The scandals that have plagued the Michigan football program this month took a back seat to the Citrus Bowl on Wednesday with interim coach Biff Poggi leading No. 18 Wolverines against Arch Manning and the 13th-ranked Texas Longhorns.
Michigan recently hired former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to replace the fired Sherrone Moore after he was accused of having an improper relationship with a staffer and ultimately arrested on an assault charge earlier this month. But while the new coach did make a cameo appearance in ESPN’s broadcast booth at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, Wednesday was Poggi’s show, and he did not disappoint.
As the 65-year-old Poggi told one pre-game radio show, the plan was to ‘turn [quarterback Bryce Underwood loose’ after the freshman passer spent the much of the season primarily focused on running rather than throwing.
Underwood rewarded Poggi’s confidence by completing 14 of his first 24 passes for two touchdowns and 114 yards as Michigan entered the fourth-quarter trailing favorited Texas just 24-20. He was picked off near the end of the third quarter, but responded early in the fourth with a spectacular rushing score.
A review upheld the decision and a subsequent PAT gave Michigan a 27-24 lead.
Manning, the grandson of ex-Saints quarterback Archie and nephew of Super Bowl winners Peyton and Eli, responded on the ensuing possession with a brilliant 30-yard touchdown pass to Kaliq Lockett. The throw was made all the more impressive by the fact that Manning was limping and bleeding from his mouth after taking a big hit only moments earlier.
Interim head coach Biff Poggi reacts during Michigan’s game against the Texas Longhorns
Poggi promised to unleash freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who looked good
Ex-Michigan coach Sherrone Moore was arrested after he was fired on December 10
Moore’s scandal isn’t the only one facing Michigan, but it is undoubtedly the largest.
Moore was fired in Ann Abor earlier this month for an allegedly inappropriate relationship with a staffer. The married father of three has since been charged with breaking and entering, home invasion and stalking for allegedly entering a woman’s apartment, terrorizing her and threatening to harm himself in the aftermath of his dismissal.
According to police dispatch audio obtained by Daily Mail, an unidentified 911 caller claimed Moore assaulted her on December 10, adding that he had a knife and had been stalking her ‘for months.’ A dispatcher was later heard saying that the suspect was described by his wife Kelli as ‘suicidal’ after losing his job earlier in the day.
Police records show the alleged assault took place at the home of Moore’s executive assistant Paige Shiver. However, she has not been identified as the alleged victim or the person with whom Moore allegedly had an inappropriate relationship.
Moore was eventually granted a $25,000 bond and released. He has pleaded not guilty, and could face up to six years behind bars if convicted.
The 911 call that led to Moore’s arrest was made from an apartment belonging to his executive assistant, Paige Shiver (pictured). She has not officially been named as the alleged victim
Another coach, ex-Wolverines assistant Matt Weiss, was charged in March with hacking and identify theft for allegedly stealing thousands of private, intimate images from student athletes, mostly women, at more than 100 universities nationwide. Weiss has pleaded not guilty to all 24 charges and recently pushed for some charges to be dismissed.
The Justice Department is fighting Weiss’ attempts to dismiss the charges and has now submitted photos allegedly showing Weiss moments before hacking into University of Michigan computers in December of 2022, according to filings obtained by the Daily Mail. He was fired weeks after Michigan’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Texas Christian.
The Wolverines would win a national championship under head coach Jim Harbaugh the following season amid a separate, unrelated sign-stealing scandal. Harbaugh would leave for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 as Moore, the offensive coordinator, was promoted to head coach.
Weiss (left) is seen coaching alongside Moore (right) when they both worked under Harbaugh
The scandals don’t end there. Director of football operations Jim Minick and assistant coaches Denard Robinson and Greg Scruggs were all arrested on suspicion of DUI in recent years.
Robinson, a former Wolverines quarterback, resigned in 2024. Scruggs, who played in the NFL, resigned before ever coaching in a single practice and now works for the San Francisco 49ers as an assistant defensive line coach.
As a result of the issues, the athletic department has reportedly launched an internal investigation into its culture. Jenner & Block, the Chicago-based law firm that opened the previous inquiry into Moore’s conduct, has been hired by the school to carry out the latest probe,’ according to ESPN.
While Moore’s dismissal will be a primary focus of the investigation, the wide-scoping inquiry will reportedly examine the numerous scandals that the school’s athletic programs have endured in recent years, including how they came about and how they were handled.
Michigan is among the most successful athletic programs in the NCAA. Aside from its recent national championship in football, it’s men’s basketball team currently ranks second in the country at 12-0, while its men’s hockey team is first in the nation at 16-4.
