Michigan picked up a blowout win over Nebraska on Saturday winning 45-7. It was a complete game on both sides of the ball as J.J. McCarthy threw for 156 yards on 12 completions and had two passing touchdowns. The run game for the Wolverines also showed up picking up 249 yards on 51 carrries; Blake Corum led the way with 74 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown.
The story this season so far though has been the Wolverines defense that in Saturday’s win they held Nebraska to just seven points and allowed them to lower their points per game allowed this season to 6.0; they have allowed over seven points in a game yet this season. Because the defense played so well against Nebraska it gave one of the Michigan Players recognition by winning Co-Defensive Player of the Week and that player was Junior EDGE Josaiah Stewart and he shares the award with Iowa Linebacker Nick Jackson.
EDGE Josaiah Stewart’s Game
Stewart is currently playing in his first season at Michigan after transferring from Coastal Carolina where he played two seasons appearing in 24 games. This season he has played in all five of the Wolverines’ games but on Saturday in the 45-7 win he turned in one of his best games of his career as he picked up two sacks and recorded five tackles both of which led the Michigan defense.
The Wolverines’ defense helped Nebraska to only 106 yards on the ground, which entering the game had been one of the best rushing attacks in the whole country; out of the 106 yards a majority of that came on a 74-yard run which was Nebraska’s only touchdown and came late in the fourth quarter. It is Steward’s first Defensive Player of the Week and Michigan’s first since Aidan Hutchinson won back on November 29, 2021.
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- Michigan picked up a 45-7 win over Nebraska on Saturday Afternoon.
- Michigan EDGE Josaiah Stewart earns Co-Defensive Player of the Week for the Big Ten.
- Stewart is the first player since Aidan Hutchinson in 2021 to be named Defensive Player of the Week in the Big Ten.
Bottom Line: Michigan looks to keep rolling this weekend
Michigan’s defense ranks fourth in the country in yards allowed 12th in the country in passing yards allowed per game, 13th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game, and first in the country in ppg allowed. The Wolverines are now 5-0, holding their #2 ranking in the country as they will have another road game this weekend when they head to Minnesota to take on the Golden Gophers under the lights in a primetime game. The Wolverines have dominated Minnesota in the last three matchups and will look to continue that dominance this weekend. Minnesota also features another solid rushing attack that averages 193.2 yards a game which ranks fifth in the Big Ten.
