The meltdown following the USC loss was justified, but Michigan silenced that noise on Saturday with a mandatory win in the Big House. Jordan Marshall and the defense were dialed in from the outset and didn't fret without a handful of starters missing from the lineup. Zack Marshall and Deakon Tonielli played with more intention than Marlin Klein and Hogan Hansen have been exhausting when they are not injured.
Here are some of the most amusing overreactions from Michigan's urgent win over Washington.
1. Sherrone Moore has no choice but to start Semaj Morgan
Following the dropped pass on fourth down by Morgan, he was not benched and back on the gridiron for the next series. Coach Moore didn't even hesitate to send a message to his junior wideout who has been failing him repeatedly this season. The depth chart is not very deep, especially with Fredrick Moore gone, but Morgan has been giving the staff any reason to play someone else.
Morgan should no longer be starting and coming off the sidelines to reignite his confidence. Starting him because coach Moore has no other option makes this an overreaction. Give Kendrick Bell or Peyton O'Leary a shot to earn his spot. Another way to get his swagger back would be to use him primarily on end arounds where he can use his speed to make defenders miss. His longest punt return on the season was only 13 yards, but he hasn't muffed a punt yet.
2. Dominic Zvada is just in a slump
For all the hype that Zvada garnered in the preseason, he's been a disappointment so far this year. He's on pace for his worst season in his college career. It's hard to count on him for points, and that was on display Saturday when Michigan's offense remained on the field for multiple fourth-down attempts. It would have been a 51-yard try on the second possession of the game, but the pressure from those in attendance forced coach Moore to go for it.
The second turnover on downs came inside the 10-yard line, and knowing what we know now, I'm pretty sure that coach Moore would have taken the points instead of a failed conversion that deep in Washington territory. That tells me that Zvada is not slumping; he doesn't have the trust of the coaches to give his team points when in range, which makes this statement a mild overreaction. Zvada just needs to see the ball go through the uprights on a kick that is as important as the one in Columbus was last November.
3. Marlin Klein is not indispensable anymore
An argument can be made that Klein is not as vital as we thought he was going to be going into the season. He has missed time and has not produced more than two catches outside of the New Mexico victory. The seldom-used Zack Marshall and even less-used Deakon Tonielli outplayed him in 60 minutes. Marshall's performance in particular suggests that he warrants more playing time and targets.
To call Klein unnecessary is an obvious overreaction, though. When he is at his best, Klein can be the No. 1 option in the passing game, especially if Andrew Marsh or Donaven McCulley are nowhere to be found. The emergence of Marshall and Tonielli makes the offense and Bryce Underwood more lethal. Washington probably didn't expect either guy to beat them, nor could they have dreamed of game planning for them.
Michigan's tight ends today have 8 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown today with Marlin Klein and Hogan Hansen out of the lineup. As expected!
— Anthony Broome (@anthonytbroome) October 18, 2025
Bryce Underwood has gone over the 200-yard passing mark four times this season. Davis Warren only did that once in 2024 with a better tight end available to him. Underwood and the offense may have found something by utilizing the tight ends more than they ever have to this point in 2025. Michigan's receivers have only surpassed the 100-yard barrier twice since 2023. Colston Loveland was the last to eclipse that dubious bar that Michigan receivers rarely reach.