In a season where the stakes grow with each game, offensive lineman Nishad Strother spoke confidently about his team’s growth and readiness to tackle the upcoming challenge against NFL-level talent.

Reflecting on the continuity within the offensive line, Strother emphasized the importance of familiarity. "Just naturally, playing with the same group of guys, it's going to get better," Strother said. "Chemistry—you can do some things without talking, so it just gets better as time goes on."

With a major test looming this week, Strother sees the matchup as a proving ground for both sides. "I think it's a great test for us, but I think we'll be a great test for them as well," he noted. "This type of game can rise and kill somebody's draft stock. We're going to prepare like we do every week. It's a great challenge for us, but I think we'll be ready for it."

Strother expressed a mix of respect and competitive spirit when discussing the opposition. "We respect those guys over there and what they've done, but we just got to go out there and compete," he stated.

One defensive player in particular - Josiah Stewart- poses a unique challenge: "He's just a versatile guy," Strother said about Stewart. "He can line up anywhere. He plays in a lot of spots, so just finding where he's at, just to make sure we can identify him and what he could possibly do from any situation, that’s going to be important for us to be successful and affect him in the game."

The game in Ann Arbor requires another cross-country trip, but Strother credits the coaching staff for minimizing the effects of travel. "The staff does a great job of making sure we don't really miss a beat. They make sure we're comfortable on the plane, they've got plenty of hydration for us, we get into bed early," Strother said, adding that the early departure gives them additional time to adjust to the new time zone.

On the field, Strother praised his running back Noah Whittington for his ability to finish at the goal line. "It makes our job easy. It's exciting to see them get to the second level and just demolish somebody like that at the goal line," he said, recalling the thrill of watching the play during film review. "Oh yeah, we replayed it like 30 times, recorded it on the phone and everything."

Strother also analyzed the strengths of the Michigan defensive linemen, noting their adeptness at leveraging positioning. "I think they do a really good job of understanding leverage. They’re not necessarily overpowering a lot of guys but kind of just moving out the way sometimes, just letting guys take themselves out," he observed. "They do a really good job of understanding body movements."

As for crowd noise, Strother and his teammates have been preparing for the possibility of a loud atmosphere. "We worked on that today, had some crowd noise, and we were working on the silent snap," he said, recalling a similarly anticipated environment last season. "We thought Utah was going to be super loud last year as well, so maybe we can just go out there and quiet the crowd early."

Confident and composed, Strother and his teammates are poised for a challenging test—a stage where their chemistry, preparation, and talent will be fully tested.