'Worst day after CMU': How did Sherrone Moore handle his two-game suspension?

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore is finally back on the job after serving a two-game suspension. The Wolverines hit their bye week with Moore returning to both the program and his regular Monday night slot on “Inside Michigan Football.”

For the coach, those days away from the sidelines were grueling.

“Oh, man, it was the longest eight days, I’d say, of my lifetime,” Moore told host Jon Jansen. “Just thinking about the players, thinking about the staff, thinking about what we can do better, really thought about a lot of things… That Sunday after the CMU game, that was probably the worst day knowing that the week was ahead.”

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Moore is back with extra time to regroup before Michigan hosts Wisconsin next Saturday, and the timing could not be better for a team leaning heavily on its offensive line.

Moore reflects on suspension and Michigan’s offensive line surge

With assistant Biff Poggi filling in, Michigan stayed afloat, but as Moore noted, “a ship needs its captain.” Now that he has returned, the Wolverines shift focus to sustaining their physical identity in the trenches.

Moore praised his offensive line’s performance against Nebraska, which helped power a dominant rushing attack.

Justice Haynes ran 17 times for 149 yards and a touchdown, Jordan Marshall added 80 yards and a score on just six carries, and quarterback Bryce Underwood chipped in 61 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts.

One lineman who stood out to Moore was Nathan Efobi, who switched from right guard to left guard after Giovanni El-Hadi’s injury.

“Just exponential growth from going from right to left,” Moore said. “He’s done a really good job of being flexible in that and that’s why, in training camp, you put those guys in all the positions… because you never know what’s going to happen.”

Offensive line coach Grant Newsome highlighted a similar story with Evan Link, who transitioned from right tackle to his natural left side.

“Obviously, it’s not perfect, but he’s gotten better every single week,” Newsome said. “From where he was a year ago at this time to where he is now is night and day.”

Despite injuries forcing adjustments, Michigan continues to find strength in the unit Moore considers the foundation of his team.