The Michigan Wolverines return to Ann Arbor this weekend to host the Washington Huskies at the Big House. Maize n Brew staff members are back to answer some questions about last weekend’s game at USC, this week’s game vs the Huskies and much more in this edition of the Roundtable!
Last week was brutal, to say the least, and exposed a lot of flaws. What is your biggest concern for this team heading into the second half of the season?
Von: By far, my biggest concern is tackling, and having a fundamental
being one of the worst things this team does is, in and of itself, a major concern. PFF registered 14 (!) missed tackles against the Trojans last weekend, with Brandyn Hillman, Jaishawn Barham, TJ Metcalf, Jyaire Hill and Trey Pierce all having two missed tackles apiece. It was a concern heading into this game, and it’s an even bigger concern moving forward.
Andrew: The cracks in the foundation of the program. Under head coach Sherrone Moore, Michigan has lost by more than two possessions (17+) three times already. That’s as many as Bo Schembechler did in his entire tenure from 1969-89. That’s one-third as many as Jim Harbaugh had from 2015-23. Moore is now the second-fastest Michigan head coach to achieve this dubious honor, only trailing Rich Rod, of course. Losing happens to every program, but ass kickings are not tolerated at Michigan.
Matt: This may be too broad of an answer, but my biggest concern is the coaching staff. The team seems wholly unprepared to play, the defensive game plan was flawed at best, and the line play on both sides of the ball appeared uninspired. The “smash” identity Sherrone Moore looked to build is essentially gone at this point.
Kellen: I think that third-string running back still has yet to be tackled as I write this. Run defense has been one of the reliable parts of Michigan for the better part of the last decade, but King Miller ran all over the Wolverines. It was jarring to give up 224 yards, even with USC being pretty depleted health wise at the running back spot.
Sam: Can I make two picks? I’m going to make two picks. Offensively, we need to take more downfield shots. Even if they don’t work, Lindsey/Underwood need to put more vertical strain on the defense to try to lessen those heavy boxes. McCulley can win those 50/50 matchups and I like what I’ve seen from Marsh. Defensively, the tackling has been abysmal. It looks nothing like Michigan football and Wink’s boys need to wake up and wrap up.
Scotty: My biggest concern is Michigan has looked really good for two games and it was the two games without the head coach.
Dan: Could go a lot of areas here, but I’m going to go with what the doomsday scenario is. That is losing Bryce Underwood. He chose Michigan because of money and ties to home. The sell for him was to come here, play within the system, and they’ll make adjustments to propel him over the next few years to elite status. That way they win games now and build the offense together with a team that just supported J.J. McCarthy and a new coordinator that also had a first-rounder in Drake Maye. Compelling. But right now, Michigan isn’t playing football that has a winning formula. The foundations of a strong offensive line and an elite defense are showing noticeable cracks. Receivers are dropping balls left and right. His stats are suffering and he’s been getting some heat for things outside of his control while everyone (including Dave Portnoy, who helped get him to Michigan) is saying the coaches aren’t utilizing him correctly. Again, doomsday scenario and a little bit of spiraling after one loss, but you did ask for our biggest concern and it needs to be at the back of mind at a minimum for fans and people around the program.
Is your major concern fixable as we head into the final six games of the regular season? If so, do you think this issue will be fixed?
Von: At this point in the season, you either tackle well or you don’t. Tackling issues don’t usually get solved halfway through a season — this is something that needs to be worked on and perfected 24/7/365. If they haven’t prioritized something as simple as tackling by now — or perhaps they do focus on this in practice but are just really bad at it — I don’t see it getting much better.
Andrew: Everything is fixable. That’s the comforting and most frustrating part about this team. On defense, it’s simply tackling and run fits. Sure, we can get granular and talk about linebacker depth in the hook/curl zone and corner leverage, but again, fixable. Offensively, if the offensive line can pass protect to an average level, that will have a trickle up effect of success. It makes no sense why it has been this bad the last two seasons with Moore being a former offensive line coach. That’s like Lincoln Riley having John O’Korn play quarterback or Brent Venables lead a Michigan State level defense. So if this unit can find any consistency to help support a true freshman passer, Michigan will be able to consistently win first down (with a combination of run/pass), which has proven to be the biggest catalyst to success in Chip Lindsey’s offense.
Matt: Are the failings of the coaching staff fixable? Yes. Do I have any confidence they will do so? No. Last season, it took a players-only meeting for Wink Martindale to come to his senses with the defensive game-planning. It seems unreasonable for that to happen again, along with a special teams reset and an offensive line overhaul.
Kellen: Hopefully this is just a blip on the radar. Michigan is 20th in rush yards allowed, behind Washington, Ohio State, Indiana and Wisconsin in the Big Ten. I think Michigan has the personnel to make sure this doesn’t happen again, but this upcoming matchup with an underrated Washington squad should be a good test.
Sam: I hope so. I don’t think we’ll quite see Bryce reach his potential as a passer in Year 1, but I do expect a much, much, much better effort from the defense moving forward.
Scotty: Yes, I think there is a lot of scared coaching right now. That can change.
Dan: Absolutely. Take the training wheels off and let Underwood play. Open up the offense, spread things out more, and make his life easier. It’s not about abandoning the core concepts of the offense, it’s about playing to your best players strengths. That’s something Lindsey and Moore preached all offseason, specifically about this offense and Underwood. But we haven’t seen that for the most important player through six games.
Up next is a rock solid 5-1 Washington squad. What is it about the Huskies that has you worried, and what areas, if any, do the Wolverines have a clear advantage?
Von: Washington’s offense is almost as good as USC’s, and if Wink Martindale and company still have their heads up their ass from last week, the Huskies will put a ton of points on the board. Demond Williams is a super athletic quarterback and can burn you on the ground and through the air. Jonah Coleman is one of the best backs in the Big Ten, and Denzel Boston is an incredible talent at the wide receiver position. Their offense is scary good.
Where the Wolverines have the advantage is up front on both lines of scrimmage. The Huskies’ offensive line has allowed 16 sacks this season (2.67 per game), so Jaishawn Barham, Derrick Moore and company have a great opportunity ahead of them. And while Washington’s run defense only gives up 84.4 yards per game, the Wolverines have already played two better rush defenses (Oklahoma, Wisconsin) and fared well enough to make me feel pretty confident about their chances of performing well against Washington.
Andrew: The quarterback run game. Head coach Jedd Fisch is going to run an inordinate amount of quarterback gap schemes until Michigan proves it can stop it. Coupled with stud running back Jonah Coleman, this is a lethal rushing attack. Fortunately, the offensive line is bad, but then again, we just saw an average USC offensive line down two starters have its way with the Wolverines. As a passer, Demond Williams has a limited passing tree, but if his legs are working, everything else will open up and he could quickly have a big day.
Matt: The Husky running game has me terrified. Jonah Coleman (5.4 YPC and 11 touchdowns) and Demond Williams Jr. (5.2 YPC and four touchdowns) have run rampant over an admittedly bad schedule. The Wolverines should have a clear edge in the trenches, but they should have had a clear advantage in the trenches over USC and that didn’t come to pass as USC’s third-string running back ran wild, causing me to question everything.
Kellen: Washington has a Top-10 run defense and is completely capable of shutting down a Michigan rushing attack that may be without Justice Haynes. Along with that, Demond Williams Jr. is a tough cover, as the sophomore has been one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten by throwing for 1,628 yards and rushing for 382. Despite Washington having to travel across country, there’s a lot about the Huskies to be scared about.
Sam: Can we pressure Williams. Riley provided the blueprint with all those quick passes/screens to neutralize this front. Do the Huskies attack us in a similar fashion? I would imagine so. Your move, Wink. Playing at home is a huge advantage. Going up to the West Coast and surviving is never easy.
Scotty: Washington has a very talented quarterback who can make plays with his arm and legs. Unfortunately, I don’t feel great about any matchups in this game.
Dan: Man, I don’t know if there are any clear advantages. The most apparent would be the Washington pass defense, ranked 86th in the country. But Michigan hasn’t proven it can — or even wants to — move the ball through the air consistently. USC was ranked similarly in pass defense last week. Up front, Michigan’s run defense must play much better to slow down Jonah Coleman, one of the best backs in the Big Ten. Ohio State stifled the Washington offense in doing so a couple of weeks ago. That’s priority No. 1.
Give us a bold prediction for the game.
Von: The Wolverines FINALLY get a defensive score. To go even more bold, I’ll say it’s a pick-six from Rod Moore, because why the hell not?
Andrew: This is an inflection point in the Sherrone Moore era. His back has never been more against the wall, and I think he goes back to what got him here. Despite Washington’s top-10 rushing defense, Moore sets out to prove a point and Michigan rushes for more than 200 yards against a defense allowing less than 100 this season.
Matt: Justice Haynes returns triumphantly from his injury and runs for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
Kellen: Saying that neither team will be able to run the ball isn’t bold considering it’s a matchup of two Top-20 run defenses, so I’ll say this game will be the lowest point total of the season. There’s rain in the early forecast, so the under could be a solid play.
Sam: Marlin Klein goes off. He’s looked banged up and barely made an impact in the passing game since New Mexico. He has to get back to his dominance eventually, right?
Scotty: Washington will win by two scores.
Dan: Andrew Marsh breaks off another 40+ yard touchdown.
What’s the final score and why?
Von (6-0): Michigan 28, Washington 20. I think the Wolverines barely cover the spread, but still manage to get right at home heading into their first rivalry game of the season.
Andrew: (5-1): Behind a strong run game and two turnovers, it’s not pretty at times, but Michigan bounces back against a Washington team playing at 9 a.m. Pacific Time, 28-24.
Matt (4-0): Michigan 28 Washington 27. As pessimistic as I was in the questions above, Michigan is returning home with a chip on its shoulder and is playing a Washington team that will be at 9 a.m. on their body clocks. The Huskies will score their points, but Michigan should be able to move the ball on the ground much of the day as well. Sherrone Moore needs this game badly.
Kellen (5-1): Michigan bounces back and wins a close one, 17-13. The travel is brutal for Washington, and I like Underwood to bounce back after a shaky performance against the Trojans.
Sam (1-0): 27-24 Wolverines. Got to have it, home crowd, and it can’t get much worse than that USC game.
Scotty (0-1): Washington wins 31-17. The USC loss exposed a lot of flaws, and I just don’t think Michigan is where it needs to be on either side of the ball.
Dan (3-2): Michigan wins and covers, 24-10. The time zone threat in the Big Ten is real and the Wolverines outman a good Husky team on both fronts.
