Michigan Football PFF Grades, Snap Counts to Know Following Thrilling Win Over WMU

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Michigan took down Western Michigan on Saturday in the most thrilling, yet embarrassing way. The Wolverines, who were a four-touchdown favorite, needed one second put back on the clock in order to take down the Broncos, 13-12.
After throwing the ball out of the end zone, Bryce Underwood had a second chance at a Hail Mary, and that time, he threw a perfect pass to JJ Buchanan, who came down with a reception in the end zone.
The Wolverines will take a 1-0 record into next week's showdown against Oklahoma, but Michigan has a ton to fix in a short amount of time in order to compete with the Sooners. But before we talk more about OU, let's look at some analytics from the WMU game.
Here are PFF grades to know, as well as snap counts.
Top 10 Offensive Players

- WR JJ Buchanan - 88.9 grade
- G Manuel Beigel - 76.2
- G Nathan Efobi - 69.0
- G Brady Norton - 66.3
- T Blake Frazier - 63.1
- RB Savion Hiter - 61.9
- RB Jordan Marshall - 61.5
- TE Jalen Hoffman - 61.4
- TE Eli Owens - 60.6
- T Andrew Sprague - 59.2
Bottom Five Offensive Players
- QB Bryce Underwood - 35.8 grade
- WR Channing Goodwin - 51.7
- WR Salesi Moa - 55.5
- WR Andrew Marsh - 58.1
- T Evan Link - 58.3
Top 10 Defensive Players

- Edge Dom Nichols - 83.9 grade
- Edge John Henry Daley - 78.1
- LB Nathaniel Staehling - 75.7
- DT Enow Etta - 73.5
- CB Smith Snowden - 72.5
- DT Trey Pierce - 70.8
- DT Jonah Lea'ea - 69.9
- LB Troy Bowles - 69.8
- CB Shamari Earls - 68.3
- S Chris Bracy - 67.5
Bottom Five Defensive Players
- Edge Nate Marshall - 48.8 grade
- LB Chase Taylor - 56.0
- S Rod Moore - 63.1
- CB Zeke Berry - 63.2
- LB Aisea Moa - 63.6
Snap Counts To Know
- Let's begin with the WRs. JJ Bucahanan (47) and Andrew Marsh (44) led the way in snaps. Channing Goodwin had 20. Salesi Moa had 9, and then Travis Johnson (2), and Jaime Ffrench (1). Shockingly, Ffrench couldn't find himself on the field despite the Wolverines making a splash signing from the portal.
- Andrew Sprague, Jake Guarnera, and Blake Frazier were the only three OL to play all 51 snaps. Both Evan Link and Brady Norton played 40 snaps and Nate Efobi had 22 of them. Maneul Beigel played a lot, seeing 26 snaps at both guard and Rhino.
- It appears Jalen Hoffman has taken over the TE room, leading the position with 37 snaps. Eli Owens had eight snaps, more as a FB. Zack Marshall had five snaps and Mason Bonner saw two.
- The LB position appears to be shaping up. Troy Bowles had 60 snaps, Nathaniel Staehling at 50, Chase Taylor had 35, Aisea Moa had 22, and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng had six.
- Despite being on a pitch count, Rod Moore played in 54 snaps, 10 less than Chris Bracy. Mason Curtis saw 18 snaps off the bench, and Jordan Young had two snaps.
- It was Dom Nichols who dominated the edge in both play and snaps. He had 55 snaps, John Henry Daley saw 43 snaps and Cam Brandt played in 32 snaps.
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Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.
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