Offense notes: Justice Haynes breaks the game open, Bryce Underwood strikes Paul Bunyan pose in Michigan win over MSU

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football averaged 3.9 yards per play and scored only 10 points in the first half of a 31-20 victory over Michigan State Saturday at Spartan Stadium, a frustrating first 30 minutes for offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and Co.

Junior running back Justice Haynes is a game-changer, though, and broke the contest open with his spectacular start to the third quarter, rushing for 64 yards on a 71-yard drive that ended with his first of 2 touchdowns, that one from 5 yards out.

“Going into that drive, just coming out of halftime, just we’ve got to get going,” Haynes said of his mindset. “We’ve got to get going. We’ve got to put up points, got to set the tone.

“In my mind personally, I was just thinking like, I can take thinking like, got to take this game over. O-line blocked great, the receivers downfield blocked great, tight ends blocked great. Coaching staff called great calls. And we marched down the field and got a touchdown, so that’s always great.”

Both of Haynes’ touchdown rushes came with him bouncing the run to the outside.

“It was kind of a feel thing, but watching it on film, coming out in the first half, they were crowding the box,” the Michigan back said. “They had a lot in the box. I knew eventually we were going to be able to get on the edge, and that was something that was just kind of feeling it. Kind of looking at it on film, the corner was kind of sinking in, and I knew I could get to the edge. Lure him in, put him on the block and then go out.”

The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder missed the previous six quarters with an injury but returned to play a key role in the victory, rushing 26 times for 152 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per attempt.

“It’s a great one to have him back, to get him back,” Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore remarked. “Obviously, he’s an explosive player, one of the best running backs in the country in our eyes, and it was awesome to have him back.

“He ran so hard. He ran physical. … It was huge to have him back, but having [sophomore] Jordan [Marshall] here, too, for 15 carries for 110 yards and the touchdown is pretty good, too.”

Marshall, who put up 133 yards and a touchdown in the prior week’s 24-7 win over Washington, notched the second-highest rushing yard total of his career in this one, highlighted by his 56-yard score to put Michigan up 31-13 in the fourth quarter.

Haynes did have one gaffe, a fumble in the fourth quarter on a third-and-8 run that gave MSU the football at its own 46-yard line. The Michigan defense came up with a fourth-down stop to hold the Spartans to no points off of it, though. That was the first fumble of Haynes’ season.

Michigan smashes with the run game

The Wolverines saw 276 of their 362 total yards come from the run game, with freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood adding 26 yards and a touchdown on 5 carries. Underwood’s 13-yard score toward the end of the first quarter gave the Maize and Blue a 10-0 edge.

Underwood scored down the left sideline and, once in the corner of the end zone, celebrated by striking the Paul Bunyan pose that originated from former Michigan wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones in 2018.

Underwood didn’t plan it, but it came to him in the moment.

“So, when I stepped foot in the end zone, I was wondering what I was going to do. I was looking around like, ‘You know what, I’m going to do it.’

“I was thinking about a backflip. But I did one at the end of the game.”

Michigan’s 276 rushing yards are the most it’s had against MSU since having 352 in 1994, according to NBC.

Michigan’s passing game never really got going. Underwood was 8-of-17 through the air for 86 yards. This was the second game this season he’s completed less than 50 percent of his passes (47.1), joining the 24-13 loss at Oklahoma Sept. 6 (37.5 percent). The Wolverines had more than enough production from the ground game, however.

“It wasn’t dictated before the game,” Moore said. “Before the game, we want to be balanced. Part of the rushing attack was [Underwood]. He makes it dangerous to do both, so, it wasn’t really a selection. But as we got to the game and the defense started to mow them down, we just felt like we had to milk the clock and get the win.

“We really felt like those direct runs right at them were working. You’ve got to have selfless people on your team to do that. You’ve got “team over me” guys that we always talk about, and that’s what our quarterback is. That’s what our receivers are, that’s what our defense is, and you’ll see what the next game looks like as far as we go, but it’s one of those games where guys … we had to lean on them a little bit and run the clock out.”

Miscellaneous Michigan football offense notes

• Michigan’s 86 passing yards are the least it has had in a game this season. The Wolverines’ previous low was 105 yards in a 30-27 win over Nebraska. Michigan has combined for 191 passing yards in its two road wins this season.

• The 86 passing yards are the fewest the Wolverines have had in a game since posting only 75 in a 19-13 win over Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl Dec. 31, 2024. Last season, the Maize and Blue had four games with less than 100 passing yards, and won all of them.

• Michigan’s 276 rushing yards are the third-most it’s had in a game this season, behind tilts versus CMU (381) and Nebraska (286). The Wolverines have rushed over 200 yards in four of eight contests.

• The 276 rushing yards are the second-most Michigan State has allowed in a game this season. The Spartans gave up 289 in a 45-31 loss to USC Sept. 20.

• Freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh was the Wolverines’ leading receiver with 3 catches for 54 yards. Only one other player had multiple catches and/or double-digit receiving yards — Haynes, with 3 grabs for 19 yards.

• Sophomore offensive lineman Blake Frazier made his third career start and first at left tackle, replacing injured junior Evan Link. The offensive line utilized its fifth different starting combination in eight games this season.

• Underwood is up to 4 rushing touchdowns on the season.

• Haynes has rushed for 100-plus yards and at least 1 touchdown for the sixth time in seven appearances this season.

• Haynes is the first Wolverine with multiple rushing touchdowns against the Spartans since Corum in 2020.

• This game marked the first time in the series that U-M had two backs over 100 rushing yards since 1994 (Tyrone Wheatley, 153 yards; Tshimanga Biakabutuka, 141 yards). That duo also produced three rushing touchdowns (two by Wheatley).

• The line has paved the way for 21 rushing touchdowns while allowing only 10 sacks.

• The offense has produced 37 plays of 20-plus yards (22 passing, 15 rushing), including five in tonight’s contest.

• Michigan went 6-of-15 on third down, compared to 5-of-16 from MSU.