Big 10s 7’s Tournament Summary
Michigan completed a five match weekend, finishing 3rd after winning the 3rd place bracket final over Illinois (26–19). On Day 1, Michigan dropped tight matches to Iowa (21–7) and Indiana (21–17), with extended stretches defending down a player due to yellow cards. Day 2 featured a statement win over No. 1 seed Oregon in the placement semifinal (19–12) before Michigan fell to Iowa in the next placement match (19–5). Across the tournament, Michigan’s identity was consistent: high defensive line speed and physicality, plus timely counterattacking moments that produced key tries late in matches.
Michigan vs Iowa (Day 1)
Final: Iowa 21, Michigan 7
First Half (Michigan received)
Michigan opened by moving the ball wide early. Jack Regan hit Sam Plockmeyer on the wing for a 10 meter gain. Off a scrum, Michigan again found momentum: Thomas Olaveson carried and offloaded to Max Nelson, who offloaded to Noah Alvarez. Michigan was awarded a scrum after Iowa failed to wrap in the tackle on Noah.
While trying to shift the ball wide, a poor pass gave Iowa possession. Iowa held the ball through several phases, and Michigan was then shown a yellow card for an intentional knock, dropping them to 6 players. Even a man down, Michigan’s defense forced Iowa back about 20 meters. An offside penalty gave Iowa an attacking scrum toward the edge; after returning to 7-on-7, Iowa struck off the scrum, found a break, and scored the first try.
Iowa 7–0.
Michigan received with about 1:15 left in the half. After a couple quick turnovers, a Michigan grubber and chase ended with Iowa clearing the ball to end the half.
Halftime: Iowa 7–0.
Second Half (Iowa received)
Early, Michigan received a second yellow card for an intentional knock, again putting them down to 6. Iowa advanced with pressure, then kicked over the top and won the chase to score.
Iowa 14–0.
With roughly five minutes left and Michigan still down a player, Michigan received again. An offload attempt didn’t stick, and Iowa capitalized for another try.
Iowa 21–0.
Late Michigan try
With about 3 minutes left, Michigan returned to 7 players and received the restart. A Nate Cumming kick and chase helped Michigan get out of their half before Iowa forced him into touch. Iowa’s lineout near midfield was disrupted, and Michigan won a turnover/poach.
Michigan attacked quickly: Michael Crismale broke the line to about the 20 and offloaded to Alex Metlyaev, who carried to around the 15. The ball was moved wide to Thomas Olaveson, who fended off a defender to score. Michigan converted, ending the second half.
Final: Iowa 21–7.
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Michigan vs Indiana (Day 1)
Final: Indiana 21, Michigan 17
First Half (Michigan received)
Michigan started deep in their own 22. A Michigan handling error created a loose ball situation, and Michigan used a grubber-and-chase to flip the field, pinning Indiana around their 30 and forcing Indiana to kick to touch. From the ensuing Michigan lineout, Michigan earned advantage and elected to take a scrum.
Michigan then found space through Sam Plockmeyer, who carried and set a ruck. A penalty advantage followed when Indiana infringed at the ruck, and Noah Alvarez took a quick tap to score. Michigan converted.
Michigan 7–0.
Indiana received next. Soon an offside call against Indiana gave Michigan an attacking opportunity inside Indiana’s 22, but Indiana won the scrum. Indiana moved the ball to the edge, found a gap, and scored to level it.
7–7.
Michigan received again. A not releasing penalty went against Michigan, and Indiana quickly tapped. Michigan defended for a few phases, but Indiana eventually shifted it wide to the edge for a try.
Indiana 14–7.
Second Half (Indiana received)
Michigan’s defense held Indiana around midfield for a stretch, but Indiana eventually broke the line and scored.
Indiana 21–7.
Michigan received and earned an offside penalty, leading to a scrum inside Michigan’s 30. From the scrum, an offload created space for Jack Regan on the edge, and he finished for a try. The conversion was missed.
Indiana 21–12.
Final minutes
With about three minutes left, Indiana received. Michigan’s defense nearly forced Indiana into touch, but Indiana earned a penalty and chose a scrum. Soon after, Indiana knocked on, giving Michigan possession around midfield. Michigan worked through phases and gained territory before Nate Cumming found a break and scored.
Final: Indiana 21–17
Michigan vs Oregon — Placement Semifinal (Day 2)
Final: Michigan 19, Oregon 12
First Half (Michigan received)
Michigan received the opening kickoff. The teams traded possession around midfield until a Michigan knock on gave Oregon an attacking platform. From a scrum near halfway, Oregon shifted the ball wide and finished in the corner for the opening try. The conversion was missed.
Oregon 5–0.
With about 1:30 left in the half, Michigan fielded the restart cleanly and built phases. The ball found Thomas Olaveson, who drew two edge defenders and offloaded to Ryan Beske. Ryan finished the break for Michigan’s first try; the conversion was missed.
Halftime: 5–5.
Second Half (Oregon received)
A restart that failed to travel 10 meters gave Oregon an immediate attacking opportunity at halfway; they tapped quickly. In the second phase, Oregon found a gap and scored, adding the conversion.
Oregon 12–5.
Michigan’s next possession included a kick through attempt that didn’t come off, turning the ball over to Oregon briefly. After one phase, Max Nelson won a poach at the breakdown to bring Michigan back on attack. Soon after, Oregon was shown a yellow card for an intentional knock , putting Michigan up a player. From the ensuing scrum, Michigan earned advantage when Oregon entered a ruck from the side. Noah Alvarez took a quick tap, drifted left to hold defenders, and Sam Plockmeyer hit a hard line to score. Michigan converted to level it.
12–12.
Closing minutes
Under heavy Michigan defensive pressure, Oregon knocked on, giving Michigan a scrum deep in Oregon territory (around the 10-meter ). Off the scrum, Alvarez again drifted left, committed two edge defenders, and Plockmyer punched through on another hard line for his second try. Michigan converted.
Michigan 19–12.
Oregon had one last chance, but Michigan’s line speed forced rushed, flat passes and a final pass that resulted in a loose ball. Noah secured the loose ball to end the contest. Michigan advanced to the 3rd-place match beating the number 1 seed Oregon.
Michigan vs Iowa (Day 2) — Placement Semifinal
Final: Iowa 19, Michigan 5
First Half (Michigan received)
Michigan was pinned deep inside their own 22 early, and a forward pass gave Iowa a scrum. Iowa attempted a grubber; Michigan briefly recovered, but Iowa quickly poached the ball back at the breakdown.
Michigan then received a yellow card for offside, dropping them to 6 players. Under pressure near the try line, Iowa quickly tapped and, after a few phases, scored on the edge. The conversion was missed.
Iowa 5–0.
Michigan received, but Iowa won the restart and exploited numbers out wide to score again. Iowa converted.
Iowa 12–0.
With about two minutes left in the half, Michigan attacked, but a forward pass handed Iowa a scrum inside their own half. Noah Alvarez pressured Iowa’s 9 into a poor pass, and Michigan’s line speed forced more rushed play. A loose ball was then kicked through by Thomas Olaveson, who chased it down to score. The conversion was missed.
Halftime: Iowa 12–5.
Second Half (Iowa received)
Michigan opened strongly, pinning Iowa near their goal line and forcing a kick to touch. Michigan had a lineout around Iowa’s 22, but while trying to move the ball wide afterward, Michigan knocked on, allowing Iowa to escape.
Iowa then broke toward midfield, but Michigan intercepted and carried play back into Iowa’s half. A forward pass then returned possession to Iowa inside their 30.
With about four minutes left at 12–5, Iowa chipped to clear but knocked on, giving Michigan a scrum around halfway. The final minutes became a back-and-forth of errors: both teams conceded forward passes, and a Michigan quick tap ended in a knock-on after contact. Iowa took possession, kicked and chased, and finished the final try.
Final: Iowa 19–5.
Illinois vs Michigan — 3rd-Place Bracket Final (Day 2)
Final: Michigan 26, Illinois 19
First Half (Michigan received)
Michigan earned an early penalty and tapped quickly at halfway. In the third phase, Jack Regan picked the ball, found a gap, and scored. Michigan converted.
Michigan 7–0.
Illinois received, but the restart didn’t travel 10 meters, giving Illinois a quick tap at halfway. A poor pass created a loose ball that Michigan kicked through to start a chase. Michigan didn’t regather, but the kick pinned Illinois inside their own 5. After multiple phases, Illinois played under advantage, found a gap through Michigan’s defensive line, and scored.
7–7.
Michigan received again. Another restart failed to go 10, giving Michigan a quick tap. From the quick tap, Thomas Olaveson broke through to score Michigan’s second try. The conversion was good.
Michigan 14–7.
Illinois then received, and play led to a scrum around the 40. Illinois’s 9 mishandled the ball at the base; Noah Alvarez pounced on it, broke down the edge, and passed inside to Mike Crismale for the try. The conversion was missed.
Halftime: Michigan 19–7.
Second Half (Illinois received)
Illinois attacked quickly to the edge and finished a break for a try; the conversion was missed.
Michigan 19–12.
Michigan received and earned a quick tap at halfway after an Illinois offside call. Off that tap, Nate Cumming ran a hard line, and Alvarez. delivered a well timed pop pass into space to set up another Michigan try. Michigan converted.
Michigan 26–12.
Illinois responded from a scrum, finding space on the edge to score again and cut it back to one score.
Michigan 26–19.
With about three minutes left, Michigan received protecting a seven-point lead. Michigan lost possession, but the defense held firm and forced a late Illinois forward pass as time expired.
Final: Michigan 26–19 — Michigan won the 3rd-place bracket.
Michigan B-Side Summary (Record: 1–2)
This weekend, Michigan B-Side had the opportunity to compete against Notre Dame’s second side and Purdue’s second side. On Day 1, Michigan opened against Notre Dame, falling 0–26, then responded later in the day with a 22–14 win over Purdue. On Day 2, Michigan faced Purdue a second time and came up short, 17–10.
From a development standpoint, the weekend was a strong learning opportunity. With the B-Side roster including players who also contribute on A-Side, the group benefited from added experience, communication, and on field leadership, which helped set the standard for newer players. Competing against a high level opponent like Notre Dame, then splitting results with Purdue, gave Michigan B-Side valuable reps to keep building both individual skills and team cohesion.
