The No. 12 Michigan Wolverines survived a close game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers to keep the Little Brown Jug in Ann Arbor. It was another tale of two halves for Michigan on offense, defense, and even in some ways special teams.

Linebacker Cole Sullivan burned his redshirt in this one, getting playing time in his fifth game of the season. The coaching staff continues to see things they like from Sullivan, and he even registered a tackle. He’s the only freshman to start in every game this season, and it appears he’ll continue to have more chances to prove himself.

Michigan also missed starters Will Johnson and Josaiah Stewart in this one. With the Stewart injury, freshman Dominic Nichols stepped up and played some snaps at the edge position in addition to his special teams roles. He’s a player with a lot of potential, but is playing behind some of the best at the position in Stewart and Derrick Moore.

Here’s who’s had a chance to play as a true freshman this season. An asterisk (*) indicates they saw playing time against Minnesota:

• RB Jordan Marshall (1 game)
• OL Andrew Sprague (1 game)
• OL Jake Guarnera (1 game)*
• TE Hogan Hansen (3 games)*
• LB Cole Sullivan (5 games)*
• EDGE Dominic Nichols (2 games)*
• DL Manuel Beigel (1 game)
• DB Mason Curtis (1 game)*
• DB Jo’Ziah Edmond (1 game)*

Unfortunately, one of Michigan’s most exciting true freshmen didn’t see any playing time against the Gophers. Running back Jordan Marshall is still out with an injury. He’s a player with a lot of potential, but the injury has limited him to just one game so far in 2024.

Another freshman offensive lineman made his debut on the field goal unit. Offensive lineman Jake Guarnera is a 6-foot-4 lineman from Florida who was recruited to play center. It’s nice to see him see some game action this year as he works towards being the center of the future for Michigan.

Defensive backs Mason Curtis and Jo’Ziah Edmond also made their debuts in this one. Curtis mostly played linebacker in high school, but is now a defensive back at Michigan. Edmond was recruited as a cornerback out of high school, where he was the fifth-ranked player from Indiana. Both played on special teams for the Wolverines in the win.

Hogan Hansen is also still getting playing time, but with Colston Loveland returning, he won’t likely have as many opportunities moving forward.

Michigan heads to Washington for its first road game of the 2024 season. While the Huskies are also dealing with some growing pains this season with new head coach Jedd Fisch, it’s not an easy environment to play.

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On Saturday, Michigan once again leaned heavily on its rushing attack en route to a 27-24 victory over Minnesota. With the win, the Wolverines improved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 within conference play. Under normal circumstances that would be something to feel good about, particularly with a team that lost so much during the off-season. But the mood surrounding this football program certainly doesn’t feel like a victory just took place.

Let me first say that I understand why there is some frustration within the fanbase. In fact, much of that frustration is definitely justifiable. It’s perfectly reasonable to expect a better performance from the reigning national champions, especially when it comes to the passing attack. For the second consecutive week, the Michigan offense has finished with less than 100 yards through the air. Although the Wolverines have found some success in the short to intermediate passing game, it’s starting to feel nearly impossible that we’ll ever see this offense connect on a deep ball to a wide receiver this season.

It’s also understandable to feel frustrated that the Michigan defense surrendered 21 points in the fourth quarter, allowing Minnesota to potentially steal the game and hand the Wolverines their second loss of the season. While that didn’t happen, there’s no question that the Michigan defense cannot have a repeat performance like that moving forward – not if the Wolverines hope to play for a conference championship and/or a spot in the College Football Playoff.

With that being said, we are nearing the halfway point of the regular season and it’s time for the Michigan fan base to accept a few harsh realties.

We all want to see more dominance from this football program. We want to see a well-balanced offense that can move the ball through the air and on the ground. We want to see a defense that can perform at an elite level for four quarters. All of those things will eventually become a reality in Ann Arbor once again, but it probably isn’t going to happen next week… and it might not happen at all in 2024.

What you saw on Saturday against Minnesota is pretty much who Michigan is. Do improvements need to be made? Absolutely. But there’s no realistic improvement that’s going to occur over the next several weeks that will fundamentally change what we’ve seen through the first five weeks. This Michigan team is going to continue to lean heavily on the run, try to capitalize in the short to intermediate passing game, and rely on the defense to give them a chance every single Saturday. That’s it, that’s the formula. There’s no secret sauce, no hidden weapon, no magical playbook. To a large extent, what you’ve seen is what you’ll continue to get.

I was texting with a friend the other night who happens to be a Penn State fan. He’s yet to see the Nittany Lions win it all, and we discussed what the ride was like for Michigan fans in 2023. “You’ve seen the mountain top,” he said. He was right. I told him that I don’t think I’ll ever experience a season like that for the rest of my life, and that I was perfectly fine with it.

Will Michigan have successful seasons after 2023? There’s no question about it. Will Michigan have to face similar circumstances to what it faced in 2023 on the way to a perfect 15-0 season and a national championship? Not a chance. There will never be another team quite like that again, and there will never be another season quite like that again. Indeed, we have all seen the mountain top as Michigan football fans, and it was glorious.

That type of success can definitely throw your expectations out of whack as a fan. If you’re not careful, you might start to believe that you’re destined, or even entitled, for a Harbaugh vs. Saban Rose Bowl feeling on an annual basis. You’re not, and that’s what makes those experiences so special.

With a new-look conference and an expanded 12-team playoff, it’s going to be harder than ever to reach that mountain top again. That doesn’t mean that Michigan shouldn’t be in the discussion every year, it just means that we all need to embrace the ebb and flow that comes with today’s college football.

The sky isn’t falling and Michigan isn’t heading back to the dark ages of the Rich Rod era. Instead, the Wolverines are trying to navigate life after a decade with Jim Harbaugh. They’re trying to discover who they are without guys like JJ McCarthy, Blake Corum, and Mike Sainristil.

After five weeks, Michigan is 4-1 with all of its season goals still very much on the table. That’s the reality of where this program is currently, and that’s ultimately what matters the most. Winning ugly is better than losing pretty, and the Wolverines have damn near mastered the art of winning ugly through five weeks.

Onward.

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