Michigan edge Josaiah Stewart nets national honor for win over USC
Michigan pass rusher Josaiah Stewart is coming off a major performance in the win over USC. On Monday, Stewart started the week with an impressive national honor.
Stewart, previously a “Stock Up” player for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, netted the Senior Bowl’s Defensive Player of the Week for Week 4. The Wolverine defender finished the win over the Trojans with 4 tackles (3 solo) to go with 3 TFLs, 2 sacks, a forced fumble and 4 QB hits.
With Stewart’s latest performance, he now leads the B1G with 7 TFLs and 4 sacks through the first 4 games of Michigan’s season.
💪💪💪 From Stock Up to Player of the Week – The Reese's Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week is @UMichFootball LB @josaiah_stewart with 4 tackles, 3 solo, 3 TFLs, 2 sacks, 4 QBHs, and 1 forced fumble in the 27-24 #GoBlue win over USC. #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️ pic.twitter.com/K5cRp8HVLt
— Reese's Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) September 23, 2024
Stewart’s performance was electric to anyone watching Saturday’s game in the Big House. He was able to get to Miller Moss early — and often — particularly throughout the first half of the game.
In fact, the Trojans were forced to shuffle their offensive line, and it wasn’t until USC made those changes after halftime that the offense experienced some level of consistency. That change did not entirely eliminate Stewart’s impact, and his major outing solidified a big-time win for Michigan.
It’s hard to call that win and performance by Stewart “season-saving,” but there’s no getting past the impact. A 2-loss Michigan team would have a much different outlook, and the impact of a signature conference win early in the season cannot be overstated.