Through the first month of the season Michigan football has an identical record to where they were in Sherrone Moore's head coaching debut season. There are noticeable differences that make me think they are in a better position then they stood 365 days ago though. Here are some reasons why I think that and what we have noticed through the first quarter of the 2025 campaign.
1. Michigan's offense is averaging 11 more points per game then last year
Under Kirk Campbell and Davis Warren, Michigan's offense was scoring 24 points per clip in the first quarter of the 2024 season. This year, they are just outside the top 10 in rushing and scored a Sherrone Moore-coached record-high of 63 points without him on the sidelines.
Bryce Underwood and Chip Lindsey are improving every week. The freshman phenom hasn't hit the proverbial wall yet either. Plus, he doesn't have to face a brick wall defense until November. The offensive line has only permitted two sacks in the last three outings, and they are not letting the loss of their best lineman be an excuse to slack off.
2. Jaishawn Barham is playing at a Mason Graham level
The emergence of Jimmy Rolder and Cole Sullivan has made it a luxury for the defense to push Barham outside on the edge. That targeting call in the New Mexico win lit a fire under Barham to wreak havoc in the second half of the Oklahoma affair, but that didn't necessarily go the way he wanted to until the following week.
Barham notched two of his three sacks and had more tackles than anyone wearing the maize and blue in that one. A week later, the rest of his contingents mauled Dylan Raiola to the tune of seven sacks. No offense has registered a 100-yard rusher against Wink Martindale's defenders to this point, either.
3. Justice Haynes is rewriting the record books
Through four matchups in 2025, Haynes has the most rushing yards of any back to ever play at Michigan. His average of 134 yards each time out is 10 yards behind the output that Anthony Thomas accounted for through six contests in the 2000 season. Jamie Morris had the most 100-yard-plus games with 10 in 1987; Haynes is already about halfway there.
Haynes can break the record for most yards per carry against Wisconsin with nine carries, for a minimum of 75 carries per game, around seven yards or so will do it. He is also on pace to smash the record for longest touchdown plays during a season. The current record is 92 yards. Haynes feels like he could break that record, too.