In the Trenches 600 - Western Michigan Recap Transcript
9/6/2026 1:36:00 AM | MGoBlue Podcasts
Jon Jansen • 00:00
What an unbelievable night in the big house. Not an ending that any of us thought would happen, but Michigan comes away with a thirteen twelve victory. We'll break it down on in the Trenches.
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Jeff Laurence • 00:11
Welcome to the official podcast of Michigan football in the Trenches with Jon Jansen, presented by Meyer, presenting sponsor of the twenty twenty six Michigan football season, and proud supporter of hundreds of local sports teams across the Midwest. Nobody covers Michigan football better than the two time captain, national champion and Michig athletics hall of Honor inductee.
JJ Buchanan • 00:33
At the end of the day, we're one zero. And you know, Coach Whitt talks about all the time, like at some point in the season we will face adversity and I mean, we faced a lot of it today and we responded. And at the end of the day, like, like I said, we're one and zero, so no one can take that away from us.
Jeff Laurence • 00:47
This is in the Trenches presented by Meijer. Once again, here's Jon Jansen.
Jon Jansen • 00:52
Welcome back to in the Trenches. And everyone is still celebrating. There's people on the field. Everybody's celebrating outside the stadium. And I want to bring in a guy that I know is having some good times right now. That's Brian Bush.
Brian Boesch • 01:05
Jon Jansen, he sometimes say sigh of relief. I think there's more needed for this, all things considered.
Jon Jansen • 01:12
Yeah, I don't even know how to put it into words just quite yet. What happened out there. I mean, you know, I know the defense, it was, they struggled in that one thirteen minute and forty second period from the end of the third quarter into the fourth. But the reason that Michigan was even able to go for a Hail Mary is because they kept this team in the game. They only allowed twelve points. They never allowed them into the end zone. It was four field goals. You know, hats off to the defense, but I mean, hats off to this team for continuing to fight for every last second. And there literally was only one second on the clock.
Brian Boesch • 01:50
Yeah, I mean, the ability to bounce back, get, give yourself a chance. And certainly Bryce, he corrected himself with the Hail Mary very quickly. That that throw was probably what, twelve, thirteen yards shorter in the same spot on the field. And with all that had gone on, you know, there were, there were shots of Bryce on that sideline. I mean, he, there was clear frustration. There was frustration all along. That bench to reset is pretty impressive from everybody.
Jon Jansen • 02:16
Well, it is. And I mean, what he was able to do was just give somebody a chance to go in there and make a play and it's unbelievable. JJ Buchanan, we talked about it in the pregame. Doug And I talked about it at the start of the game with the one handed catch that JJ Buchanan had. You put it in the zip cone and chances are he's going to come down with it. That was remarkable.
Brian Boesch • 02:38
Now Michigan gets the win. A lot of it. You heard it from Jordan Marshall immediately after the game. So much needs to be corrected. This truly feels like it's a reset more than a win, doesn't it?
Jon Jansen • 02:49
Oh yeah. I mean you escaped with a win here and, and you know they're, you obviously want to be able to make those corrections after a win rather than a loss. And they're going to, you know, just because they won this game. I know Coach Whittingham well enough that they're not going to gloss this over there. You've got to go in there and find a way to improve the run game, the passing game. You don't want to have a lapse for one drive. Defensively, even though they played well for the majority of the game, you still can't have those type of moments. But when the defense had to hold, they held. And again it was only a field goal that they gave up after that long drive.
Brian Boesch • 03:25
Few individuals stood out in this game. One, he made that catch at the very last moment of the ball game. JJ Buchanan, he had one hundred twenty six of Michigan's two hundred seventy six total yards in this game. Everybody had said he had not dropped a pass, had a one hander on Michigan's first drive, a scoring drive, and then had the what, five on three jumping catch to win it.
Jon Jansen • 03:49
Yeah, I mean it just unbelievable that he was able to come down with that ball. And I mean those are the type of guys that you got to have on this team. You got to have guys that are willing to go up there, risk everything, make a play and I mean, hey, if it doesn't happen, no one's expecting it. He went out there and, and made something special happen.
Brian Boesch • 04:08
Biggest surprise as to what wasn't quite there for Michigan tonight,
Jon Jansen • 04:14
I think really just surprised that the rushing game wasn't there. I thought that that was something was going to be there. After the first drive, the opening drive, you know, Bryce was five for five. I really felt like there was a good rhythm out there and that that would continue. I didn't think it would evaporate as quickly as it did. I knew there it's opening game, right. There's going to be some struggles. Not everything is going to be perfect, but they just were never, never able to really get, regain their rhythm after they lost it.
Brian Boesch • 04:39
Certainly defensively though, some bright spots in this ball game as Michigan did they really give up many big plays at all. Troy Bowles led the way with twelve tackles. I mean Dom Nichols, what he did, two and a half tfls, nine tackles overall. Some positives to build from.
Jon Jansen • 04:53
Defensively there are, I mean Dom Nichols was great. You know, one and a half sacks, two and a half tackles for loss. It was, you know, just everything that they did, Trey Pierce, Enow Etta really controlling the interior of that offensive line was that they, they put an amazing effort out there.
Brian Boesch • 05:10
We will figure out over the next eleven plus games what this finish will, how it will age, what the history will look back on this as. Because Michigan truly, they get a second lease probably on this season. Let's be honest, if you lose week one at home to a non Big ten or a non Oklahoma team, you're in real trouble now. We have to see what this team will do with that.
Jon Jansen • 05:32
Well, and there's plenty of motivation, there's plenty of film out there for this team, make corrections. Obviously the offensive line didn't play up to the standard that the coaches thought that any of us thought that they would at the start of the game. Same thing with the running backs. There were some things out there, not a lot, but that, that, that they missed. The protection wasn't great. Bryce, obviously there's, you know, the interceptions, he'd love to have those back. Even the ones that, that were, you know, should have been picked off, that weren't. Those are throws that you've got to be able to learn from. And you know, defensively, hey, you've got. Whether or not it happens in the first quarter, second quarter, the long drive happened in the third to fourth quarter, you've got to find a way to get off the ball off the field every single time.
Jon Jansen • 06:15
And I think the only, the most disappointing thing of that drive was three and fourteen or third and fourteen, the fact that they converted that one, that one, it felt like it was just a backbreaker and it just, they were still able to hold them to a field goal. And I go back to. There's not a lot of positives in this game and I don't, I'm not trying to spin it as a positive, but for this defense not to allow a team in the end zone, only allow four field goals and one of those came after, you know, a drive of that nature that's, that's showing some backbone.
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Brian Boesch • 06:52
Doug Michigan most certainly saved the best for last. And folks in Kalamazoo will think that that Last play should not have happened.
Doug Karsch • 06:59
Well, no, I mean, look, I was surprised they put a second back on the clock, to be honest with you, but at the end of the day, they did. And I have seen a number of occasions where officials have made calls. What they're seeing under the hood, I don't know, but they got a last play and they made it work. And, you know, like I said, not a work of art, but not a loss. And I, you know, I. I've seen. It feels like more often than not, crazy stuff like that has happened to Michigan. And this time they got really fortunate to get out of here with the not loss.
Brian Boesch • 07:35
Yeah, I mean, it is the closest thing to a loss that a win can be. How did it get to that point, Doug?
Jason Avant • 07:42
What.
Brian Boesch • 07:43
What happened in the first fifty nine minutes that was just. I mean, no one in this booth could really explain what was going on.
Doug Karsch • 07:50
Well, they, I mean, look, there's a. A number of levels and where the Wolverines performance tonight was disappointing. I think the thing that stuns me the most is the inability to get anything going on the ground. I mean, they could not. They could not run the football. That's a veteran offensive line with fifty four starts amongst them. Everybody who returned tonight had starting experience. Jim Harding is considered one of the best offensive line coaches in the country. But I got to tell you something else, though. I've been saying for weeks, for weeks, you better show up and play. This Western Michigan team is a sleeper to be the Group of Six representative in the College Football Playoff. And they showed that tonight because, quite frankly, they outplayed Michigan. And at the end of the day, the Wolverines get out of here with a win and an incredibly memorable one.
Doug Karsch • 08:40
But I would say the only thing that stood out offensively was the first drive and the last play, and then everything in between was mediocre to poor. And they got a lot to work on. And, you know, it's. You certainly heard it in Jordan Marshall's voice. Sure. The captain been here, seen it, said, look, I'm happy to get a win, but this is not the way we want to win football games. And, you know, that's. That's a guy right there. When speaking with Jason Avant, didn't sound like he even had a smile on his face. This is a. This is a performance that has you questioning, all right, what's going to happen now? Now, a lot can happen. The team that. That beat App State or lost App State, excuse me, years ago, that team ended up beating Florida and Tim Tebow at the End of the year, really went on a nice run and had a good season in Lloyd Carr's final year. But honestly, they got to play much better than they played tonight.
Doug Karsch • 09:38
Or, you know, that looks like a team. You wonder if they'll even be a bowl team now. It depends how good Western Michigan is. As we've seen with talent dispersal, somehow, some way, Western Michigan, which won the Mid American Conference a year ago, lost only one player to the portal and that was a long snapper that went to Oregon. So they proved a lot tonight in terms of how good they are as the fans have still completely covered the field here at the Big House. I mean, it's a miracle. It's an absolute miracle. But the laundry list of things that need to get better is rather disturbing.
Brian Boesch • 10:10
The reality is this, this scene right now, how it's remembered will be determined by the next eleven plus games. Because if the first fifty nine minutes and fifty nine point nine nine nine seconds are anything like what we'll see in the next eleven games, people will look at this kind of thinking, what, why, why are we on the field right now? But if this truly can be a catalyst and a bullet dodged, all things considered, you can make something of this. But man, it's such a weird dynamic because to your point about Jordan Marshall, it did not go well for the whole time. And I mean, gosh, you look back at the time of possession, Western Michigan held the ball for forty minutes. They had a twenty play drive in the third and fourth quarters, seventy one yards, almost fourteen minutes. The one saving grace maybe in all this for the offense is that they didn't have a whole lot of time to get into any sort of rhythm.
Doug Karsch • 11:07
Yeah, I mean, look, the second half they're, they went, they really went fifty yards on their first possession, which got undermined by penalties. Yeah, they went forward fifty yards. The first time in my life I've seen a holding call on a quarterback. But that's what Bryce Underwood got flagged for. They got to clean up the penalties. Special teams were not great. Run game was not great. Pass game was not great. I will credit the defense. Sure, the defense played pretty well with the exception of the seventy five yard, thirty four play drive that they gave up. Whatever it was, was they couldn't get off the field that drive. But they needed to get a stop down here at the end of the game. And they managed, we said at the time, one first down ends this game unless that first down comes on the first play. And that's exactly what happened. They got the first down on the first play, Michigan then drained their timeouts.
Brian Boesch • 12:00
The the old needed nine, got twelve right.
Doug Karsch • 12:05
Unbelievable that this game turns into a Michigan win. But you know, like I said, I feel like I've seen this happen to Michigan way more than they've had good fortune like this on their side.
Doug Karsch • 12:17
But still, unless correct things, you're right, this will be remembered based upon the next eleven.
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Brian Boesch • 12:23
It felt bleak for a long time, really. Fifty, what, fifty five minutes. The first drive was great. Michigan went right down the field and then did not score until there was zero on the clock and one second got added. It's. It's a really unique thing. And to me, the person who summed it up the best was Jordan Marshall right after the game. Yes, you're happy for a win. It's tough to win. They put in eight months of work to get to this point. But it cannot be like this for literally a single game the rest of the year.
Jack Miller • 12:52
Yeah, I mean, two things can be true at once, which is that was a terrible performance, particularly offensively. I mean, defensively, besides that one long drive that they gave up, the defense played pretty well. That Western offense, that Western team in general is actually pretty good. And that offense put us in a bind the entire night. The defense stepped up a lot. Those six points in the first half that they gave up, that was on a special teams error and Bryce's error right before half. So those were six points that, you know, the defense really wasn't responsible for. However, the offense looked completely out of sorts. The offensive line could not get any movement, could not get any separation and allow for any holes for the running backs to find. The most disappointing part about that is they had the six or seven offensive linemen look the entire night.
Jack Miller • 13:31
The idea was to bully Western around and that didn't happen at all. The team did not look very tough at times. They did tackle well, which was good to see. And defensively they're fast. You could tell that the way they run around from sideline to sideline. There's a lot of speed and talent on that defense. I think the defense just worn down. They were on the field. I mean, forty, forty minutes time of possession for Western, twenty for Michigan. Anytime that happens, errors are just going to occur. You're on the field too long as a defense. But that offense is out of sorts. It really was. They couldn't run, they couldn't find anything. Schematically. Nothing really made sense. They couldn't find an identity. And if we're being honest, Bryce looked lost for majority of that game. Now, like I said, two things can be true at once. That happened, and yet we won.
Jack Miller • 14:13
And there's got to be some, some amount of respect that the team deserves by virtue of the fact that they didn't quit.
Brian Boesch • 14:19
Sure.
Jack Miller • 14:19
And they get one second left in kind of a weird fluke situation. And JJ Buchanan might be the most impressive guy I've seen catch a ball. You know, it seems like anytime it's in his radius, he's finding a way to come down with it. Whether that was in the first drive of the game where Bryce fumbled the snap and then threw it up to him and he kind of caught it back, you know, behind him one handed or at the end where in front of seven guys, he gets up at the right angle and comes down with it. So a lot to correct. Obviously probably not, as there was a lot of surprises between the offensive line. The running game not getting going, Bryce not progressing maybe the way that we had hoped. But here's the good news, you still end up walking out of here tonight. One and oh, a new lease on the season, as you said, Brian, where this game will be remembered one of two ways.
Jack Miller • 15:05
Oh, geez. We stormed the field against Western. What was that? Or hey, that was what they needed. It was kind of a miracle. And look at the path that put this team on. We'll see.
Jack Miller • 15:13
We'll figure out what these guys go do. It'll be fun to watch.
Brian Boesch • 15:16
Yeah, look how they took advantage because you mentioned the JJ Buchanan catch, the Bryce Underwood throw. He got hit as he threw. He was a little bit leaning back and still was able to sling that past sixty yards for the score. You mentioned the disappointment, offensive line and run game. What, what can they fix as quickly as they need to fix it before a good Oklahoma team that whipped up UTEP pretty good last night comes to town?
Jack Miller • 15:41
Well, I think they need to figure out what scheme they want to run. You know, they were trying just inside zone a lot. They would try to trap and run some counters, you know, Bryce. They wanted to run the ball with Bryce at times and it looked effective. And then there were times where I think he gets the option to pull and still isn't really comfortable reading the linebackers, reading the defensive end crashing down or maybe the safety, whoever the edge player is, where a couple times he could have fall right around the corner and ran for twenty yards and didn't. So, you know, it seemed like they were toying with a bunch of different stuff and trying to figure out what exactly was going to work and what they want to do and again, give Western credit. They had a really good game plan. They played hard. Those guys are ready to play today, but Michigan's going to have to figure it out.
Jack Miller • 16:19
The other thing that was a head scratcher is the penalties. You know, these Whittingham teams are known for being tough, for being disciplined, for not hurting themselves at times. In that third quarter, Michigan's offense got rolling a little bit, and every time it was, you know, one step forward, one step back with some sort of penalty, and they would just stall out momentum. It happened time and time again. So between that, between the lack of discipline and toughness, that's a bit of a concern, certainly. But, you know, there's a lot of time for this season for improvement. This is. While there are some. Some guys with a lot of experience, the team in and of itself is young, it's new, it's fresh, and they're going to have to come together and work on some things to clean it up.
Brian Boesch • 16:57
No question about that. You mentioned some of the areas of concern. Penalties, nine for eighty yards, three turnovers. And Michigan was three for ten on third down. The Hail Mary was on third down. Big third down conversion.
Jack Miller • 17:11
Huge. You could say that was.
Brian Boesch • 17:12
That really made the game for him Next week. Oklahoma. We always kind of felt like this would, you know, help define the early stage of the season, be a litmus test now, I think you look at it so differently because of the way Michigan played. Obviously a ton has to get cleaned up in a week. There has to be some skepticism, but this has to be probably more player led than anything else, right?
Jack Miller • 17:40
I think so. And it was awesome that Jason was able to grab Jordan Marshall for that interview because even in the midst of all that excitement and chaos and people were storming the field, you could hear that in his voice. And I guess that's a positive sign to look at. I think they're going to have to figure out pretty soon here what do you want to do offensively and just be really, really darn good at that versus trying a little bit of everything, sprinkling in a lot and some of it not working. All right, well, you had a test run against somebody else tonight, and it didn't really work. If you're going to stand a chance to beat Oklahoma next week, you got to say there's at least a few things offensively we feel good about versus just, let's throw everything at the kitchen sink and see what sticks. There wasn't a whole lot of that tonight.
Brian Boesch • 18:19
Great stuff, as always. We'll talk next week before Michigan and Oklahoma.
Jack Miller • 18:23
Yea. Thanks, Brian. Go Blue.
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Brian Boesch • 18:23
Thoughts from the crew. After an incredible game, an unfathomable final play, and an unexpected final play for many, Michigan gets an extra second. And they have a second lease on their season. From all accounts, thirteen twelve over Western Michigan. Lots to do here on our post game episode of in the Trenches, presented by Meijer. Interviews to come momentarily. But first, you already wear maize and blue on game day. You might even know all the lyrics to the Victors. But what if you could give back to Michigan Athletics every day simply through your phone bill? Michigan Mobile is wireless, built for loyal Wolverines members. Enjoy connection on America's largest five G network network, plus exclusive perks and ticket access, all while giving back to Michigan athletics. Michigan medicine and student scholarships support Michigan Athletics every day, not just game day.
Brian Boesch • 19:11
Visit michiganmobile dot com to switch today. That's michiganmobile dot com Go Blue everywhere you go with Michigan Mobile. Time now for our post game interviews and we start with the head coach, Kyle Whittingham.
Jon Jansen • 19:24
Coach, is that how you drew it up?
Kyle Whittingham • 19:27
Absolutely not. Yeah, but we found a way. Our guys found a way. Ain't over till it's over, as the old adage goes. But there was not a lot of hooting and hollering in our locker room. We understand that. We got a lot of deficiencies. We got a lot of things to fix, a lot of things to work on and credit to our leaders. They were not happy about the way we played tonight. Didn't defend the run well enough, not nearly well enough. Didn't run the ball well enough. Lost the turnover margin, what, two, zero? I believe it was maybe three zero. Two or three, zero, I guess it was. You're not going to win many football games when you look at all that. So to coming out of there with a win was really nothing short of a miracle. And we got it done. Like I said, JJ Buchanan made a great catch. Bryce made a great throw. The line protected him well enough to get the ball out. But, you know, it's just disappointing.
Kyle Whittingham • 20:16
We score on the first drive of the game. That's like someone turned off a light switch. And nothing until the very last play of the game. And so that's on me. I gotta do a better job preparing these guys. I don't believe we overlooked Western Michigan. The focus and the concentration, the intention and practice was good, but we just seem to be in a funk tonight. And I, you know, right now, standing here, I don't have an explanation for it. Got to watch the film Tomorrow. But I promise you this, we will figure out what we need to do be better.
Jon Jansen • 20:44
Well, the defense kept you in the game. They only allowed twelve points, and I know there was one drive in the second half that was thirteen minutes and forty seconds, twenty plays outside of that drive. What was the defense doing that worked for them?
Kyle Whittingham • 20:55
Well, I just controlled the line of scrimmage somewhat, you know, not as well as I thought we would. We tackled fairly well, we didn't miss a ton of tackles, but we didn't get to come away with any takeaways on defense, and that's not going to be our style. We've got to take the football away. But they just did it. Credit them. Credit Western Michigan. They had a very good game plan. Big dose of QB run game, shortened the game by controlling the clock, and they had to be way up in time of possession. I haven't seen the final numbers, but they had to be way, you know, it's had to be way lopsided in that regard. But again, we've got a lot of work to do, and that's squarely on my shoulders as the head coach, and we will get things fixed.
Jon Jansen • 21:35
Bryce gets one chance at the Hail Mary, throws it out of the back of the end zone, they come back. What was your reaction when you. Did you tell them that you thought you had one second, or did they come to you and say, hey, there's one second left on the clock?
Kyle Whittingham • 21:45
I thought there was one second because I saw when the ball was sailing across the back of the end zone that there was still a second on the clock. And so I didn't have any discussion with the referee because they went right to the. Well, excuse me, they went right to the replay camera and, and they were, you know, blowing the whistle and keeping everyone on the field and, and, or from celebrating, I should say. And so I had an inclination that there was going to be a second left, but obviously, you know, it was not up to me. But the referee saw it the same way, the replay booth, and so glad they got it right.
Jon Jansen • 22:16
What was the conversation going back out there then for the second attempt with Bryce and, and the rest of the guys?
Kyle Whittingham • 22:22
Well, we had to tell Bryce, obviously, to keep it in the ballpark. You know, the first one sailed out of the back of the end zone, which gives us no chance to recover it or catch it. And so he did exactly that. He put it right where it needed to be. And JJ Buchanan, what a contested catch phenom he is. I mean, that's, that's who he is. And that didn't surprise me that he was the one that came down with it because he's. I see him do that day in and day out at practice. Not on a Hail Mary, but just some of the catches he makes in practice are remarkable.
Jon Jansen • 22:47
Well, coach, I appreciate your time. Thanks a lot. And congratulations on the first win.
Kyle Whittingham • 22:50
Thank you, John. Appreciate it. We're one and all. Bottom line.
Brian Boesch • 22:56
Right after the game, Jason Avant caught up with Jordan Marshall. To recap the moment and the win,
Jason Avant • 23:03
Jordan, tell me how it feels, buddy.
Jordan Marshall • 23:06
I mean, it feels great. Obviously, it's hard to win in college football, but this is not how we want to win. We're a way better team than this. We didn't play like it today. We got to be way better than this. And I take that on myself. I know Price is going to put it on himself, and we got to be way better than this. This is. Again, it's hard to win, but we have to be better than this. We're a better team than this. These fans deserve better. And I'm gonna make it my mark that we come out here next week and we play better.
Brian Boesch • 23:32
More from Jason in the locker room in a moment. But Foguth Financial Group is the proud wealth management partner of Michigan Athletics. And to celebrate, they're inviting those already retired or nearing retirement to attend the annual night out at the Big House on Thursday, september twenty fourth. Learn strategies for managing the risks of retirement and enjoy complimentary dinner door prizes and get exclusive access to tour Michigan Stadium. Head over to mgoblue dot com BIG House to sign up. That's mgoblue dot com Big House. Limited seats are available. Let's talk to the two men who connected on that final second touchdown. We start with the receiver JJ Buchanan.
Jason Avant • 24:08
JJ That's a great introduction for Michigan football right there. Talk about your day you had today, man.
JJ Buchanan • 24:14
Obviously, you know, we couldn't really get a lot going as an offense. You know, defense was bailing us out a little bit, and at the end of the game, it came down to. Came down to one last play, and thankfully we made a play.
Jason Avant • 24:25
So, yeah, you and Bryce have had a connection for fall camp. Spring ball that, like those reps. How does that take an effect in a game like this?
JJ Buchanan • 24:37
Yeah, no, the game for sure. But, you know, that last place, I don't know how many reps, you really get at that. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's just. God, like, that's just the man above, you know, allowing me to go up there and Make a play.
JJ Buchanan • 24:48
Yea I don't know if there was too much chemistry with that. He just threw up. Threw up a prayer and I answered it.
Jason Avant • 24:54
But there has to be something that makes you unique and special in this area. Is it like ball drills that happen like that, jump ball tip drills or basketball rebound, something in order to get you to be that good at this?
JJ Buchanan • 25:06
No, I do. I'm on the Jugs, you know, hours every day. Like, it's not a day that I take off. And in this off season, I. Man, like, this is the most work I put into an offseason in my entire life. So, you know, just to be prepared for any situation. Yeah, obviously I do a lot of jump ball drills, so, you know, stuff like that. It's not my first time doing it, obviously, to that extent, my first time doing it, but, like, I do it. I do a bunch of reps that are on my own. You know what I'm saying?
Jason Avant • 25:28
So, like, yeah, now you guys have new coaches, but you have Hagans, you have Simon. All of these guys, like, how are they helping you to get to the place that you want to be?
JJ Buchanan • 25:39
Oh, yeah. The duo of Simon and Hagans, it's got to be the best in college football. Like, the amount of knowledge that they have and just they're kind of like, they're a little bit different, but, like, they work so well together and it's just been a blessing to be able to be a part of that room and be a part of. You know, all those guys were super close. Even the coaches, like, we're all super close. And. Yeah, it's just. I love. I love having those guys as my coaches.
Jason Avant • 26:01
Now there's a. There's a lot of disappointment because the way that the game went, but how do you stay focused and stay resilient when things aren't going your way?
JJ Buchanan • 26:12
Yeah, it's a good question. I mean, at the end of the day, we're one zero. And you know, Coach Whitt talks about it all the time. Like, at some point this season we will face adversity. And I mean, we faced a lot of it today and we responded. And at the end of the day, like, like I said, we're one and zero, so no one can take that away from us.
Jason Avant • 26:27
Congratulations on a win.
JJ Buchanan • 26:28
Thank you. Appreciate it.
Brian Boesch • 26:29
Now, let's hear from QB1, Bryce Underwood.
Jason Avant • 26:32
Bryce, talk about the last play of the game. What was going through your mind one second. Put back on the clock.
Bryce Underwood • 26:38
Honestly, throughout the game, go throughout that last part of the game feel like it was just knowing that my teammates had trusted me and they believed in me to make the last play so that was really, that was all in my mind and I trusted my teammates to make the play for me as well.
Jason Avant • 26:50
So you and JJ have had a connection from spring ball all the way through fall camp and now it shows up in the game with the one hand catch, couple plays made. Talk about that connection and how happy you are to have him on the scene.
Bryce Underwood • 27:04
I'm blessed to have him on my team and honestly, I'm blessed for that moment. Just can't thank God enough, can't thank my teammates for trusting me enough.
Jason Avant • 27:13
When it comes to the defense today, holding Western Michigan to twelve points, giving you guys an opportunity to stay in the ball game, can you talk about the job they did?
Bryce Underwood • 27:24
They did an amazing job. No touchdowns was allowed. We just got to capitalize on our offense. So we're going to go back to the film room tomorrow morning and get the ball rolling so we could be better next next game.
Jason Avant • 27:34
You have a test coming up in Oklahoma. I'm not going to get there yet, but Jason Beck and the others are designing up some new schemes. How do you feel that you're, you're implementing those?
Bryce Underwood • 27:49
Feel like we're right where we need to be. You got to start off faster, got to be better, you know, just have a better scheme for offense that's with you.
Brian Boesch • 27:55
We'll get some thoughts for the Michigan defense in a moment, but if you want to experience Michigan football like never before, our friends at Champions Circle can help with that. Champions Circle gives Wolverine fans exclusive access to once in a lifetime experiences you can't get anywhere else. Get closer to the action and support Michigan student athletes at champions. Circle u of m dot com Champions Circle is an official partner of the University of Michigan defensive. Interviews with Jason Avant. First up, Zeke Berry.
Jason Avant • 28:22
Zeke, that was a wild finish. A lot of stuff went on. How you feeling?
Zeke Berry • 28:28
You know, not feeling too good, but
Zeke Berry • 28:29
you know, we won the game, so, you know, I feel a little bit better that the whole team is able to, you know, finish the game out and come out with a dub. But, you know, we got a lot of things to work on still. We will come back, go back to the drawing board, you know, make sure we get everything right for next week.
Jason Avant • 28:42
You guys seem to have the their number the first half and then the second half. Things changed with that long drive and it seemed like you guys begin to get tired of a bit. How do you overcome in that situation?
Zeke Berry • 28:57
I mean, you know, you just gotta be able to, you know, want to get off that field, you know, I mean, for the defense, you know, we out there to stop them. So I feel like, you know, the guys up front and linebackers and the dbs, you know, if we all just have that mentality of, you know, make sure we stop them, you know, we get off that. Get off the field early, won't be tired.
Jason Avant • 29:15
When you have a dynamic running game. Like they had not necessarily a passing game, but they had a dynamic running. A dynamic running game. What was the coaching points in order to mitigate their strengths?
Zeke Berry • 29:27
Just getting on and off blocks, you know, wrap up. Wrap up the ball carrier and tackle and be violent, you know, just make sure we get the ball on the ground.
Jason Avant • 29:35
What can you say about Bryce Underwood and JJ with that pass at the end of the game? Hail Mary, man.
Zeke Berry • 29:41
I mean, that's connection right there. I mean, throughout. All throughout camp, Spring ball, everything. I mean, that was a great play and had my hats off to JJ and Bryce for that. I mean, they won us the game.
Jason Avant • 29:53
Congratulations on the win.
Zeke Berry • 29:54
Thank you. Appreciate it.
Brian Boesch • 29:55
Now let's catch up with man all over the field today. Here's Jason with Dom Nichols.
Jason Avant • 29:59
Dom, you had a day today when it comes to getting after the quarterback. Talk about your growth and development to get to this place.
Dom Nichols • 30:09
Yeah, I mean, I just, like. I would like to thank the dudes who came before me. Derrick Moore, J. Sean J, Stu, TJ. I mean, I just learned a lot from those dudes, and I stayed patient and trusted in the process.
Jason Avant • 30:22
Yeah, when it comes to making timely plays, it seemed like you did that pretty much the entire day. What were the things that western Michigan did in order to give you guys problems when it came to the run game in the second half?
Dom Nichols • 30:35
Yeah, just that quarterback run trying to outman us in the box. I mean, we just knew that we needed to be the more physical team and all aspects of the defensive game, which, I mean, I felt like we played a pretty good defensive game overall, but yeah, definitely some things to clean up still.
Jason Avant • 30:52
You guys have a lot of guys up front that getting a lot of credit and notoriety. The defensive ends are sometimes. Not all the time, but sometimes left out of that conversation. What did your play in cambrandt and others say today?
Dom Nichols • 31:10
Yeah, I mean, there's a standard here at Michigan for defensive ends, and that's why I came. And you. You watch Hutch, you watch Ojabo. Just dudes like that and you want to be like them. So, I mean, you just work every day to Be like them. And it's okay if people don't. Don't see it at first, but eventually they will.
Jason Avant • 31:28
Game winning touchdown. JJ and Bryce, what was the feeling that went through your body when that happened, man?
Dom Nichols • 31:36
Yeah, I mean, disbelief almost. Me and JHD and Cam were sitting there holding hands, praying, man, like it should have never came down to that. But thank goodness number six came down with that ball and it was, it was a good throw right where it needed to be and can't be any more thankful for what happened.
Jason Avant • 31:54
Yeah, it seems like nobody was surprised that it was JJ that came down with the ball.
Dom Nichols • 32:00
Not surprising whatsoever. That's, that's his thing. If you throw it up there, he's going to go get it.
Jason Avant • 32:04
Congratulations on the way.
Dom Nichols • 32:05
I appreciate that.
Brian Boesch • 32:06
We wrap it up with a linebacker who led the Wolverines in tackles. Troy Bowles had twelve of them and he's with Jason Avant.
Jason Avant • 32:13
Today was a tough game in a lot of ways. When it comes to Western Michigan's offensive scheme, when it comes to misdirection, different run packages and formations, how did that play an effect on your game?
Troy Bowles • 32:28
Yeah, I mean, they do a lot of eye candy with the run fits. They definitely run the quarterback a lot more than your traditional college team would. But yeah, I would say they ran the ball a little better than we wanted them to and they controlled the clock. But yeah, that's how I feel about it. We got a lot of stuff to work on, but I mean we went one no this week, so that's all you could really ask for in the end. But we definitely have a lot of stuff to work on.
JJ Buchanan • 32:55
Differences.
Jason Avant • 32:56
You got a chance to show everybody what you can do. Running sideline to sideline, playing downhill. Is that what we're going to see most of the year?
Troy Bowles • 33:06
Definitely. And I'm definitely ramp it up because I have a lot of stuff to work on personally. So what you're seeing today is just scratching the surface. That was week one. Only going to go up from here.
Jason Avant • 33:16
Talk about like the legacy that's kind of left before you from Junior Colson to, you know, Cole Sullivan and Rolder and Jaishawn Barham. It's been a lot of good linebackers that came through here lately and, and now they've left you with that mantle. Do you think about that as you take the field?
Troy Bowles • 33:34
I definitely do, definitely. When I'm warming up, I think about how the older guys warmed up before me. Think about how they, how much they looked at their tip sheets or how much they prepared for the game and it definitely helps me because I just take all what I learned from them and group it all in one. So I feel like that definitely. That's huge. And I mean, it's. Michigan linebackers should be legendary every year. So it's a lot. It's a lot of people that came before me and I'm definitely grateful to be in this position.
Jason Avant • 34:02
When it comes to coach J. Hill, it's a different scheme, but it seemed like you've taken that on. Can you talk about how he's using you in that scheme?
Troy Bowles • 34:12
Yeah, definitely. I feel like he uses our linebackers. We do everything we gotta. We gotta be able to pass rush, we gotta be able to set the edge, we got to be able to cover, we got to be able to run with the receiver, do everything. So, I mean, I feel like his scheme fits us perfectly because we have the right athletes to do it from top down in the room. And yeah, I feel like the scheme definitely fits us.
Jason Avant • 34:34
Now you guys have had some. You got help and talent all around. You saw Bracey flying around, Snowden coming down, but the defensive line was able to make some. Make some plays. So you can make a play play. Can you talk about the defensive line and what you have up front?
Troy Bowles • 34:48
Yeah, definitely. Trey, Pierce, Enow Etta, them, Cam Brandt, Dom, all of them eating up blockers so I could play free and play fast. I definitely appreciate them a lot for that. And they're. If, if they're free, if, if they got two on them, I'm free. So I mean, I definitely appreciate them for that.
Jason Avant • 35:08
Last play the game got to talk about it because everybody in the stadium went crazy. Talk about the throw and catch Bryce and JJ first and have you seen anything like that?
Troy Bowles • 35:22
I have not seen nothing like that. I'm not gonna lie in person and being on the, being on the winning side of it, I definitely haven't seen that. It's definitely got Bryce and JJ right there. I definitely. Yeah. Shout out to them for sure.
Jason Avant • 35:38
Congratulations on the win.
Troy Bowles • 35:39
Thank you.
Brian Boesch • 35:39
That'll do it for this post game edition of in the Trenches presented by Meijer Michigan one. And oh, thanks to an extra second in the final moments. Thanks to all those who joined us here on this episode. We'll be with you for another jam packed week of coverage on M GO Blue podcast. Excited to get ready for the Wolverines and the Oklahoma Sooners coming up Saturday at the Big House. For everyone who made it possible, I'm Brian Boesch. Thanks for listening and go Blue.
Jeff Laurence • 36:06
Thanks for listening to this edition of in the Trenches with Jon Jansen Presented by Meijer, Presenting sponsor of the twenty twenty six Michigan Football season and proud supporter of hundreds of local sports teams across the Midwest, in the Trenches is part of our Michigan Athletics Podcast network, MGO Blue Podcasts. The preceding is a Learfield presentation of the Michigan Sports Network.
