogs. Only this time, it’s permanent, with Tedford stepping aside for health resons. Fresno State last year was ranked during the season, and eyes another winning season in a deep Mountain West.

Quarterback Mikey Keene threw for nearly 3,000 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions a season ago, connecting with top targets Jalen Moss (55 catches for 706 yards and six touchdowns), Mac Dalena (47 catches for 509 yards and three touchdowns) and Josiah Freeman (19 catches for 249 yards and one touchdown). In case that wasn’t enough movement through the air, Fresno State added a pair of 1,000-yard receivers from the FCS level in Idaho’s Chedon James (102 catches for 1,045 yards and eight touchdowns) and Missouri State All-American Raylen Sharpe (73 catches for 991 yards and seven touchdowns).

The Bulldogs should be able to run, too, as they return lead RB Malik Sherrod (876 yards, nine TDs) and backup Elijah Gilliam (397 yards, five TDs).

The Bulldogs are weaker on defense, but leading edge Devo Bridges returns, complemented by former top-five recruit Korey Foreman (class of 2023), who transferred in this offseason from USC. Linebacker Malachi Langley recorded a career-high 80 tackles last year, and defensive backs Cam Lockridge and Al’zillion Hamilton will need to pick up the slack with Carlton Johnson now in the NFL (Seahawks).

GIFTS FROM THE FOOTBALL GODS: How Michigan become home to best DT duo in the sport

3 things to watch

Waiting on a quarterback: It will remain the No. 1 question surrounding the team until the Wolverines answer it, but the understanding is the job remains up for grabs between Alex Orji and Davis Warren. This is not 2023, when U-M had a weak nonconference schedule and a backloaded league slate. New coach Sherrone Moore’s team faces three 2023 bowl teams in the first four games, (including CFP semifinalist Texas). Time is of the essence.

Orji is 6 feet 3 and 235 pounds and ranked No. 13 The Athletic’s “freaks list,” but an area of concern is his ability to consistently operate the intermediate-to-deep pass game. Warren looked the best in public during April’s spring game, and has apparently been equally proficient during camp. He’s more mobile than he gets credit for, but his ceiling is lower than Orji’s, and he has previously only entered late in blowouts. If Warren wins the job, there will certainly be packages for Orji to get involved.

Sherrone’s style: There was no question about who Michigan’s next coach would be once Jim Harbaugh returned to the NFL. We saw how Moore operated in four instances where he filled in for a suspended Harbaugh — notably at Penn State in November, with 32 consecutive runs to close out a top-10 road win, and another epic victory at home against Ohio State — and saw a man ready for the job. Now’s the time when it’s all put to the test. What does a Moore team look like? How much autonomy does he give to coordinators Kirk Campbell (offense) and Wink Martindale (defense)? How aggressive is Moore on offense, and how will he get players to overcome the target as defending champions? This will be the first glimpse at what the attitude of a Moore-led team looks like.

ROAD TO GLORY: Making the case for and against Michigan returning to College Football Playoff

Retool vs. rebuild: In this new era of roster turnover, it’s Michigan’s turn to put its “next man up” mantra to the test. That leads to perhaps the overarching question: Is the next era of Wolverines ready? The entire title-winning offensive line has been replaced. Gio El-Hadi, Greg Crippen and Andrew Gentry have waited for years, and now we’ll see if they’re up to the task. At receiver, U-M replaces both starters. Tyler Morris has been said to be “the alpha” — he has one career touchdown — and Semaj Morgan was electric in spurts last year. The one lock on offense is tight end Colston Loveland.

The defense figures to be among the nation’s best, but replaces staff at every level and saw multiple starters move to the NFL. Can the players grasp Martindale’s twist on the Ravens-style scheme implemented under Mike Macdonald (2021) and Jesse Minter (2022-23)? Is Zeke Berry capable of replacing All-American Mike Sainristil at nickel back? The linebacking corps lost nine years of experience between Junior Colson and Michael Barrett and is now led by understudy Ernest Hausmann and Maryland transfer Jaishawn Barham. The best news: The unit’s three best players return: preseason All-Americans DTs Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant and CB Will Johnson.

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Hail Yes!” your go-to Michigan Wolverines podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

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Michigan

Opportunity knocks for Michigan’s guards with L.J. Cason out

Published

12 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Opportunity knocks for Michigan’s guards with L.J. Cason out

Ann Arbor — The Wolverines won the outright Big Ten regular-season title with two games to go, but it came at a great cost.

L.J. Cason, Michigan’s backup point guard and a key piece of the rotation, tore his right ACL in the championship-clinching win at Illinois. Just like that, Cason’s season was over and Michigan was hit with a brutal blow.

But when adversity strikes, opportunity knocks. While the team won’t be the same without Cason, coach Dusty May believes Michigan has backcourt pieces who can step up and make up for the loss.

“This is a great opportunity for Roddy (Gayle Jr.), Trey (McKenney) and Nimari (Burnett) to play more, and those guys are really good players,” May said Monday. “Our rotation has been nine and nine, I think, is too deep. It’s playing too many guys, if you want to optimize everyone. But we felt like we had nine guys that deserved to play, that gave us a different element.

“We look at this as another challenge, but it’s also an opportunity for guys to play a little bit more, to play longer periods, to play through a mistake, to play a little bit different role. We do feel like these guys are a lot better than they were earlier this year, so we’re prepared to handle whatever comes at us.”

May said he doesn’t know exactly when Cason tore his ACL, and neither does Cason. The sophomore guard fell to the court and got up favoring his right leg on two separate occasions against Illinois.

The first instance came in the final minute of the first half, when Cason tipped a long rebound ahead and chased it down to start a fast break. After he grabbed the ball in the air and bounced it backward between his legs to a trailing teammate, Cason went down. He got up hobbling, was subbed out and went back to the locker room.

Cason briefly checked back in during the second half and scored a driving layup a minute into his shift. But on Michigan’s next possession, he fell down after trying to score through contact and got up limping again. Shortly after that, Cason motioned to the Michigan bench to be taken out of the game and he exited for good.

“At halftime, the training staff came and said basically he’s passed all of his jump test. He just did the bike. He says he’s 100% ready to go. I was surprised, because I was expecting him to be out,” May said. “I said, ‘What about the test?’ They said both of his knees are loose, so it’s hard. We don’t feel that anything is torn.

“He comes back in. He lands funny again. … It’s unfortunate for him because he was playing so well. When an ACL pops on a noncontact injury, you’re like, ‘Man, what could we have done different?’ When it happens on a funny, quirky play, usually those are the ones that aren’t preventable.”

May added it hasn’t been determined yet when Cason will undergo surgery. Given the typical recovery timeline for a torn ACL ranges anywhere from nine to 12 months, May said Cason redshirting next season is a possibility that’s “on the table.”

“That’s certainly been discussed as well, and then that impacts the recruiting decision-making,” May said. “But right now, we’re still trying to figure out when he’s going to have it. What’s the timeline? Does it make sense to go ahead and sit out next year? … We haven’t made any definitive decisions, because all the information is so inconclusive.”

Moving forward, the plan isn’t to have just one guy replace Cason, who averaged 8.4 points and 2.4 assists in 18.6 minutes per game, shot 40.2% from 3-point range and served as a facilitator when starting point guard Elliot Cadeau wasn’t on the court. It’ll be a by-committee approach.

That said, Cason’s absence is certainly going to put much more on Cadeau’s shoulders. The Wolverines can ill afford to have Cadeau commit unnecessary fouls and miss long stretches at a time. Without Cason, Cadeau is the one guard who can break down opposing defenses off the dribble and create for others.

“This will force Elliot to be much more solid with his defensive decision-making when it comes to fouling,” May said. “He doesn’t have that insurance policy anymore named L.J. behind him, because L.J. came in and carried the load several games for our group. That’s not there anymore.”

While Burnett, Gayle and McKenney haven’t had to be facilitators in their roles this season, May expressed confidence all three can take on minutes with the ball in their hands and initiate the offense.

Even beyond the guards, May noted the team has “other capable weapons” who can serve as triggers on offense depending on the matchup, like forwards Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. and big man Aday Mara.

Add it all together, May feels the Wolverines can find a way to absorb the blow, fill the void and forge ahead with Cason sidelined.

“We have enough to overcome what L.J. brought to the team,” May said. “I don’t know if he’s the best backup point guard in the country, but I can’t think of one that’s better. We’re losing a lot, but once again, we’re not going to sit here and look at it from that angle.

“This is an opportunity for all these other guys to do a little bit more, and they’re more than capable. It’s on us to find the right rotations and situations. Without a doubt, we have a lot of confidence in our roster.”

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins

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Michigan State Police patrol car damaged in hit-and-run on Lodge Freeway in Detroit

Published

24 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Michigan State Police patrol car damaged in hit-and-run on Lodge Freeway in Detroit

Nick Lentz

Updated on: March 1, 2026 / 11:08 PM EST
/ CBS 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.

A damaged Michigan State Police patrol car on the side of Lodge Freeway in Detroit on March 1, 2026, after it was hit by a Jeep.

Michigan State Police

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.

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Indiana extends Big Ten streak to five as the Michigan women win for the first time since 2018

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.