The 2018 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the sport of college football during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wolverines were members of the East Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan was coached by Jim Harbaugh, who was in his fourth season as head coach of his alma mater.
Michigan began the year ranked 14th in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll. Its first game of the year was on the road against rival Notre Dame, the first meeting between the two schools since 2014. The Wolverines lost that game, 24–17. Michigan won its next ten games, however, including wins over then-ranked Big Ten opponents Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Penn State, all of whom beat Michigan the previous year. The team rallied around calling the season a "revenge tour". The Wolverines climbed to fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings, and would have clinched the Big Ten Eastern Division and a spot in the 2018 Big Ten Football Championship Game with a regular-season-ending win over arch-rival Ohio State. However, the revenge tour came to an abrupt end as Michigan lost, 62–39, its seventh consecutive loss to the Buckeyes and 14th loss in 15 years in the series. The Wolverines were selected to their second New Year's Six bowl in three years, the Peach Bowl, where they lost to Florida, 41–15. The team's final record was 10–3, Harbaugh's third ten-win season in four years, and the team finished exactly where it started in the polls, at 14th.
Michigan was led on offense by junior quarterback Shea Patterson, a transfer from Ole Miss, and running back Karan Higdon, who became the first Michigan running back to rush for 1,000 yards since Fitzgerald Toussaint in 2011. On defense, the Wolverines were led by linebacker Devin Bush Jr., who was a consensus All-American and won the Nagurski–Woodson Award as the Big Ten's defensive player of the year. Five Michigan defensive players were named first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches: Bush, defensive linemen Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich, and defensive backs Lavert Hill and David Long.
Preseason In January 2018, the Wolverines hired Ben Herbert as Director of strength and conditioning, and Sherrone Moore as tight ends coach. On February 20, 2018, the Wolverines hired Jim McElwain as wide receivers coach. On February 23, Tim Drevno resigned as offensive coordinator after three seasons. The offensive coordinator position remained vacant throughout the 2018 season, with play calling duties split among the offensive coaches in what coach Harbaugh described as a "collaborative effort", with passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton calling a majority of the plays.
Award watch lists Listed in the order that they were released Lott TrophyKhaleke HudsonLBJRChuck Bednarik AwardChase WinovichDESRRashan GaryDEJRDevin BushLBJRMaxwell AwardShea PattersonQBJRKaran HigdonRBSRDoak Walker AwardKaran HigdonRBSRJohn Mackey AwardZach GentryTEJRSean McKeonTEJRButkus AwardDevin BushLBJRJim Thorpe AwardLavert HillDBJRBronko Nagurski TrophyDevin BushLBJRRashan GaryDEJRLavert HillDBJRKhaleke HudsonLBJRChase WinovichDESROutland TrophyBen BredesonGJRLou Groza AwardQuinn NordinKJRPaul Hornung AwardDonovan Peoples-JonesWR/KRSOWalter Camp AwardDevin BushLBJRRashan GaryDEJRTed Hendricks AwardRashan GaryDEJRChase WinovichDESRJohnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardShea PattersonQBJR
Recruiting
Recruits Michigan's recruiting class consisted of 19 recruits, including three that enrolled early. Michigan's recruiting class was ranked No. 20 by ESPN, No. 24 by Rivals.com, and No. 21 by 247Sports.com's Composite Rankings.
Schedule
Rankings
Game summaries
At Notre Dame
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To open the season, Michigan travelled to South Bend, Indiana to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to resume its long-running rivalry after a three year hiatus.
Michigan lost to Notre Dame, 24–17. Notre Dame scored 14 points in the first quarter on a 13-yard touchdown run from Jafar Armstrong and a 43-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Wimbush to Chris Finke. Michigan responded with 10 points in the second quarter on a 28-yard field goal by Quinn Nordin and a 99-yard kickoff return by Ambry Thomas. Notre Dame extended its lead in the second quarter on a four-yard touchdown run from Armstrong, which made the score 21–10 in favor of Notre Dame at half-time. Notre Dame added a 48-yard field goal by Justin Yoon in the third quarter. Michigan reduced Notre Dame's lead to seven points following a three-yard touchdown run from Karan Higdon in the fourth quarter.
Thomas' 99-yard kickoff return was the third 99-yard kickoff return in program history, and first since Tyrone Wheatley in 1992. Michigan's defense held Notre Dame to only 69 yards on 29 plays and three points in the second half, and scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Western Michigan
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Following its opening game against Notre Dame, Michigan hosted the Western Michigan Broncos to open its home schedule. This was the first meeting between the schools since 2011, a game shortened by lightning.
Michigan won in a blowout, 49–3. Michigan scored 21 points in the first quarter on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Shea Patterson to Sean McKeon, a 67-yard touchdown run from Karan Higdon and a 27-yard touchdown run from Chris Evans. Michigan added 14 points in the second quarter on a two-yard touchdown run from Evans, and a 44-yard touchdown pass from Patterson to Nico Collins, which made the score 35–0 in favor of Michigan at half-time. Michigan extended its lead in the third quarter on a five-yard touchdown pass from Patterson to Donovan Peoples-Jones. Michigan added seven points in the fourth quarter on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Dylan McCaffrey to Jake McCurry. Western Michigan finally got on the board late in the fourth quarter with a 35-yard field goal by Josh Grant to avoid a shutout.
Michigan's honorary captains for the game were alumni Grant Newsome and Brenda Tracy. Michigan scored 21 points in the first quarter for the first time since 2016 against Illinois. Higdon's 140 rushing yards in the first quarter were the most by a Wolverine in a single quarter since Denard Robinson ran for 152 yards in the first quarter against Notre Dame in 2010. Michigan's defense held its opponent to single-digit points for the first time since allowing just a field goal to Maryland in 2016.
SMU
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After playing Western Michigan, Michigan hosted the SMU Mustangs.
Michigan defeated SMU 45–20. After neither team scored in the first quarter, Michigan scored on every offensive possession from the second quarter onward. The teams exchanged touchdowns on a one-yard touchdown run from Ben Mason for Michigan, and a 50-yard touchdown pass from Ben Hicks to James Proche for SMU to tie the game. Michigan responded with 14 points on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Shea Patterson to Donovan Peoples-Jones, and a 73-yard interception return from Josh Metellus as time expired in the first half, which made the score 21–7 in favor of Michigan at half-time. Michigan added 14 points in the third quarter on two touchdown receptions from Peoples-Jones, from seven-yards and 41-yards, respectively. SMU responded with a two-yard touchdown pass from William Brown to Ryan Becker. SMU opened the scoring in the fourth quarter on a two-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Proche. Michigan extended its lead with a 45-yard field goal by Quinn Nordin and a nine-yard touchdown run from Tru Wilson.
Peoples-Jones' three touchdowns were the most scored by a Wolverine wide receiver since Jehu Chesson scored four against Indiana in 2015. Metellus' 73-yard interception return was the sixth-longest interception return for a touchdown in program history and the longest since Brandon Herron's school-record 94-yard return against Western Michigan in 2011.
Nebraska
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Following its game against SMU, Michigan began its conference schedule when it hosted the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Michigan won in a blowout, 56–10. Michigan scored 20 points in the first quarter on two touchdown runs by Ben Mason, from one and four-yards, respectively, and a 44-yard touchdown run from Karan Higdon. Michigan added 19 points in the second quarter, on a 50-yard field goal by Quinn Nordin, a five-yard touchdown pass from Shea Patterson to Zach Gentry, a one-yard touchdown run from Mason, and a safety for Michigan after an illegal forward pass by Adrian Martinez, which made the score 39–0 in favor of Michigan at half-time. Michigan added 10 points in the third quarter on a 60-yard punt return by Donovan Peoples-Jones and a 38-yard field by Nordin. Nebraska finally got on the board late in the third quarter with a 35-yard field goal by Barret Pickering to avoid a shutout. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the fourth quarter on a 56-yard touchdown pass from Dylan McCaffrey to Ronnie Bell for Michigan, and a three-yard touchdown run from Wyatt Mazour for Nebraska.
The 56 points scored were the fifth most in program history of Big Ten openers and the most since a 58–0 victory over Minnesota in 2011. Michigan's offense tallied over 200 yards rushing (285) and passing (206) for the first time since the 2017 season opener against Florida when the Wolverines had 215 yards rushing and 218 yards receiving. Michigan's defense held Nebraska to -5 yards in the first quarter and -1 yard in the second quarter. The last time the Michigan defense held an opponent to negative rushing yards in a quarter was against Ohio State in 2017. Quinn Nordin made a 50-yard field goal in the second quarter, his third career made field goal of at least 50 yards, tying Bob Bergeron (1984–87) for the second-most 50-yard field goals made in a career at Michigan.
At Northwestern
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After facing Nebraska, Michigan traveled to Evanston, Illinois, to face the Northwestern Wildcats.
Michigan defeated Northwestern 20–17. Northwestern scored ten points in the first quarter, on a one-yard touchdown run from Clayton Thorson and a 45-yard field goal by Charlie Kuhbande. Northwestern extended its lead in the second quarter on a three-yard touchdown run from John Moten IV. Michigan finally got on the board with a four-yard touchdown run from Karan Higdon, which made the score 17–7 in favor of Northwestern at half-time. In the second half, Michigan held Northwestern scoreless while accumulating 13 points. First a pair of field goals by Quinn Nordin from 23-yards and 24-yards, respectively in the third quarter, and a five-yard touchdown run from Higdon in the fourth quarter to give Michigan its first lead of the game, and the eventual win.
Michigan's 17-point comeback victory was its first since rallying for a 17-point comeback against Notre Dame in 2011. Northwestern had 105 total yards of offense in the first quarter, while Michigan's defense held them to just 97 yards in the final three quarters. Michigan's defense had season highs in sacks (six) and tackle-for-loss (10).
Maryland
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After its game against Northwestern, Michigan hosted the Maryland Terrapins in its homecoming game.