Michigan

Quinn Ewers says the Texas offense responded to Wink Martindale’s defense by ‘fighting fire with fire’

Published

2 years ago

September 8, 2024

Quinn Ewers says the Texas offense responded to Wink Martindale’s defense by ‘fighting fire with fire’

In 2023 Michigan had the best defense in the nation ranking No. 1 in fewest points per game (10.4) and yards allowed (252). Now a year later with plenty of new starters and a new defensive coordinator in Don “Wink” Martindale, No. 10 Michigan gave up lots of yards and points to No. 3 Texas in a 31-12 defeat.

Texas had 389 yards of total offense for the game and was particularly effective in the first half, scoring 24 of their 31 points before halftime.

Michigan’s defense ranks No. 109 in returning production (47%). Some of the inexperience showed against a Texas team that ranks No. 30 in offensive returning production (74%).

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers put on a clinic. It didn’t seem to matter if Michigan was playing man or zone coverage, or if they pressured or just simulated pressure — Ewers was consistently a step ahead and showed why he’s considered one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. Ewers was 24-of-36 for 246 yards with three touchdowns.

Part of Ewers’ success can be tied to what he expected Martindale to dial up in the game. Ewers expected pressure.

“We knew their defensive coordinator likes to blitz and likes to kind of win games with his calls,” Ewers said.

Martindale, whose last two previous positions were as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants (2022-23) and the Baltimore Ravens (2018-21), has had some of the highest blitz-rate totals in recent NFL history. The Ravens were No. 1 in blitz rate in three of Martindale’s four seasons as Baltimore’s DC.

Martindale said this offseason that he’s more aggressive, “sometimes to a fault”, than Michigan’s prior two defensive coordinators, Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter, who both were on Baltimore’s staff with Martindale at one point.

Michigan totaled one sack, nine QB hurries, and three QB hits.

“For us to do what we did and kind of fight fire with fire, it felt good,” Ewers said.

While Ewers pointed to the blitz of Michigan as what he prepared for, Martindale’s aggressive tendencies were by no means why the Longhorns had sustained success on offense in the first half. Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore felt missed tackles and missed assignments were at the forefront of the defensive struggles.

“It’s tackling,” Moore said. “We’ve got to make sure we wrap up because they had 135 yards after contact.”

While it wasn’t a good day for the Michigan defense against Texas, they can still hold their head high on how they finished the game, allowing just one touchdown in the second half.

“That gives you some sign that there’s resolve there,” Moore said. “But now we’ve got to put the things in place so in the first half it doesn’t go the way it did.”

Michigan’s defense will look to get back on track next week against Arkansas State, a noon kickoff at Michigan Stadium.

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Related Topics:brew defensive ewers Featured Football front page Maize martindale michigan Michigan football news n qb Quinn s Scheme talks texas wink

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Michigan

Does Kyle Whittingham face ‘win now’ pressure at Michigan?

Published

2 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Does Kyle Whittingham face ‘win now’ pressure at Michigan?

For some programs, spring football has started in earnest, but for Michigan football, it will have to wait another week. But with practices on the horizon, college football pundits are starting to ask questions about what the upcoming season may look like, and among the questions is what Kyle Whittingham’s Wolverines will be in his first year.

On3’s popular show ‘Ari & Andy’ attempted to ask and answer that question on their latest episode.

As the duo of Ari Wasserman and Andy Staples mulled over various storylines in the coaching realm, once they got to the ‘newcomers’ — coaches who have taken over new programs — they started with Whittingham. For Wasserman, the big question is how quickly Whittingham can win in Ann Arbor?

“How much pressure is Kyle Whittingham to make sure that Michigan doesn’t lose whatever momentum that it had from winning the national championship and falling back into another 25 year period of being pretty good, but not great?” Wasserman said. “Because on one hand, this is a very critical moment in their program arc. But on the other hand, don’t you also have to give him the benefit of the doubt that, hey, what happened at the end of or during last year was highly dysfunctional in a way that we don’t really see very often in sports in general, let alone college sports? And you got hired during a weird time on the calendar. You probably weren’t anticipating coaching this year.

“Like, do you get a year to try to get your bearings of a new place that expects to win a championship? Like, I don’t know how Michigan fans are viewing this season. Now you’ll tell me what you always tell me. They demand excellence, and they expect excellence. There’s no honeymoon. I think that’s true. But from a rational analysis of this, I don’t know how to view what the (expectations are), like what is a successful season for Kyle Whittingham in year one, make the playoff?”

Staples is a little less about the questions and more about the answers. Because in his mind, regardless of how he got there, Whittingham to Michigan might be the best hire of the entire cycle.

“This really isn’t about Michigan’s expectations. It’s more about Kyle Whittingham’s expectations,” Staples said. “And the fact that Kyle Whittingham did this and the fact that Michigan did this, this was Michigan going out and getting the best coach they could get. But it’s very interesting because let’s say Michigan had fired Sherrone Moore in a more conventional way. And it had been just for losing and had been at the end of the season. And Kyle Whittingham had been one of the coaches that was available, but one of many that was available that the whole cycle hadn’t already been done. I still would have called hiring Kyle Whittingham, maybe the best hire of the cycle. I don’t think a 66-year-old guy goes to this place to build, to rebuild it. He’s going to win now. That’s the whole point of this. He’s not doing this except it is to win now.”

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Michigan

Michigan Lottery Daily 3, Daily 4 results for March 9, 2026

Published

14 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Michigan Lottery Daily 3, Daily 4 results for March 9, 2026

The Michigan Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 9, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Daily 3 numbers from March 9 drawing

Midday: 3-7-3

Evening: 1-1-6

Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 4 numbers from March 9 drawing

Midday: 1-6-5-2

Evening: 8-4-6-3

Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Poker Lotto numbers from March 9 drawing

KD-QH-5C-7D-8D

Check Poker Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from March 9 drawing

24-30-36-37-39

08-09-30-35-36

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily Keno numbers from March 9 drawing

04-05-10-12-15-22-26-34-38-44-47-49-52-56-57-59-62-67-71-72-76-80

Check Daily Keno payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 9 drawing

06-16-26-41-43, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Michigan Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes up to $99,999.99, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Michigan Lottery’s Regional Offices.

To claim by mail, complete a ticket receipt form, sign your winning ticket, and send it along with original copies of your government-issued photo ID and Social Security card to the address below. Ensure the names on your ID and Social Security card match exactly. Claims should be mailed to:

Michigan Lottery

Attn: Claim Center

101 E. Hillsdale

P.O. Box 30023

Lansing, MI 48909

For prizes over $100,000, winners must claim their prize in person at the Michigan Lottery Headquarters in Lansing located at 101 E. Hillsdale in downtown Lansing. Each winner must present original versions of a valid government-issued photo ID (typically a driver’s license or state ID) and a Social Security card, ensuring that the names on both documents match exactly. To schedule an appointment, please call the Lottery Player Relations office at 844-887-6836, option 2.

If you prefer to claim in person at one of the Michigan Lottery Regional Offices for prizes under $100,000, appointments are required. Until further notice, please call 1-844-917-6325 to schedule an appointment. Regional office locations are as follows:

Lansing: 101 E. Hillsdale St. Lansing; Phone: 844-917-6325
Livonia: 33231 Plymouth Road, Livonia; Phone: 844-917-6325
Sterling Heights: 34700 Dequindre Road, Sterling Heights; Phone: 844-917-6325
Detroit: Cadillac Place, 3060 W. Grand Blvd., Suite L-600, Detroit; Phone: 844-917-6325
Grand Rapids: 3391-B Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids; Phone: 844-917-6325
Saginaw: Jerome T. Hart State Office Building, 411 E. Genesee Ave., Saginaw; Phone: 844-917-6325

For additional information, downloadable forms, and instructions, visit the Michigan Lottery’s prize claim page.

When are Michigan Lottery drawings held?

Daily 3 & Daily 4: Midday at 12:59 p.m., Evening at 7:29 p.m.
Fantasy 5: 7:29 p.m. daily
Poker Lotto: 7:29 p.m. daily
Lotto 47: 7:29 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday
Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily
Daily Keno: 7:29 p.m. daily
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Michigan editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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