Sherrone Moore quick-hitters: Michigan injuries, 'stout' Wisconsin defense, grade for Biff Poggi, more

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football head coach Sherrone Moore met with the media for his Wisconsin week press conference. Here are bullet points with the most notable things he said.

Sherrone Moore quick-hitters

• Moore mentioned getting healthier, self-scouting and getting back to basics in all three phases during Michigan’s bye week, but what stood out the most to us about his description of last week was that the Wolverines created more “competition in the receiver room, and really focused on the fundamentals of how to catch the football.”

• Young players who stood out during Michigan’s bye week included a pair of freshman wide receivers, too, in Andrew Marsh and Jamar Browder. There is “always competition” during the week until game time at wide receiver, Moore said when asked if Marsh and Browder could earn more snaps.

• Other freshmen who stood out were running back Jasper Parker, cornerback Elijah Dotson and linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, who’s now “back, feeling good and in the backfield” during practice.

• When asked about injuries to graduate left guard Giovanni El-Hadi, junior right guard Brady Norton, senior cornerback Zeke Berry, junior cornerback Jyaire Hill and sophomore tight end Hogan Hansen, Moore replied: “I feel like Gio’s in a good place. I feel like Brady’s in a good place. Hogan’s in a good place. We’ll see how he’s doing as we go through the week, because I don’t ever want to predict it. But I feel like we’re trending in the right direction with all of those guys, and same with Jyaire.”

• El-Hadi’s job is “secure” despite having missed the last two-plus games.

• Freshman offensive tackle Andrew Babalola recently underwent “super successful” surgery after tearing his ACL in August.

• The offensive line has improved with better technique and fundamentals, but they’ve also “played harder.” They’re playing with “better technique consistently, more nasty consistently.”

• Senior EDGE Derrick Moore has impacted games with pressures despite not putting up big numbers, and his leadership has stood out. Moore wants him to continue to play his game on the filed and be an “alpha” off of it.

• Graduate center Greg Crippen has “been through a bunch” during his time at Michigan, including seeing the Wolverines grab two centers in consecutive seasons from 2022 to 2023 to start over him. Moore said his story is what college football is all about, because he stayed when others would’ve “chucked up the deuces and left.”

• Michigan had confidence in sophomore offensive lineman Jake Guarnera, who’s stepped in for Norton and started the last two games, dating back to spring. The coaching staff all said that “this guy can help us win games.” Guarnera can play both guard and center, he “never flinched” when he was called upon and is “playing his tail off.”

• Guarnera isn’t “solidified” as Michigan’s starting right guard, but he’ll have a chance to win the job even with Norton back. Norton will have to claim it himself.

• Moore gave associate head coach Biff Poggi an ‘A’ grade during his two-game stretch as interim head man while Moore was suspended because he “won the games.” … “That’s all I care about.”

• It “irks” Moore when coaches yell at players to “catch the ball,” with the Michigan head coach noting that every player wants to and is trying to catch it. He said the Wolverines focused a lot on actually how to do it during the bye week, teaching the technique.

• Wisconsin has the nation’s No. 1 run defense. The Badgers are “big and stout” up front. Outside linebacker Mason Reiger is a “really good pass rusher,” and redshirt junior linebacker Sebastian Cheeks is someone Michigan recruited in the past. The corners and safeties can “run and hit.”

• Overall, the Wisconsin defense is “classic [coordinator] Mike Tressel defense” in that the Badgers “play physical and play down hill. On normal downs, it’s going to be open cover 4, quarters, go to cover 3, play cover 1 on third down and give you a whole bunch of different looks.”