Michigan football offensive coordinator Jason Beck called it a good question, but didn't directly answer.
The nonconference slate was more of a struggle than expected for the Wolverines on the offensive side of the ball. Just 13 points in a tight win over Western Michigan, six of which came on a Hail Mary. Seventeen points against Oklahoma, that admittedly has a good defense, but seven of them were directly set up by U-M's defense when a Jyaire Hill interception put Beck's unit on the doorstep.
U-M even had just seven points at the two-minute timeout before halftime against lowly UTEP, before exploding for 45 more in the final 31:31 of the contest. It was the best half of the season, unquestionably, for the attack and it's a welcomed sign to have
that happen as the final memory of nonconference play.
But that doesn't equate to an identity for Beck's offense.
"I like everyday guys are showing up the right mindset, the right attitude. They're working, they're improving, they're getting better," he said. "I feel good with the course we're on, and we just got to keep taking steps forward, keep getting more consistent.
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"Right now, we're just, you know, barely getting it done, and so hopefully we can keep getting steps forward and improving to score points to help us win games."
It wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement of the production through the air or on the ground and that's because neither has been consistent. Michigan is No. 91 in rushing offense (147.7 yards per game) and No. 109 in passing (175.7). Even with a 52-point effort in Week 3, the Wolverines rank No. 91 nationally in scoring (27.3 points per game) and No. 118 in total offense (323.3 yards).
While the ground game has technically been better than the aerial attack, that's not the way Beck sees it. He comes from Utah where last year the Utes were No. 1 in yards per carry (6.0) and No. 2 in rushing yards per game (266.3) and rushing touchdowns (41).
Michigan seems to have the weapons to do more, starting with an offensive line that has experience at every position as well as a mobile quarterback, one running back who had nearly 1,000 yards a year ago and another who was the top-rated running back in the class of 2026.
If there's one thing that's been bugging Beck most, it's an inability to get that jump-started.
“I was most surprised in our just handing off runs, with where the result of those have been ... kind of disappointed in our perimeter run game," Beck said of what he learned in the nonconference slate. "That's typically been a big strength of stuff we've done and through these first [three] games, we're sitting at like 2½ yards per carry, which is, you know, what's the point of doing that if that's the result?
"We've got to either get better at it or stop doing it.”
Last year, he said Utah averaged nearly 8.5 yards on what he calls the "fly sweeps," which is down nearly six yards per attempt this season. He said the staff is looking at every aspect of those calls, from the players with the ball in their hands, to the timing of the play, to the blockers on the outside (typically tight ends and wide receivers) who are tasked with helping it break for chunk yardage.
It doesn't help Michigan is often running into loaded boxes and defensive backs playing tight to the line of scrimmage. The main reason for that is U-M hasn't shown an ability to take the top off the defense. Quarterback Bryce Underwood is just 2-for-11 on passes with 20 or more air yards, one of which was a Hail Mary.
Beck felt a few were close to hitting against Oklahoma, while another would've likely gone for a big gain had it not been for a defensive pass interference. That said, it's yet another element of the offense that simply isn't clicking, even with a pair of receivers in Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan who have shown they can be among the better wideouts in the Big Ten through three weeks.
"Always something you're working on," Beck said. "You're probably not seeing them because I guess we're not connecting on them, right? Because there are some out there, but when they're just long completions, they don't leave much of a memory.
"I don't want to get too into the details about anything. But it felt like there's some progress being made there ... but man, would sure help if we started to hit them."
No. 18 Michigan (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) faces one of its toughest tests of the year against No. 17 Iowa (3-0, 0-0), led by long time coach Kirk Ferentz and one of the game's most respected defensive coordinators, Phil Parker. The Hawkeyes run a four-man front, which varies from U-M's first three opponents which were primarily odd fronts.
There will likely be more zone, too, which puts the onus on both receivers knowing when to break off their routes and also on Underwood, who will need to look defenders away to create throwing lanes and not just lock in on a single read.
"That's always an important part, being disciplined with your reads, your eyes, and how you approach it that way," Beck said. "Being able to look off at the right time, work your progressions ... felt like Bryce has made each week has made strides, made progress."
The top-20 matchup should serve as a litmus test for just how much progress U-M's offense has truly made.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan 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's offense still searching for true identity
