Hosting UTEP in Week 3 was supposed to be a get-right game for the entire Michigan football team, but for the first half, it didn't look as if the Wolverines were capable of firing on all cylinders.
The maize and blue coughed the ball up twice in the first half and had two ill-timed penalties, which hampered the ability of the offense and also put the defense in disadvantageous situations. However, in the second half, the Wolverines showed their mettle, scoring more points than the defense allowed from the Miners.
With Iowa on deck, Michigan needs to find more consistency, especially offensively. But head coach Kyle Whittingham believes the maize and blue are on the right track on that front.
"We definitely had our most production in the last game,
over 400 yards," Whittingham said. "Bryce, obviously, played his best game of the season. Running game was more of what we want it to be, still not getting as much on the perimeter as we'd like. But it was good to see Savion and Jordan Marshall get on track a little bit. I think both went over 60 yards, or right about 60 yards.
"Big days from Andrew Marsh, JJ. That was good to see Andrew break out and have the type of game that he's very capable of having. Had a bunch of catches for over 100 yards. So I think offensively we can continue on the path we're on. Made a bunch of first downs, scored a bunch of points. So we realize obviously, the degree of difficulty gets up much higher this week. But I think it was a step forward for our offense when all was said and done."
The run game was better but still not up to the standard expected. However, Whittingham noted that he'd still like to see more from the pass game.
Though between quarterbacks Bryce Underwood and Tommy Carr, the Wolverines had 246 yards through the air, he'd like to see more explosion from the receivers. The longest pass play was a 34-yard touchdown by Andrew Marsh in the third quarter, but Whittingham would like to see more big plays on that front compared to what Michigan has been getting. Because being able to connect on those long plays should help the run game, as it would dictate that the coverage is a bit more balanced by opposing defenses.
"Yeah, it was better, but not still," Whittingham said. "We didn't connect on the big 40, 50, 60-yard play. And so we did hit JJ for that on the skinny post for a touchdown. And the more you can stretch the defense, the more it loosens up the box, and the more that helps your cause right there.
"But you gotta play to your strengths as well. And right now, I think that Jason's tailoring the throw game to the strengths of Andrew and JJ; they're receiving a one and one-A. And so we'll just continue to see how things evolve. We do have some guys with pretty good speed. Jaime Ffrench, he's another guy that's battling for that third wide receiver spot."
Perhaps one reason why the coverage could loosen is that some of familiar names in the tight end room are finally healthy and starting to see playing time.
Hogan Hansen and Zack Marshall have both battled injuries all offseason and haven't seen nearly as much time as anticipated. Marshall has played in all three games, but instead of being tight end No. 1, that role has gone to Jalen Hoffman, who has played nearly 50 more snaps than the senior from California.
Hansen made his first appearance this year, having played in 17 snaps, and he made some big impacts blocking -- as had Marshall. Whittingham believes that both are on track to see more playing time, and they each could help in the pass game now that they're closer to being fully healthy.
"Yeah, that room is still a work in progress," Whittingham said. "It was good to get Hogan back. He brings some things to the table that the other guys don't. I mean, it's kind of a collection of guys that all have different skill set. And I thought Zack Marshall did some good things on Saturday as well, but having Hogan back is particularly in the throw game. He's a target, another big catch radius guy that Bryce can go to and runs good routes, and so it's great to have him back. And we're looking forward to Mason Bonner's continuing progression and try to get him a little more integrated as he's ready for it."
Michigan is going to need all hands on deck starting now with Iowa, and its tough defense and revamped offense coming to town. Kickoff is slated for 3:36 p.m. EDT, and the game will be broadcast on CBS.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Kyle Whittingham sees Michigan offense improving, but wants more
