Rutgers · W 28-21
2 tackles, 1 for loss
The other 7 games average 8 tackles. This one was 6 below.
Troy Bowles
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Played for three head coaches across three seasons and two programs. A game that shows it: 12 tackles and 2 tackles for loss against Western Michigan — Week 1, 2026.
57 tackles · 0.5 sacks
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
57 tackles. 1 pass defended. 0 interceptions. 6 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Fans first named Troy Bowles vs Western Michigan.
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Last game (Wk 9): 2 tackles, 1 tackle for loss.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 8 games
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| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 13-12vs Western Michigan | 12 | 7 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 12 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 17-10vs No. 11 Oklahoma | 9 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 52-17vs UTEP | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 19-20vs No. 17 Iowa | 6 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 14-20@ Minnesota | 9 | 6 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 21-18vs Penn State | 10 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 8 | L 6-13vs No. 6 Indiana | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 28-21@ Rutgers | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 57 | 28 | 6.0 | 0.5 | — | 1 |
Oct. 31 · W 28-21 at Rutgers, play by play
2 tackles, including 1 more for loss. The pressure he forced on 3rd and 15 ended Rutgers’s drive (td).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Hurried the quarterback on 3rd and 15. Second quarter, up 14-3. Ended Rutgers’s drive (td).
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 6 tackles for loss, in the 8 games with play by play.
How Michigan’s defense played that day
Rutgers’s 9 drives: 5 stopped · 4 scored. While the game was within a score they held 5 of 8.
5 tackles. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
10 tackles, including 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
9 tackles, including 1 more for loss. The pressure he forced on 3rd and 6 ended Minnesota’s drive (int).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Hurried the quarterback on 3rd and 6. First quarter, down 7-0. Ended Minnesota’s drive (int).
6 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
4 tackles, including 1 more for loss.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 3 of his 4, sacks included.
9 tackles. The fumble he forced ended Oklahoma’s drive (fumble).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 10 for him; the box score credits 9.
Forced a fumble. Second quarter, up 7-0. Ended Oklahoma’s drive (fumble).
A big game: 12 tackles, including 2 more for loss.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 10 of his 12, sacks included.
Week 7 · 2026
W 21-18
vs Penn State
0.5 sacks · 0.5 tackles for loss · 10 tackles
A close one, won by 3 at home.
Ratings of the games shown run from -24 to +24 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
57tackles this seasonTFL rate
11%6 TFLSack rate
1%0 sacksPD rate
2%1 pass breakups57 tackles · 6 for loss · 0.5 sacks.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home6g | 7.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Road2g | 5.5 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 8.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 3.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kyle Whittingham
Pass share
39.5%
192 pass / 294 run
Plays / game
60.8
8 games
Team sack rate
6.5%
217 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
57 tackles in 8 games, more tackles a game than most FBS linebackers who play every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Former four-star. Now #191 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #65 of 72 Big Ten LBs
A base rate for the rank, not a forecast of this player: 15% of returning players who ranked #21 or lower at their position in their conference made an all-conference team the next season (95% confidence interval 13–17%).
2026 is in progress.
A stat line in 23 games over three seasons.
The role got bigger.
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
3 coachesPlayed for 3 head coaches at 2 schools: Kirby Smart, Sherrone Moore and Kyle Whittingham.
