Michigan football has a bye in Week 5, but now knows exactly when it will take the field next.
No. 18 Michigan (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) will host Wisconsin (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) at noon on Saturday, Oct. 4, and will play as the feature game on Fox Big Noon Kickoff.
This is Michigan’s second game at noon this season — the Wolverines hosted Central Michigan in what ended as a 63-3 beat down on Big Ten Network — but the first game on Fox.
The is also Michigan’s homecoming game and has been announced as a “maize out.”
“Vibes, energy are high,” coach Sherrone Moore said Monday, Sept. 22 in Ann Arbor, his first day speaking to media since his two-game suspension. “Just wild the connection of this team, they’re just completely locked in to the task at hand and how we need to get better.”
The Wolverines come off a 30-27 win over Nebraska in their Big Ten opener.
Justice Haynes, third in the nation in rushing yards (537), is tied nationally in rushes of 50 yards or more (four).
True freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood in the past two games has run 17 times for 175 yards and three touchdowns.
Underwood has been solid passing, completing 58 of 102 attempts (56.9%) for 733 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
The defense has been buoyed by Jaishawn Barham’s move from linebacker to edge. He split time in the role (27 snaps each) in Week 3, but lined up exclusively on the line at Nebraska. He leads the team with three sacks.
The biggest riser on defense is Cole Sullivan, the true sophomore linebacker who has 19 tackles (12 solo), two sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
The Badgers have lost two games in a row, getting hammered by Alabama in the nonconference finale (38-14) before falling in lopsided fashion in their Big Ten opener at home to Maryland, 27-10.
Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. was lost with a lower-body injury early in a Week 1 win over Miami (Ohio). He returned in spot duty against the Terps in Week 4, completing 1 of 3 passes for 45 yards. Danny O’Neil has struggled protecting the ball as a replacement. He has completed 60 of 85 passes (70.6%) and thrown five touchdowns but also has five interceptions.
The Badgers running game has been stuffed, running 150 times for 471 yards (3.1 yards per carry) for four touchdowns in four weeks.
There’s a good chance U-M won’t play any more noon games besides the season finale against Ohio State.
U-M could have a noon game Oct. 25 at Michigan State, though the rivalry game has been in the late afternoon or at night in recent years.
After playing Wisconsin, U-M travels west to play USC in Los Angeles on Oct. 11.
After that, it hosts another West Coast team in Washington on Oct. 18. A noon game would mean a 9 a.m. body clock kickoff for the Huskies — also unlikely, but not impossible.
Michigan football schedule 2025
Week 1: W, 34-17 vs New Mexico.
Week 2: L, 24-13 at Oklahoma.
Week 3: W, 63-3 vs Central Michigan.
Week 4: W, 30-27 at Nebraska
Week 5: BYE.
Week 6: vs Wisconsin, Saturday, Oct. 4, 12 p.m., Fox
Week 7: at USC, Saturday, Oct. 11, time TBD.
Week 8: vs Washington, Saturday, Oct. 18, time TBD.
Week 9: at Michigan State, Saturday, Oct. 25, time TBD.
Week 10: vs Purdue, Sautrday, Nov. 1, time TBD.
Week 11: BYE.
Week 12: at Northwestern, Saturday, Nov. 15, time TBD.
Week 13: at Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 22, time TBD.
Week 14: vs Ohio State, Saturday, Nov. 29, noon, Fox.
Make “Hail Yes!” your go-to Wolverines podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football vs Wisconsin start time for Week 6 announced
Reporting by Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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