Michigan's defense stifles Wisconsin in win as Rod Moore stars in Big House return

Ann Arbor — Rod Moore is back. Fully back. 

Yes, the veteran Michigan safety made his return to the lineup last weekend after a knee injury and a setback sidelined him for the better part of 18 months, but he wasn’t going to be back, in his mind, until he finally got another interception in Michigan Stadium. 

And late in the third quarter on Saturday against Wisconsin, Moore didn’t miss his chance to fly across the field from his middle third to snag a lazy deep ball down the sideline, dragging his toes in the green turf before the crowd unleashed one of the biggest roars of the day. 

“It was like a full circle moment,” Moore said. “Like you said, the last time I was here I had a pick against Ohio State. And it's just a testament to all my work, thanking God, all my family having my back through the journey. Because, honestly, it was really hard.”

Moore’s chance to bask in the warm glow of maize-clad fans once again highlighted a dominant afternoon for the Michigan (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) defense in a 24-10 win over Wisconsin (2-3, 0-2), as the safety was arguably the best player for the Wolverines. Michigan gave up fewer than 100 rushing yards, held Wisconsin to 4-of-14 on third downs and stopped the Badgers on nine consecutive possessions after allowing a touchdown drive to open the game. 

And following that 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive for Wisconsin, the Wolverines made a simple fix to flip the switch and dominate the rest of the game. 

“It was all about tackling,” head coach Sherrone Moore said postgame. “Wink did, first of all shoutout to Wink Martindale, the defensive staff, the players. After that first drive, we looked at it, it was tackling. It wasn't the calls. It wasn't how guys — it was tackling. It was missing tackles. And after that, it was eight punts, the interception and then the field goal at the end of the game.”

Between the touchdown drive to start and a fourth quarter field goal on what ended up being Badgers’ last possession — on a drive came against a mix of Michigan’s starters and backups — Wisconsin’s offense ran 33 plays for 119 yards, or 3.6 yards per play. 

Bookended by those scoring drives were eight punts, including five three and out drives, plus Moore’s interception. 

And when Wisconsin did start to inch forward, it was who else but Moore to show up and make a big play.

“His impact is something that you can't really describe,” Sherrone Moore said. “He's a coach on the field. He's a coach in the meeting room. And you just feel his energy when he's on the field. It's different. It's special. Guys like him, they don't come along very much. He's a guy that's made plays here for a long time.”

In the first quarter, on a 3rd and 9 play after Wisconsin had already picked up a first down on the drive, the Badgers offense moved the pocket and rolled the quarterback hard to the right, only for it to be a throwback to the left. Almost all of the Michigan defenders flowed with the play and didn’t have a shot to do anything. 

Save for one: Moore. 

The veteran safety didn’t get wrapped up in the misdirection and stayed on his keys, driving down on the throw the backside and breaking it up, nearly intercepting it. Wisconsin punted the next play. 

And in the second quarter, the Badgers wheeled out a reverse play to wideout Tyrell Henry on 1st and 10.

The misdirection mostly worked, getting Michigan’s linebackers out of the play as Henry could turn the corner with lead blockers. 

But in flew Moore, who diagnosed the reverse and sifted through blockers from the backside to wrap up Henry’s legs and drop him after a five yard gain. Two plays later, Wisconsin punted. 

After more than a year trying to impact his team off the field, Moore could finally feel the release of making plays for his teammates.

“When I was out, my mom and dad always told me to still feel — to give a presence, show you're still involved in the team, no matter if you can play or not,” Moore said. “And I just took that and ran with it. I love our defense and the way we're supposed to perform, and I just want to win and that's the biggest thing to me.”

And if his actions on the field on Saturday weren’t enough, Sherrone Moore raved about getting the safety back in the lineup in good health, and relayed a revealing anecdote.

“Last year I remember having him on the sideline and I hear somebody yelling at the defense,” Sherrone Moore said. “Just going off. I think it was the Ohio State game. It was all of them, but — and he was losing his mind. And I went, 'Dang, what coach is that?' And it was Rod. Just ripping the whole defense. And everybody's laser focused on exactly what he's saying.”

With Moore now back in the fold, Michigan has some newfound security on the back end of the defense, and evidently the playmaking ability never left. And now he can lead the defense again with his actions, and not his words from the sideline. 

Because after Saturday, there are no more doubts: Rod Moore is back.