The Michigan defensive line receives a C, while the tight ends get an A in this week’s position grades for Michigan’s 38-17 loss to Oregon.
The Michigan Wolverines could not slay the beast, falling to the No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks at home on Saturday. After defeating the Michigan State Spartans a week ago, Michigan fought hard but ultimately fell flat against the top team in college football.
Let’s dive into this week’s position grades.
Quarterbacks: C+
Davis Warren appears to be the starter going forward for the Wolverines. While he did not do anything to harm Michigan’s chance of winning, he didn’t do enough to put the Wolverines in a position to win, either. He was 13-for-23 with 165 passing yards and two touchdowns. Warren’s two touchdowns were into tight windows, but Oregon’s defensive pressure and stellar secondary play made things difficult for the former walk-on.
Alex Orji carried the ball six times for 39 yards, including a 26-yard carry late in the fourth quarter. However, the play calling was predictable with Orji in the game, and the Oregon defense was able to snuff out five of Orji’s six carries.
Running backs: C-
After dominating on the ground the first six weeks, the Michigan rushing attack has been held in check the last three games. Kalel Mullings did not do anything on the ground, averaging two yards per carry on just eight attempts, while Donovan Edwards took 10 carries for 52 yards. When you are down by 18 points at halftime, the run game can disappear quickly, and we saw mostly Orji keepers in the second half to produce any run game.
Wide receivers: B-
We continuously see the wide receiver room improve each week, even with the limited opportunities they are receiving. They hauled in just five receptions of Warren’s 13 completions, but they all seemed to be in big moments. Tyler Morris caught a ball across his body on his touchdown, and Peyton O’Leary caught his first touchdown of the season.
Tight ends: A
Colston Loveland led the team with 67 receiving yards against Michigan State, and he somehow upped his game against the Ducks by producing 112 yards on seven catches. With nine targets, Loveland was Warren’s first read on practically every passing down, and we even saw him line up in the backfield and take an end-around. He is the one consistent bright spot on the team.
Offensive Line: C
Michigan threw out the same starting offensive line it finished with against Michigan State, and it had a mixture of highs and lows. The line did not give up a sack for the second straight game and allowed three quarterback hits against one of the nation’s best defensive lines. However, they could not open up any holes for the run game, and the Wolverines were held to just 105 total rushing yards. Screen plays were also inconsistent, and Michigan was constantly behind the sticks on second down. There are only three games left in the regular season, and there is still a lot of improvement for the offensive line.
Defensive Line: C
Michigan’ defensive line did not play poorly, but the expectation for the group is to be the best unit on the defense. The line did not generate any sacks (or much pressure at all) on Dillon Gabriel, and it accumulated just two tackles for loss and five quarterback hits. The line also gave up 117 rushing yards to running back Jordan James.
Linebackers: B
Just like last week, giving up big runs to multiple backs (and even quarterbacks) falls on the first two levels of the defense. The linebackers were asked to do a lot with a limited secondary, and we saw Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham both having to play slot corner and follow wide receivers across the field. Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson snuck by the entire linebacker corps on a 20-yard under-route that set up the Ducks’ first touchdown, and James got to the third level on a 22-yard handoff. The tackling was fine, but the linebackers had a tough time overall.
Defensive backs: D
Will Johnson was ruled out once again, but so was Jyaire Hill surprisingly. Aamir Hall, Zeke Berry and Joziah Edmond saw more snaps on Saturday, with safety Makari Paige playing more nickel. Backup safety Mason Curtis got starter reps as well. It was a domino effect that helped Gabriel throw for 294 yards and a touchdown. It was a rough showing without Michigan’s top two corners on Saturday.
Special teams: B+
In addition to the tight ends, the special teams unit had a very solid day. Kicker Dominic Zvada converted his lone field goal, punter Tommy Doman averaged 45 yards per punt, including two going inside of the 20, and special teams ace Joe Taylor forced a crucial fumble on a punt early in the game that led to a Michigan touchdown. The one thing that tarnished the group’s grade was a costly illegal formation while defending a punt, resulting in an extended drive for the Ducks.