The good and the bad from Michigan football's 24-7 win over Washington

Michigan football rebounded from last week's loss with a 24-7 victory over the Washington Huskies to move to 5-2 on the season and keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Let's break down "the good" and "the bad" from the game.

The Good

Bryce Underwood and the chemistry with the tight ends

Starting tight end Marlin Klein was an addition to the injury report this morning and missed the game against the Huskies, and second-string tight end Hogan Hansen was also out, meaning the Wolverines were down to their second and third stringers at the position.

However, that didn't seem to matter as Zach Marshall and Deakon Tonielli stepped up in a big way in for QB Bryce Underwood and the Michigan offense. Marshall hauled in five passes for 72 yards and a touchdown, while Tonielli had 38 yards on three receptions, including one in the second half in a very tight window where he took a hit while coming down with the ball.

Both of them did a great job with their route running all day long, and Underwood was efficient in finding them in what turned out to be an outstanding day for the Michigan signal caller, finishing 21-of-27 passing for 230 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Overall, seven Wolverines caught passes in what was one of Michigan's more effective offensive outputs of the season, despite only having 24 points on the scoreboard.

Oct 18, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) gets set to run a play in the first half against the Washington Huskies at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Michigan running game

The tight end room wasn't the only position group that was banged up heading into the game, as the Big Ten's leading rusher coming in, Justice Haynes, was also out for this one, meaning Jordan Marshall had to step up and carry the load in the backfield.

Marshall was phenomenal, finishing the contest with 25 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown. Even when he had multiple Washington defenders on him, there were numerous times where Marshall refused to go down and kept driving his legs for an extra few yards before being brought to the ground.

The sophomore ran behind a Michigan offensive line that also had a good bounce back game after a subpar performance at USC last Saturday.

The Michigan defense

Wink Martindale's defense came under heavy scrutiny after the performance against the Trojans, allowing nearly 500 yards of offense against a really good USC unit on the offensive side of the ball.

There is more than enough talent on all levels of the Wolverines' defense for them to be a consistently dominant unit, and they were certainly dominant against the Huskies and showed their full potential.

The two big plays came from linebackers Cole Sullivan and Jimmy Rolder in the second half as they intercepted Washington QB Demond Williams on back-to-back possessions, which led to 14 Michigan points.

Martindale's unit really limited a Washington offense that has several playmakers and held the Huskies to just 249 total yards and just 40 on the ground. Defensive end Derrick Moore showed why he is thought to be one of the better pass rushers in college football on Saturday while recording two sacks.

🗣️ HEAT IN THE KITCHEN

Gus Johnson was loving this big hit from @UMichFootball's Moore on 4th down 😤 pic.twitter.com/vCUNsCGBPe
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2025

The bad

Injury to left tackle Evan Link

The Wolverines are trying to get healthy at several positions, but the offensive line unit has been one that has avoided injuries to a large degree, although not fully.

However, that changed on Saturday as starting left tackle Evan Link went down with a non-contact injury in the first quarter in a pass blocking situation.

Link's teammates were on the field to support him as he was carted off, but the injury did not look good at first sight, considering he wasn't able to walk off the field under his own power. Blake Frazier did step in and do a good job at left tackle, but if Link is out for any period of time, that's s big blow to the Wolverine offense.

Michigan fans show support to Evan Link as he's carted off the field ❤️〽️@UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/a2VpHsGOiF
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2025

Some missed opportunities early allows Washington to hang around

While the Wolverines put together a dominant second half performance in which they outscored the Huskies 17-0 in the second half, the score was 7-7 at halftime, and part of that was due to the Wolverines missing some opportunities on both sides of the ball in the game's first 30 minutes.

In the first quarter, Jyaire Hill had an opportunity for a pick six slip through his hands in what was a chance for a huge defensive play early. On the offensive side of the ball, kicker Dominic Zvada missed his fourth FG of the year that could have put Michigan up 10-7, and later on, the Wolverines were stopped inside the Washington 5-yard line with a chance to take the lead.

In the second half, Michigan mostly made the plays that were in front of them and largely executed inside the redzone on offense, which allowed Sherrone Moore's team to pull away.

Daekon Tonielli — Oct 18, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines tight end Deakon Tonielli (88) celebrates in the second half against the Washington Huskies at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images