There were several reasons the Michigan Wolverines suffered a 24-13 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners on the road last week, but the most glaring factor that contributed to the setback was a troubling performance from the offensive line.
Michigan failed to find a rhythm on offense for a majority of the game, and the offensive line’s inability to create holes for the running backs and provide consistent blocking
in the passing game allowed Oklahoma to generate constant pressure on quarterback Bryce Underwood.
“We have to be more consistent,” Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said. “There were things that I thought we could have done to combat the defense. It’s a collective thing, and we’ll continue to work to make sure we clean that up.”
The offensive line severely lost the battle against Oklahoma’s defensive front, failing to give Underwood enough time to go through his progressions and wait for receivers to find space downfield. With the exception of right tackle Andrew Sprague playing at a high level — earning a team-best 72.8 overall grade and an 84.4 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus — the rest of the offensive line struggled mightily.
Michigan left guard Giovanni El-Hadi (62.0 grade) was holding his own before suffering an injury in the second quarter, but left tackle Evan Link (53.0), left guard Nathan Efobi (50.1) and right guard Brady Norton (49.4) had poor performances all around.
“Obviously the Oklahoma game didn’t go the way we wanted it to go,” center Greg Crippen told the media on Tuesday. “We have to keep improving and see where we are at the end of the season. The run game is something we can do better.”
Crippen is still confident in the offensive line to improve as the season progresses and eventually form into an elite unit. To bounce back from the loss, the offensive line needs to consistently sustain their blocks and give Underwood more time to work through his progressions and find open receivers.
“We still did a lot of great things in that game — I thought overall we did a good job in protection,” Crippen said. “(The Sooners) were moving and blitzing every single play, and we did a good job. It’s just about us trying to finish plays right now.”
It will be essential for El-Hadi to return to the field as soon as possible — he’s viewed as the heart and soul of the offensive line due to his experience and leadership. Moore told the media on Monday that El-Hadi is listed as “day-to-day,” so it’s unclear when he will be available.
“(El-Hadi is) one of our captains. We did a great job coming together, but losing someone like that within the game is not something you want,” Crippen said. “I think whoever is in the game (for El-Hadi) is going to do a great job and play Michigan football.”
The loss to Oklahoma highlighted significant issues that Michigan’s coaching staff has to address in the coming weeks, specifically on the offensive line, or this season could quickly turn into another disappointing campaign. Michigan’s offensive line should find success against Central Michigan this week, even if El-Hadi is unavailable, but the Big Ten opener at Nebraska the following Saturday will show how much the offensive line has grown from the Oklahoma loss.
