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Michigan vs. Central Michigan: Fun facts and interesting notes ahead of Week 2

Anthony Broomeby: Anthony Broome7 hours agoanthonytbroome
Jimmy Rolder
Michigan Wolverines football junior linebacker Jimmy Rolder had a tackle for loss against Fresno State. (Photo by Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports)

The Michigan Wolverines close out their non-conference slate of games on Saturday at noon against the Central Michigan Chippewas. The objective is to head into Big Ten play on a high note with a trip to Nebraska next week.

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore is suspended – a self-imposed penalty from the NCAA’s advanced scouting case – from midnight Saturday through midnight Sunday, Sept. 21. Associate head coach Biff Poggi will man the main headset in Moore’s absence, with its coordinators handling their respective units as normal.

Saturday’s game kicks off at noon and will be broadcast via the Big Ten Network. Michigan is 4-0 all-time against CMU, with the last meeting coming in 2013, a 59-9 victory in Week 1. The Wolverines are a 27.5-point favorite with the over/under set at 42.5 points, according to the odds posted at BetMGM as of Friday afternoon.

The following notes were shared this week via the Michigan Athletic Department:

• U-M wraps up its non-conference slate with this weekend’s matchup against Central Michigan. The Wolverines are 7-2 at home and have a 3-2 mark against non-conference opponents in the last two years under Sherrone Moore.

• First-time starters at Oklahoma included Jimmy Rolder (linebacker), Blake Frazier and Nathan Efobi (offensive line). Jaden Mangham earned his first start at U-M, having started previously at Michigan State. Altogether, nine Wolverines have made their first career start or first start at U-M so far this year.

• Explosive plays were not a strength for the U-M offense in 2024, but the Wolverines have ripped off 10 plays of 20-plus yards through two weeks of the 2025 season (six in week one, four in week two). Justice Haynes (three), Donaven McCulley (two) and Channing Goodwin (two) are leading the pace.

• U-M is winning the turnover battle so far this season, having forced four interceptions with one fumble recovery. The only turnover U-M has lost so far was a fumbled kickoff return.

• Justice Haynes has ripped off runs of 56, 59, and 75 yards so far in his U-M career. The 75-yard score in Norman was U-M’s longest play since Donovan Edwards housed an 85-yard run in Columbus to help beat Ohio State in 2022.

• Haynes has more rushing yards (284) through the first two starts of his U-M career than any back since at least 2000. Carlos Brown ran for 245 combined yards at Illinois (113 yards, Oct. 20, 2007) and against Minnesota (132 yards, Oct. 27, 2007). Haynes also has four touchdowns through two games.

• Defensively, the Wolverines are limiting teams to 2.8 yards per rush on 68 attempts.

• Linebacker Ernest Hausmann is pacing the defense with 19 tackles through two games, seven clear of the next-closest defender (Brandyn Hillman). Hausmann’s 89 tackles last season were most among U-M defenders.

• Fellow linebacker Cole Sullivan has been a playmaker in two phases (defense, special teams). Sullivan entered the season with only one game of experience at linebacker, appearing in all 12 games on special teams in 2024. Through two games, he is fifth on the U-M roster with eight tackles, including two sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery.

• U-M’s linebacker room has been deep and productive in the early going. Each of the team’s top four linebackers ranks among the top nine in tackles (Hausmann, first; Rolder, fourth; Sullivan, fifth; Barham, ninth).

• Through two games, 10 different players have an interception or pass breakup: two linebackers, two defensive linemen, and six defensive backs. Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry lead the list with two apiece.

• Punter Hudson Hollenbeck has effectively limited return yards from opponents. Five of his 10 punts have been fair caught or out of bounds, allowing no return yards. Three punts have been returned, totaling two yards gained (0.7 average).

• Special teams ace Joe Taylor has been a playmaker for the Maize and Blue in the early going. Taylor helped force a muffed punt in coverage at Oklahoma, successfully fielded a punt with the return unit and made a tackle in kickoff coverage against New Mexico.