It’s mid-November, and Michigan is officially a .500 football team, dropping to 5-5 on Saturday afternoon to Oregon. It once again wasn’t a pretty performance for the Wolverines. Here’s a look at how each position group graded out.
Quarterback – D
Coming into the game, we knew that Michigan was going to play both quarterbacks. Tommy Carr got the start and played the first two series of the game before Bryce Underwood took over for the rest of the first half, before giving way back to Carr for much of the second half.
It didn’t matter. Neither one played well.
Michigan’s quarterbacks combined to complete just 6-of-20 passes for a total of 71 yards. Carr also had nine carries for 43 yards and fumbled once, while Underwood ran for three yards. Even with a new offensive coordinator in charge, Michigan’s passing game made no progress, and it’s proving to be a wasted season for both quarterbacks who have been sorely let down by the offensive staff.
Running Back – B-
For much of the day Michigan seemed to put more of an emphasis on the run game with all three of Michigan’s running backs getting a good amount of work. None of them really emerged to take over the game, but Savion Hiter provided the biggest highlight of the day and arguably the offensive highlight of the year for Michigan with a 70-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Hiter would finish the game with 107 total yards on 13 carries while Bryson Kuzdzal had nine carries for 46 yards and a fumble. Jordan Marshall added five carries for 23 yards. Of note, Marshall has had just 12 carries across the last three games, and it appears that the captain is slowly losing favor in the offense.
Wide Receiver – D+
Michigan’s passing attack did next to nothing in this game, which is to be expected with the quarterbacks being rotated like they were. It also didn’t help that JJ Buchanan left the game with an injury in the first quarter.
Andrew Marsh was the team’s leading receiver on Saturday, hauling in four receptions for 46 yards. He had a chance for a touchdown on a deep ball from Tommy Carr, but was held after beating the defensive back and only benefited from the penalty. No other wide receivers for Michigan recorded a reception on Saturday.
Tight End – C-
It was a very quiet day for the tight end room, as Jalen Hoffman was the lone tight end with a reception, and it came on a third-and-long to pick up the first down with an 18-yard gain. Not much changed with their usage despite Jason Beck no longer calling the offense, so I wouldn’t expect too much from this group going forward with just two games to go
Offensive Line – D+
Michigan’s offensive line didn’t have Blake Frazier once again this week and ended up starting Manuel Beigel at left guard instead of the rhino spot and Marky Walbridge at right tackle. The group also faced the added challenge of having their coach, Jim Harding, serving as the play-caller this week, leaving them with a little less attention on the sideline.
Regardless, it was a bad day at the office for the line as it was unable to protect the quarterbacks and keep Oregon out of the backfield. The Ducks finished the game with three sacks, four tackles for a loss, and five quarterback hurries in what was once again a bummer of a day for a group that hasn’t been able to find its footing all year.
Defensive Line – C+
The defense as a whole had its worst game of the season, and it started up front. Michigan struggled to get any sort of pressure on Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola, and he was allowed plenty of time in the pocket to improvise and get the ball downfield. Dom Nichols did have a sack, and Jonah Lea’ea did have a tackle for a loss in what was his most productive game of the year.
On the other hand, the defensive line didn’t do a terrible job against the run, allowing 126 yards rushing to the Ducks.
Linebacker – C-
In what was a bad day for the defense, senior Troy Bowles continued his strong play individually, but didn’t get much help from the guys around him in the linebacker room. Bowles left the game with an injury in the first quarter but quickly returned and finished the day with seven tackles. Nathaniel Staehling also added four tackles, while Chase Taylor and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng had one apiece. Taylor did whiff on an attempt to tackle Oregon running back Dierre Hill’s 49-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter.
Defensive Backs – D-
If you want to point the finger at any position group on the defense for Saturday’s loss, it’d be the defensive backs, who really had a hard time with Oregon’s great group of wide receivers. It started on the opening drive when Jyaire Hill was burned on a double move that allowed Jeremiah McClellan to register a 60-yard touchdown. Hill was also beaten by Evan Stewart for a big gain later in the quarter. Additionally, Smith Snowden continued his cold spell by losing Dakorien Moore to get by him for a 59-yard touchdown reception at the end of the first half.
It wasn’t all negatives for the defensive backs as safety Chris Bracy continued his strong play with eight tackles, including one sack.
Special Teams – C+
Michigan’s special teams units didn’t have a spectacular showing either on Saturday. Punter Cam Brown did have an impressive boot to pin down Oregon at the three-yard line in the first quarter, but that’s really where the highlights end. Dierre Hill had a 38-yard kickoff return, while Deakon Tonielli was also flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty, on which there was perhaps a bit of an acting job on Oregon’s part.
Coaching – F
With the loss, Michigan drops to 5-5, and Saturday’s lifeless loss was yet another poor reflection on head coach Kyle Whittingham. The offensive coordinator change didn’t do anything to spark the offense while the defense had its worst outing of the year, even if Jay Hill’s unit has earned plenty of slack this year. This job continues to look like far too much for Whittingham, who has the Wolverines on the cusp of missing a bowl game for the first time since 2014 (excluding the shortened 2020 season) despite high expectations coming into the year.
Ever since the close loss to Indiana, Michigan has largely been sleepwalking through their last three games, and this season is continuing to spiral into a bad place under Whittingham’s leadership.
