Michigan football redshirt tracker: Bowling Green

The Michigan Wolverines came away victorious in their matchup against Bowling Green, winning the primetime matchup by a score of 31-6. The score, however, is not a good indication of the team’s performance. The Wolverines were less than stellar in the win, with J.J. McCarthy having arguably his worst game in college.

The game was still competitive at halftime, with the Wolverines only leading 14-6. This brought up some questions about how much playing time the second- and third-stringers would get. With Michigan scoring 17 unanswered points in the third quarter, this opened the door to get some fresh faces onto the field.

The following freshmen have seen the field so far this season. An asterisk (*) indicates if they appeared against Bowling Green.

• WR Fredrick Moore (3 Games)*
• WR Karmello English (3 Games)*
• WR Semaj Morgan (3 Games)*
• DB Brandyn Hillman (3 Games)*
• DB DJ Waller Jr. (3 Games)*
• DB Jyaire Hill (3 Games)*
• DB Cameron Calhoun (3 Games)*
• Edge Enow Etta (3 Games)*
• DL Trey Pierce (3 Games)*
• DL Cameron Brandt (2 Games)
• RB Cole Cabana (1 Game)*
• Edge Aymeric Koumba (1 Game)
• RB Benjamin Hall (1 Game)

For the first time this season, running back Cole Cabana took the field. He has dealt with injuries, so his usage was limited against Bowling Green, only having two carries for six yards. The coaching staff will continue to gradually ease him back into play as the season goes on and the opportunities present themselves. Nonetheless, it was nice to finally see him play, and it will be exciting to watch him develop as he looks to build upon the rushing success Michigan has had.

Meanwhile, a few other freshmen got in the box score last night:

• Cornerback DJ Waller Jr. contributed to two tackles, while cornerback Jyaire Hill and safety Brandyn Hillman had one apiece.
• Wide receiver Semaj Morgan took an end around for a four-yard rush.

The Wolverines now turn their attention to conference play as they host Rutgers next Saturday at noon. Opportunities for freshmen to get playing time will become more limited as the competition ticks up. If they can learn from their mistakes and put this performance behind them, they should be able to take advantage of some of their easier conference matchups and get freshmen more valuable reps.