East Carolina •
Sources: To open the season, Michigan played against
East Carolina. Before a crowd of 109,480 at
Michigan Stadium, the Wolverines defeated the Pirates, 30–3. It was the first meeting between the two programs. The game began with back-to-back three-and-outs as neither team had success on their initial possessions. On East Carolina's second possession, Michigan intercepted a Mason Garcia pass at the Michigan 46-yard line. The Wolverines then drove 57 yards, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown pass from
J. J. McCarthy to
Roman Wilson. On Michigan's next drive, the Wolverines drove 90 yards on seven plays, including a 37-yard run by
Blake Corum followed by a two-yard touchdown run by Corum. On the Wolverines fourth possession, they drove 76 yards on seven plays and scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to Wilson and
James Turner missed the extra point. On their final possession of the half, Michigan drove 42 yards on 10 plays, with Turner kicking a 50-yard field goal on the final play of the half. Michigan led, 23–0, at halftime. After the second-half kickoff, Michigan drove 75 yards on 12 plays, scoring on a 15-yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to Wilson – the third touchdown pass and catch of the game for the pair. On its next possession, Michigan drove 79 yards on 12 plays but were stopped short of the goal line. On the opening drive of the fourth quarter, Davis Warren took over at quarterback for Michigan; the Wolverines began the drive at the East Carolina 38-yard line, gained only four yards, and James Turner missed a 52-yard field goal attempt. Andrew Conrad kicked a 33-yard field goal for East Carolina as time ran out.
UNLV •
Sources: Following its opening game against East Carolina, Michigan hosted the
UNLV Rebels, winning 35–7, before a crowd of 109,482 at
Michigan Stadium. As a result of the university's three-game suspension of
Jim Harbaugh, special teams coordinator
Jay Harbaugh served as acting head coach in the first half, while running backs coach
Mike Hart was the acting head coach in the second half. Hart became the first African American to serve in the role of head football coach at Michigan. On the game's opening drive, UNLV drove 19 yards before punting. On the Wolverines' first possession, they drove 80 yards on nine plays, as
J. J. McCarthy completed passes to
Blake Corum for 20 yards, Tyler Morris for 16 yards,
Roman Wilson for 25 yards, and
Cornelius Johnson for six yards, and Corum scored on a three-yard run. Michigan's defense then held UNLV to a three-and-out. On their second possession, the Wolverines drove 75 yards on 11 plays, including McCarthy's passes to Tyler Morris for 15 yard and
AJ Barner for 12 yards. McCarthy then ran 17 yards to UNLV's two-yard line, and Corum scored on a two-yard run on the first play of the second quarter. UNLV was limited to five yards and a punt on its first drive of the second quarter. Michigan then drove 42 yards to UNLV's 18-yard line, but Corum's run on fourth-and-two failed to gain the necessary yardage. UNLV then drove 25 yards on seven plays but was forced to punt. On its second drive of the second quarter (fourth of the game), Michigan drove 83 yards on 19 plays, including passes to Cornelius Johnson for 18 yards, Donovan Edwards for 15 yards, and Roman Wilson for 13 yards and a touchdown. Michigan led, 21–0, at halftime. UNLV responded with a seven-play, 42-yard drive to Michigan's 33-yard line, but the drive ended with a turnover on downs. The teams then exchange three-and-outs. Michigan then drove 76 yards on four plays, including a 19-yard run by Corum and a 26-yard pass completion from McCarthy to Johnson; Corum scored on a five-yard run, and Michigan led 35–0, at the end of the third quarter. Running back
Blake Corum posted 15 carries for 80 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns, for his 11th career multi-touchdown game.
Bowling Green •
Sources: On September 16, Michigan defeated
Bowling Green, 31–6, before a crowd of 109,955 at
Michigan Stadium. It was the final game of
Jim Harbaugh's three-game suspension with offensive coordinator
Sherrone Moore serving as acting head coach. Bowling Green head coach
Scot Loeffler played for Michigan in the 1990s and was an assistant coach at Michigan from 2002 to 2006. In the third quarter, Michigan defensive tackle
Kris Jenkins intercepted Hayden Timosciek's pass inside the Bowling Green 10-yard line, setting up Michigan's third touchdown on a two-yard run by Corum. Michigan forced another turnover on Bowling Green's next possession, as defensive end Jaylen Harrell stripped the ball from the hands of Bowling Green's Camden Orth, and
Michael Barrett recovered the loose ball inside Bowling Green's 30-yard line. Michigan capitalized on the turnover with a 42-yard field goal by
James Turner. On Michigan's next possession, the Wolverines executed a flea-flicker as McCarthy threw a 50-yard pass to
Cornelius Johnson; the ball was tipped and juggled but Johnson held on for the touchdown. With less than a minute remaining in the third quarter, McCarthy threw his third interception of the game. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.
Rutgers •
Sources: In the season's first conference game, Michigan defeated Rutgers, 31–7, before a crowd of 109,756 at
Michigan Stadium. Rutgers opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 69-yard touchdown pass from
Gavin Wimsatt to Christian Dremel. It was the first time Michigan had trailed during the 2023 season. Michigan responded with 31 unanswered points, including a two-yard touchdown run by
Blake Corum in the first quarter to tie the game. Michigan scored seven points in the second quarter on an 18-yard touchdown pass from
J. J. McCarthy to
Semaj Morgan. Michigan led, 14–7, at halftime. Michigan scored 10 points in the third quarter on a 46-yard field goal by
James Turner and a 71-yard interception return by
Mike Sainristil. Michigan extended its lead in the fourth quarter on a five-yard touchdown run by Corum. Head coach
Jim Harbaugh returned to coaching the team following his suspension and earned his 75th career victory at Michigan, becoming the fourth coach in program history to reach the milestone. Quarterback
J. J. McCarthy completed 15 of 21 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown. Michigan's defense forced three turnovers on fourth down against Rutgers. Through the Rutgers game, opponents were a combined 0–7 on fourth down against Michigan.
At Nebraska •
Sources: On September 30, Michigan defeated
Nebraska, 45–7, in its conference opener at
Lincoln, Nebraska. Following the opening kickoff, Michigan drove 75 yards on 11 plays, ending with a 29-yard touchdown pass from
J. J. McCarthy to
Roman Wilson. Wilson made the catch in the end zone by pinning the ball against the helmet of a Nebraska defender. On Nebraska's second offensive play,
Braiden McGregor tipped a pass, and
Kenneth Grant intercepted the ball at Nebraska's 29-yard line. Michigan then scored on a 20-yard touchdown run by
Kalel Mullings. On Michigan's first possession of the second quarter, the Wolverines drove 88 yards on nine plays, including passes of 16 and 10 yards to
AJ Barner and ending with a 21-yard touchdown run by McCarthy. Later in the quarter, the Wolverines drove 55 yards ending with a 16-yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to Wilson. Michigan led, 28–0, at halftime. On October 7, Michigan defeated
Minnesota, 52–10, in the
Little Brown Jug game in
Minneapolis. On the second play from scrimmage, Michigan cornerback
Will Johnson intercepted an
Athan Kaliakmanis pass and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown with only 12 seconds having been played. The Wolverines then held the Golden Gophers to a three-and-out. On their first offensive possession, Michigan drove 59 yards on 10 plays, ending with a 31-yard field goal by
James Turner. Minnesota responded with 40-yard drive and a 54-yard field goal by Dragan Kesich. The teams exchanged punts on the next two possessions. On their first drive of the second quarter, the Wolverines drove 62 yards on six plays, starting with a 40-yard run by
Blake Corum and ending with a one-yard touchdown run by Corum. After holding Minnesota to a three-and-out, Michigan drove 67 yards on four plays, including a 49-yard pass from
J. J. McCarthy to
Cornelius Johnson and a five-yard touchdown run by McCarthy. In the closing minutes of the first half, Minnesota drove 75 yards on 11 plays, ending with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Kaliakmanis to Daniel Jackson with six seconds remaining in the half. Michigan led, 24–10, at halftime. The second half opened with successive three-and-outs by Michigan and Minnesota. On their second possession of the half, the Wolverines drove 78 yards on nine plays, including receptions by
Roman Wilson of 17 and 34 yards and a seven-yard touchdown run by McCarthy. After holding Minnesota to a three-and-out, Michigan drove 49 yards on six plays, ending with a 24-yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to
Colston Loveland. On Minnesota's next possession, Keon Sabb intercepted a Kaliakmanis pass and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown with 3:20 remaining in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Michigan forced three punts by Minnesota and extended their lead with a 70-yard drive led by Jack Tuttle and ending with a two-yard touchdown run by Leon Franklin. Michigan out-gained Minnesota by 432 to 169 in total yards. McCarthy completed 14 of 20 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 17 yards and two touchdowns. Corum rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Michigan scored on two
pick-six touchdowns for the first time since
2017 against
Cincinnati. Michigan also scored at least 30 points for its ninth consecutive game, setting a new program record, surpassing the previous record of eight consecutive games in
1976.
Indiana •
Sources: On October 14, Michigan defeated
Indiana, 52–7, before a crowd of 110,264 at
Michigan Stadium in
Ann Arbor, Michigan. The game was played in the rain and at . Michigan then scored 52 unanswered points on their next eight possessions. On the opening possession of the second quarter, Michigan drove 77 yards on 11 plays, culminating with a one-yard touchdown run by
Blake Corum. On their next possession, the Wolverines drove 87 yards on 11 plays, including pass completions from
J. J. McCarthy to
Tyler Morris for 14 and 23 yards and
AJ Barner for 18 yards, and ending with a two-yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to
Roman Wilson. In the final 1:40 of the first half, Michigan drove 46 yards on six plays, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run by Corum with 11 seconds remaining in the half. Michigan led, 21–7, at halftime. The win was Michigan's 19th consecutive Big Ten victory, tying the program record set from 1990 to 1992.
At Michigan State •
Sources: On October 21, Michigan faced their in-state rivals, the
Michigan State Spartans, in the annual battle for the
Paul Bunyan Trophy, at
East Lansing, Michigan. In the previous season, Michigan defeated Michigan State, 29–7. Michigan shutout Michigan State in a blowout 49–0 to retain the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Michigan scored 14 points in the first quarter via a one-yard touchdown run by
Blake Corum and a 25-yard touchdown pass from
J. J. McCarthy to
Roman Wilson. Michigan scored 14 points in the second quarter via two 22-yard touchdown passes from McCarthy to
Colston Loveland. Michigan led, 28–0, at halftime. Michigan scored 14 points in the third quarter via a 72-yard interception return by
Mike Sainristil and an 11-yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to
AJ Barner. Michigan scored seven points in the fourth quarter via a six-yard touchdown run by Alex Orji. Michigan's defense held Michigan State to 6-of-16 on third down, and 10 rushing yards in the first half. This was Michigan's first shutout victory against Michigan State since
2000, their largest margin of victory since a 55–0 victory in
1947, and their largest margin of victory in East Lansing. The win was Michigan's 20th consecutive Big Ten victory, setting a new program record. With a margin of victory of 49 points, Michigan tied the
1974 Ohio State Buckeyes football team for the most consecutive Big Ten wins by 38-plus points (four). Michigan has scored 30-plus in 11 consecutive games, the longest streak in program history. On November 4, following its bye week, Michigan defeated the
Purdue Boilermakers, 41–13, in a night game before a crowd of 110,245 at Michigan Stadium. On their opening possession, the Wolverines drove 76 yards on six plays, including
J. J. McCarthy passes to
Roman Wilson for 20 yards and
Donovan Edwards for 37 yards, and ending with a two-yard touchdown run by
Blake Corum. On their second possession, the Wolverines drove 62 yards on seven plays, ending with a three-yard touchdown run by Corum. After
Will Johnson intercepted a
Hudson Card pass, Michigan took over at the Purdue 12-yard line, and James Turner kicked a 30-yard field goal to give Michigan a 17–0 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Michigan extended its lead to 20–0 on a 31-yard field goal by Turner. Purdue kicked two field goals in the last four minutes of the half to narrow the lead to 20–6. The third quarter began with four drives ending in punts. Late in the quarter, Michigan drove 62 yards on four plays, culminating with a 44-yard touchdown run by
Semaj Morgan. Early in the fourth quarter, Michigan scored on a three-yard touchdown run by Corum – his third touchdown of the game. Later in the fourth quarter, Michigan drove 57 yards on six plays, including a 35-yard pass from McCarthy to Wilson and a one-yard touchdown run by Edwards. With 18 seconds remaining in the game, Purdue scored on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Card to Deion Burks. Michigan extended its program record of scoring 40-plus points to five consecutive Big Ten games. With 335 passing yards, McCarthy passed
Tom Brady for ninth place in career passing yardage for Michigan. With three rushing touchdowns in the game, Corum tied
Tyrone Wheatley for second place on Michigan's career rushing touchdowns list with 47.
At Penn State •
Sources: Michigan traveled to
State College, Pennsylvania, to face
Penn State on November 11. As the Michigan team and coaching staff flew to Pennsylvania on Friday afternoon, Big Ten commissioner
Tony Petitti suspended head coach
Jim Harbaugh from game-day coaching for the remainder of the regular season as punishment for the
Michigan Wolverines football sign-stealing scandal. Michigan defeated Penn State, 24–15, before a crowd of 110,856 at
Beaver Stadium. The first three drives of the game ended with punts. Penn State then drove 66 yards on 13 plays and became the first team to run a play inside Michigan's 10-yard line during the 2023 season. Facing a first-and-goal from the three-yard line, Michigan's defense stopped the Nittany Lions who settled for a 20-yard field goal by Alex Felkins. After Penn State's field goal, Michigan drove 75 yards on nine plays, including a 22-yard run by
Donovan Edwards, a pass from
J. J. McCarthy to
Semaj Morgan for 19 yards and ending with a three-yard touchdown run by
Blake Corum. After holding Penn State to a three-and-out, Michigan drove 78 yards on six plays, including a 44-yard run by Corum and a 22-yard touchdown run by Edwards. Late in the second quarter, Penn State drove 75 yards and scored on an 11-yard touchdown run by
Drew Allar, though its attempt at a two-point conversion failed. Michigan led, 14–9 at halftime. On the opening drive of the second half, Allar fumbled after having the ball stripped by Rayshaun Benny, and Michigan's
Makari Paige recovered the loose ball at the Penn State 49-yard line. After the turnover, Michigan drove to the Penn State four-yard line, and
James Turner kicked a 22-yard field goal. The defenses then took control of the game as six consecutive drives ended with punts. With four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game, Michigan forced a turnover on downs as Allar threw an incomplete pass on fourth down. Corum ran 30 yards for a touchdown with 4:15 remaining in the game. In the closing minutes, Penn State drove 75 yards on eight plays, scoring on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Allar to
Theo Johnson. Penn State again failed on an attempted two-point conversion. Penn State attempted an onside kick, but
Mike Sainristil fell on the ball, and Michigan ran out the clock. Starting with the final two plays of the first half, Michigan ran on 32 consecutive plays and did not throw a pass in the second half. (McCarthy's sole pass of the second half was negated by a pass-interference penalty.)
Blake Corum carried the ball 26 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns. The team totaled 227 rushing yards against a Penn State defense that, prior to the game, had the top-ranked rushing defense in the county, having not allowed any opponent to rush for more than 100 yards in a game. Michigan offensive coordinator
Sherrone Moore served as the team's acting head coach. Harbaugh was not allowed to enter the stadium but in a postgame interview with Fox Sports, a tearful Moore expressed his love for Harbaugh, saying: "I want to thank Coach Harbaugh. I fucking love you, man. Love the shit out of you, man. This is for you." Penn State's offense was limited to 74 passing yards. One day after the game, Penn State fired offensive coordinator
Mike Yurcich. The victory was the 999th in the history of the Michigan football program.
At Maryland •
Sources: Michigan filed an application for temporary restraining order (TRO), challenging the Big Ten's suspension of
Jim Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season. The court set the matter for a hearing in the Washtenaw County Circuit Court on November 17, one day before Michigan faced Maryland. However, the university dropped the case in exchange for the Big Ten ending its investigation into the scouting controversy before the case went to court. On November 18, Michigan played
Maryland at
College Park, Maryland. Michigan defeated Maryland 31–24. Maryland opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 35-yard field goal by Jack Howes. Michigan responded with 16 points in the quarter via a two-yard touchdown run by
Blake Corum, a four-yard fumble return by
Derrick Moore and a Christian Boivin blocked punt for a safety. This was the first Michigan safety since the
2018 Peach Bowl. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the second quarter, first a one-yard touchdown run by Corum for Michigan, then a one-yard touchdown run by
Billy Edwards Jr. for Maryland. Michigan led, 23–10 at halftime. Maryland scored 14 points in the third quarter via two one-yard touchdown runs by Edwards Jr. Michigan extended their lead via a 13-yard touchdown run by
Semaj Morgan. On Maryland's final drive of the game, Tommy Doman's punt pinned the Terrapins at their own 1-yard with 4:10 remaining in the game. Michigan scored the only points of the fourth quarter after officials called intentional grounding for a safety.
Mike Sainristil recorded two interceptions in the game. With the win, the Wolverines became the first program in college football history to win 1,000 games. Michigan improved to 11–0 to start the season for the second consecutive season. This marked their first back-to-back 11–0 start since
1901 and
1902. With 141 passing yards in the game, quarterback
J. J. McCarthy passed head coach Jim Harbaugh for eighth on the program's all-time passing list. With two rushing touchdowns in the game, Corum tied
Hassan Haskins' single-season rushing touchdown record of 20 set in
2021.
Ohio State •
Sources: On November 25, No. 3 Michigan defeated No. 2
Ohio State, 30–24, with both teams entering the game undefeated at 11–0. The game was played at
Michigan Stadium before a crowd of 110,615. The programs met as top-three ranked opponents in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the
history of the rivalry. With the victory, Michigan won the Big Ten East Division championship and improved to 12–0 for the second consecutive season. Both teams began by trading punts on the first four drives. On Ohio State's third possession, Michigan's
Will Johnson intercepted a
Kyle McCord pass at Ohio State's 25-yard line, leading to a one-yard touchdown run by
Blake Corum. Ohio State responded with a 51-yard drive, resulting in a 43-yard field goal by
Jayden Fielding. On the first play after Zinter's injury, Corum ran 22 yards for a touchdown and held up the numbers six and five as a tribute to Zinter who wears jersey number 65 for the Wolverines. Michigan led, 24–17, at the end of the third quarter.
Sherrone Moore served as Michigan's acting head coach as
Jim Harbaugh served the third and final game of a suspension imposed by Big Ten commissioner
Tony Petitti. In his postgame interview with Jenny Taft, Moore said: "Coach Harbaugh, we got your back, baby. We love you. That was for you, baby." Corum is the only player in the FBS to score in each game of the 2023 season.
J. J. McCarthy completed 16 of 20 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. For Ohio State,
Kyle McCord completed 18 of 30 for 271 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The receivers were led by Ohio State's
Marvin Harrison Jr. who caught five passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Colston Loveland was Michigan's leading receiver with five catches for 88 yards.
vs Iowa—Big Ten Championship Game •
Sources: On December 2, Michigan defeated
Iowa, 26–0, in the Big Ten Football Championship Game at
Lucas Oil Stadium in
Indianapolis. It was Michigan's third consecutive victory in the conference championship game. After holding Iowa to a three-and-out on the opening drive, Michigan drove 52 yards and took the lead on a 35-yard field goal by
James Turner. After Iowa was stopped on its second possession,
Semaj Morgan returned
Tory Taylor's punt 82 yards to the Iowa five-yard line. Michigan scored on a two-yard touchdown run by
Blake Corum and led, 10–0, at the end of the first quarter. The defenses took hold of the game in the second quarter, as the teams punted seven times with no points being scored. Michigan led, 10–0, at halftime. record for rushing touchdowns. After Iowa failed to convert on a fourth down, Turner kicked a 46-yard field goal, and Michigan led, 20–0, at the end of the third quarter. Michigan defensive back
Mike Sainristil was named the game's most valuable payer. With 16 carries for 52 yards, running back Blake Corum passed 1,000-yards on the season. He became the first player with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons since
Denard Robinson. Semaj Morgan's 87-yard punt return was the longest in Big Ten Championship game history, and the third-longest in modern-era program history.
Mike Sainristil was named tournament MVP after he forced two fumbles and a sack in the game.
vs. Alabama—Rose Bowl (CFP Semifinal) •
Sources: In the final
College Football Playoff rankings of the year announced on December 3, Michigan (13–0) was ranked No. 1, earning their third consecutive playoff bid and a spot in the semifinal game which was played at the
2024 Rose Bowl against No. 4
Alabama (12–1). Michigan defeated Alabama 27–20 in overtime. Alabama opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 34-yard touchdown run from
Jase McClellan. Michigan responded with an eight-yard touchdown pass from
J. J. McCarthy to
Blake Corum to tie the game. Michigan took their first lead of the game late in the second quarter via a 38-yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to
Tyler Morris. Alabama scored the final points of the half via a 50-yard field goal by
Will Reichard. Michigan led, 13–10, at halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, Alabama scored ten points in the fourth quarter via a three-yard touchdown run from McClellan and a 52-yard field goal by Reichard to regain the lead. This marked the first time Michigan trailed in a second half all season. Michigan scored the final points of the quarter via a four-yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to
Roman Wilson to tie the game and force overtime. Michigan scored in overtime via a 17-yard touchdown run from Corum. The Michigan defense was then able to pick up a 4th-down stop to win the game and send them to the national championship. With the win, Michigan set a single-season program record of 14 victories. With his 17-yard rushing touchdown in overtime,
Blake Corum passed
Anthony Thomas as Michigan's career rushing touchdowns leader. Michigan's defense recorded five sacks in the first half alone, setting an all-time College Football Playoff record for sacks in a half.
vs. Washington—CFP National Championship •
Sources: No. 1 Michigan (14–0) faced No. 2 Washington (14–0) in the
2024 CFP National Championship. Both teams made their first appearance in the championship game in the
CFP era. This was the third all-time meeting between 14–0 teams in the CFP National Championship following
Clemson and
Alabama in
2019 and
Clemson and
LSU in
2020. Michigan defeated Washington 34–13. Michigan scored 14 points in the first quarter via two rushing touchdowns by
Donovan Edwards, from 41-yards, and 46-yards, respectively. Washington responded with a 25-yard field goal by Grady Gross. Edwards became the first player in CFP National Championship game history to run for two touchdowns of 40-plus yards. Michigan extended their lead in the second quarter via a 31-yard field goal by
James Turner. Washington scored the final points of the half via a three-yard touchdown pass from
Michael Penix Jr. to
Jalen McMillan. Michigan led, 17–10 at halftime. The teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter, first a 38-yard field goal by Turner for Michigan, aided by an interception from
Will Johnson on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, then a 45-yard field goal by Gross for Washington. Michigan scored 14 points in the fourth quarter via two rushing touchdowns by
Blake Corum, from 12-yards, and one-yard, respectively. In the fourth quarter,
Mike Sainristil recorded his team-leading sixth interception of the season, returning it for a season-long 81 yards. It was the longest interception return in CFP National Championship game history. With the win, Michigan set a single-season program record of 15 victories. Michigan finished as undefeated College Football Playoff champions, and won their 12th national title in program history, and first since the
1997 season. Michigan's offense finished with 303 total rushing yards, a season-high and a CFP National Championship game high. ==Personnel==