3 winners, 3 losers after Michigan’s loss to No. 1 Oregon

For a brief moment, it looked like Michigan could pull off a major upset over the No. 1 team in the country, but it all fell apart. Here are three winners and three losers after Michigan’s loss to Oregon:

Michigan fell to No. 1 Oregon on Saturday afternoon, and while winning this game seemed like a long shot, the Wolverines had a legitimate chance to pull off the upset late into the game. Of course, it didn’t end up happening, but it was nice to see some fight from the team down the stretch against the Ducks.

Here are our winners and losers after Michigan’s loss to Oregon:

Winner: Davis Warren and Colston Loveland

Davis Warren, who didn’t turn the ball over for a second straight game, was 12-of-21 with 164 yards passing and two touchdowns. While he didn’t find Colston Loveland (seven catches, 112 yards) in the end zone, Warren looked to him on some crucial plays to move the chains.

The combo of Warren and Loveland gave Michigan’s offense opportunities in this one.

Loser: Coaches

While I don’t think the offensive play calling was all bad, when Michigan made it into the red zone after a 26-yard Alex Orji run in the fourth quarter, it felt like Kirk Campbell reverted to a mindset of “they’ll never see this coming.” While he’s right that a throw by Semaj Morgan had the element of surprise, he probably regrets not putting the ball in Warren’s hands on fourth-and-five.

On defense, Wink Martindale doesn’t seem to be the answer this team needed after the departure of Jesse Minter. The team allowed 470 total yards and an average of 6.6 yards per play. While I think most of the defensive players were giving their all, and the secondary was thin without Will Johnson and Jyaire Hill, it seems like this team is consistently giving up chunk yards on third down and getting out-coached by opposing offenses.

Winner: Wide Receivers

The wide receivers weren’t dominant by any means and still struggled to get open most of the game, but Tyler Morris and Peyton O’Leary each got touchdowns in this game, with O’Leary’s being the first of the season. The stat lines aren’t super impressive for the receivers — they only had about 50 yards total — but they showed up in this game when Warren needed an option in the end zone.

Loser: Penalties

I don’t want to be too hard on the players; I thought, for the most part, they were out on the field giving everything they had to try and win the game. However, there were some penalties that significantly hurt the Wolverines. Whether it was too many men on the field, roughing the passer, or lining up directly under the center on a punt — which gave Oregon’s offense the ball back — there were a lot of mental errors in this game from the players and coaching staff alike just one week removed from not being penalized at all against Michigan State.

Winner: Special Teams

Except for that penalty on the punt, Michigan’s special teams unit was great. Joe Taylor forced an early fumble that C.J. Charleston managed to recover, allowing Michigan’s offense to tie the game up early at 7-7. After weeks of struggling, Tommy Doman had an impressive night by averaging 45.2 yards per punt, including a 36-yard punt that Michigan downed at the six-yard line. Dominic Zvada also hit his lone field goal try.

Loser: Injuries

It was always a long shot that Michigan would compete against Oregon, but Jyaire Hill and Will Johnson being ruled out before the game even started hurt their chances even more. On top of that, losing Andrew Gentry for the season meant Evan Link, who was benched in favor of Gentry, would start at right tackle. These are two positions that couldn’t afford any injuries, let alone losing key starters. The secondary has already struggled this season and had a tough go against Oregon, and while Link didn’t play his worst game of the year, he still was a noticeable downgrade from Gentry.

Who are your winners and losers after Michigan’s loss to Oregon? Let us know in the comments below!