Michigan’s football team appeared rudderless after falling to Oregon 38-17 on Nov. 2 – its third double digit loss in a four-game span.
The Wolverines were in danger of missing a bowl game late in the year, but athletic director Warde Manuel’s confidence in head coach Sherrone Moore and his team never wavered. Joining the Big Ten Network Friday ahead of Michigan hockey’s outdoor game against Ohio State, Manuel said he wasn’t surprised by the Wolverines’ late-season surge.
After crushing Northwestern 50-6 on Nov. 23, Michigan followed with a stunning 13-10 upset over No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus. Then, playing without several top players who opted out of the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Wolverines knocked off an 11th-ranked Alabama team playing close to full strength.
“Just so proud,” Manuel said in an interview with BTN. “For me, I played football for Bo (Schembechler), and Bo used to always tell us, ‘Your character is tested when you lose and when you don’t have the success. That’s when we know who we have on this team.’
“Sherrone led this team. The coaches, they led themselves – the captains, the seniors. I was just impressed all along. Never gave up, never stopped playing, never stopped playing hard with effort.”
Manuel signed Moore to a five-year deal as Jim Harbaugh’s replacement, but it took a while for Michigan to find its identity in 2024 after losing 13 players to the NFL draft from last season’s national championship team.
The Wolverines leaned heavily on its run game against OSU and Alabama to control the clock, and their defense suffocated two explosive offenses, setting the stage for two dramatic finishes.
“They found that spark, and they carried it on to Ohio State and to Alabama,” Manuel said. “It was just great to watch. It was something that I saw internally, but the fans obviously just see the wins or the losses. I get the reality of seeing how they handled it in practice, how is it in the locker room? I just was impressed the whole way.”
Now after three straight wins and signing a top-10 recruiting class, the Wolverines are carrying momentum into 2025.
