Following the loss to Indiana, Sherrone Moore sat down for his weekly appearance on the “Inside Michigan Football” radio show. This week, he discussed positives from the loss, provided injury updates, and talked about plans for the bye week:
With another loss to overcome, Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore sat down for his weekly appearance on the “Inside Michigan Football” radio show. In this week’s edition, Moore spoke with Jon Jansen about the game against the Hoosiers, some young players on the rise, plans for the second by week of the year, and provided some injury updates.
Here’s a brief rundown of everything the coach had to say this week:
- There are no moral victories in college football, but the game against Indiana might have been a bit closer than many predicted. When asked what the main takeaway was from Saturday’s loss, Moore mentioned that he was proud of the fight his team showed.
- Additionally, Moore mentioned that he was impressed with the performance of the defense overall, especially in the second half. He described it as an “Elite performance,” adding that the Wolverines, “Completely shut down (Indiana’s) offense in the second half,” holding the Hoosiers to 56 total yards after the break.
- Getting off to faster starts is something that’s been an emphasis in recent weeks. Michigan did that on defense, forcing Indiana’s high-powered offense to punt on its first drive. “Holding them to five plays on the first drive was really big for us,” Moore said of the defense at the start of the game. He also pointed out that the defense got off to a hot start in the second half with Zeke Berry’s interception.
- Zeke Berry was one of the best players on the field for Michigan on Saturday. Moore mentioned that he’s been impressed with what he’s seen from the junior defensive back so far. Of Berry, Moore said, “That guy doesn’t get enough credit,” in reference to his transition to corner for the last two games. He noted that he’s done some impressive things against two impressive groups of receivers in Will Johnson’s absence.
- Speaking of Will Johnson, Moore provided an update on his status. Of Johnson, Moore said, “He’s working towards it – he wants to play – we’ll see how he feels as we go into next week.” Additionally, Moore updated the status of Giovanni El-Hadi, who went down with an injury against the Hoosiers, saying, “He’s doing ok.” Moore added that he’ll probably be limited this week, but will probably be doing more next week.
- Sticking with the offensive line, two young guys who have been garnering more attention are Blake Frazier and Andrew Sprague. Both figure to be a part of Michigan’s offensive lines of the future. Of the two freshmen, Moore said he’s, “Very excited about those guys being a part of that room.”
- The usage of (or lack thereof) Kalel Mullings was a bit puzzling in Saturday’s game. Moore was once again asked about this, mentioning that Benjamin Hall has been good in practice and showed to be deserving of more carries. However, some context was added, as he mentioned that Kalel Mullings has had a lot of carries this year, and he’s, “Working through some stuff.”
- It’s a rare season where Michigan has two bye weeks, and we’ve reached the second. When asked about the focus heading into the second by week, Moore said, “The biggest thing is – our only job right now is to go win these two games.” He also mentioned that he likes the chance he has to look back over some players for a second time in the recruiting process.
- It’s no secret that this hasn’t been the season that Moore and all those around the Michigan program envisioned, as the Wolverines have a .500 record with two games to go. When asked about the big picture and his thoughts on the season as a whole, Moore admitted that it hasn’t been fun from a competitive standpoint, describing himself as a competitor who, “hates to lose – always has, always will.” He also mentioned that letting those around the program down is something he thinks about “tirelessly.” However, he mentioned that his interactions with players and the staff have helped to make things better.
- Finally, Moore was asked to assess the quarterback position one more time after Davis Warren came back down to earth a bit against Indiana. Of Warren, Moore said, “I think Davis still gives us the best chance to win,” and also mentioned that Alex Orji will still have a role going forward. Additionally, Moore mentioned that Warren was solid overall, but thought that he was pressured too much.