After Michigan Football’s latest offensive meltdown — a mere six points to rival Michigan State during Saturday’s loss — the program has moved on from offensive coordinator Jason Beck.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham had plenty of good to say about Beck the human during his Inside Michigan Football radio show Monday night. However, like anyone who has watched the Wolverines’ offense this season, he acknowledged it was time for change.
“He’s a great person. He’s an excellent football coach. But for whatever
reason, it just wasn’t clicking here at Michigan, man,” Whittingham said.
Now, offensive line coach Jim Harding takes over as the interim play caller. The early dismissal gives Michigan a head start on its search.
“We’ve already began a nationwide search for a coordinator. … Jim will hold down the fort, and he’s the assistant head coach, and in my opinion, was a logical guy to take over, and it’ll be a collaborative effort,” Whittingham said. “It’s not all on Jim. The offensive staff will obviously pitch in and help, just like always.”
Part of the offensive frustration comes from seeing it play so well the game prior at Rutgers. Freshman quarterback Tommy Carr seemed poised to take over QB1 duties for the rest of the campaign. Yet Carr looked … like a freshman in the MSU game, throwing for 138 yards and two interceptions.
Whittingham was noncommittal on the starter for this week’s game at Oregon.
“We will see,” Whittingham said. “That’ll be in-house until game time, and we will — it’s being formulated as we speak, over in the offensive staff room, and we will make that determination. Keep it under wraps until we trot one of them out there on game day.”
The staff has another decision to make with its kicker. Freshman Jacob Baggett missed his lone attempt against the Spartans — a 26-yarder — leaving further doubt at that position. It could mean more fourth-down attempts.
“It encourages you to be more aggressive on fourth down if you don’t have a feeling that you have a good, high chance to make the kick,” he said.
For all the offensive struggles, the defense held Michigan State touchdown-less. And despite probably a few too many yards after contact, the loss was once again not on them. Safeties coach Tyler Stockton is particularly grateful for the talent and depth at his disposal. That, combined with a room committed to growing, makes his life that much easier.
“It’s because they care about each other,” Stockton said. “They don’t want to let their teammates down. They don’t want to let each other down. And that really started off this summer, by us just doing certain things in our position room just to build the connection that they know, man. When the bullets are flying in, they’re gonna do whatever it takes to help the team out.”
Stockton called Chris Bracy, “a dog,” a “football player” and a “football junkie,” and has been more than pleased with how Mason Curtis has fit into the defense. Rod Moore remains the heartbeat of that unit, and despite the transfer portal era diminishing some rivalries, he embodies the passion for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
“It’s been unbelievable to watch a kid just battle every single day for this program, to, every Saturday put his body on the line because he loves this place so much. I mean, it’s been a joy to coach him,” Stockton said. “I was frickin’ heartbroken on Saturday for that kid because he pours everything into this program.
Moore, who has dealt with his fair share of injuries, mostly seemed happy just to suit up with his teammates.
“I was dying to do it for the past two years and, finally, to get the chance to go out there and play game after game after game without second-guessing or having the doubt of, ‘Am I going to be able to play the next game?’ Feels good,” the three-time captain said.
