Breaking down Michigan football’s 24-10 victory over Wisconsin: five key takeaways

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan football entered Week 6 as a heavy favorite over Wisconsin, but if you corner a wounded badger, it tends to get particularly ferocious. And in the early going, the Badgers gave the Wolverines everything they had.

The first half saw the maize and blue, particularly on offense, stuck in the mud, even as the defense became stodgy following Wisconsin's first drive. But the second half saw Bryce Underwood and his receiving corps come alive, with Donaven McCulley and Andrew Marsh in starring roles for the first time this season. The offense exploded, with Underwood passing for a career-high 270 yards, completing 68% of his passes (also a career high). The defense wasn't living in the backfield as it was the past two games, but it got the job done, holding the Badgers to 10 points and 252 yards overall -- the second-lowest offensive output of the year for UW, and tied for the least amount of points they've scored.

Michigan won the Week 6 matchup, 24-10. Here are our five takeaways from the game.

1. Specifically target the playmakers

We got a text from a former Wolverine during the game, and he noted that good things happen when you target your playmakers. And that's what Michigan did in the second half, in particular.

In the first half, Underwood only attempted eight passes (completing six). McCulley had three targets with two catches for 21 yards in the first half, but then he exploded in the second, en route to a 112-yard performance -- his best in a Michigan uniform. Marsh was consistent through the game and caught all four of his targets for 80 yards. Running back Justice Haynes had a big 43-yard run during the first drive, but really started accumulating yards in the fourth quarter, with 117 rushing yards overall.

These are your Michigan football playmakers. While the tight ends Marlin Klein and Hogan Hansen (Hansen didn't play on Saturday) could also be key figures in the passing game, the aforementioned trio needs to be the focal points of the offense. Yes, the Wolverines want to spread the ball around and get several players going. But many (if not most) teams have those go-to receivers that carry the load. For Ohio State, it's Jeremiah Smith. For Alabama, it's Ryan Williams. For Michigan, it should be McCulley and Marsh. Because, even if it's a one-game sample, good things happen when they're thrown the ball.

2. It's time for Justice Haynes to get national recognition

When you see any current Heisman rankings, it's all quarterbacks but one running back: Mizzou's Ahmad Hardy. Let's be real here, Hardy deserves to be there. But so does Haynes.

Hardy has 103 carries for 730 yards (7.09 yards per carry), while Haynes has 85 carries for 654 yards (7.69 yards per carry). Hardy has one more touchdown than Haynes, with nine, but they're pretty close in most stats. No Michigan running back has had a better start to his Wolverines' career than Haynes, and with five consecutive 100-yard games, he's on pace to reach the eight-game streak set by Blake Corum in 2022. While his average down-and-distance isn't quite as impressive as Corum that year (and that was the season Corum appeared to be the Heisman favorite before his Week 13 injury vs. Illinois), Haynes' home runs have put him in the conversation. It doesn't appear as if he's slowing down.

The national media must notice this, because with Underwood still coming into his own, Haynes has been consistently spectacular.

3. The defense feels like it struggles on the first drive, then becomes elite

That's two in a row where Michigan allowed an impressive opening drive before the defense settled in. Yes, against Nebraska, the defense allowed the Hail Mary and then had some success, but much of that was Michigan imploding. On Saturday, the Badgers also had an impressive six-minute drive and scored a touchdown, but after that? Really nothing much more doing.

OK, so it isn't rote, but it seems clear that the Wolverines struggle with the scripted drive, but then adjust. And when they do, good luck. This isn't as dominant a defense as the best of last year, or even the past three years -- and Wink Martindale would probably concede to that. But it has a ton of potential, and they do what it takes to win. In this game, it didn't appear as if the blitz rate was nearly as high as usual, but it fit the game plan. This team is becoming very complementary, but there's one unit that's struggling.

4. Special teams struggles

What a debacle. Well, that's a little hyperbolic, but it isn't good. Another missed field goal. Only one return for Semaj Morgan, otherwise a lot of pointing to where the ball lands and ceding field position. All of these things need to get better.

There is good news. For the kicking game, it appears as if the snap on the missed field goal wasn't optimal, so it's not all on Dominic Zvada. That can be fixed. Morgan did return one punt for 13 yards -- worlds better than what we've seen. Hudson Hollenbeck had maybe his best game in a Michigan uniform, as he averaged nearly 50 yards per punt, with a long of 57, two of 50-plus, and two inside the 20. Also, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng (making his Michigan debut) nearly blocked a punt.

Even still, these struggles can't continue. These are issues that didn't exist in the Wolverines' 2021-23 run. Special teams often won the day, even if they were overshadowed. So something has to change, because these mistakes and miscues could cost Michigan a game down the line if they're not fixed.

5. Killer instinct needs to kick in

Saturday ended up being a comfortable win, but it was just a few mistakes away from a blowout. The same thing could have been said against Nebraska two weeks ago. Same with New Mexico in Week 1. Like with special teams, the lack of killer instinct and burying a team when a team can be buried is holding the Wolverines back.

The first half featured a four-and-out and two three-and-outs. In the two three-and-outs, Michigan got nine and eight yards -- close to extending the drive, but not close enough. The Wolverines were 3-for-5 in the red zone on Saturday (granted, the game ended with Michigan in prime scoring position). The missed field goal by Zvada was in the red zone, as well. The fumbled snap by Bryce Underwood was just outside of the red zone. Two drops (one by H-back Max Bredeson and the other by Kendrick Bell) would have resulted in big first downs if they caught the ball.

There were points left on the table, and such was the case in Lincoln, too. Michigan has to take advantage of the situations it finds itself in. That was a difference between some of the more successful teams and the moribund team of a year ago. Everything is right there for the maize and blue this year, even with Underwood still growing into his role. But the Wolverines feel a year or two away, in large part due to not seeming to have the ability to put teams away when they have the chance.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Five takeaways from Michigan football’s 24-10 win over Wisconsin