Michigan heads into its Big Ten opener against Iowa with a few obvious questions, and Kyle Whittingham’s comments coming off the 52-17 win over UTEP offered a pretty clear snapshot of where the Wolverines stand.
The offensive line looked sharper in Week 3, and Whittingham made that plain. He praised the group for its best outing of the season and pointed to the way Michigan handled a shuffling front without much practice time together.
"I think they definitely played their best game this past week. They all graded out pretty darn good, especially when you think that we didn't have one day of work with that configuration. Very proud of the way they came out and played.
"Evan Link at left tackle, having no reps during the week, and flipping Blake Frazier over to the right tackle spot. I think they've been coming along week by week. I expect they're going to continue to get better as we continue to work with Coach Harding and get more familiar and comfortable with the offense."
Michigan’s blocking numbers backed that up. Pro Football Focus had the Wolverines grading better in both pass protection and run blocking than they had in Weeks 1 and 2, and they did it without RT Andrew Sprague, who was out with an undisclosed injury.
The line arrangement also changed, with Evan Link moving back to left tackle and Blake Frazier shifting to the right side after starting at left tackle last season and in the first two games this year. The pass protection was strong against UTEP, but the ground game still has room to grow. Michigan ran for 185 yards, its best total of the year, yet the expectation inside the program is still to get into the 200s, especially against lesser opponents.
Ball security is the other glaring issue. Whittingham didn’t soften that one at all.
"We emphasize it every single day. There's nothing we can do more in that regard. We're teaching it; we're coaching it; the expectations are the same each day.
"We have put the ball on the ground six times in three games, which is way too excessive. We've got to continue to work on that.
That's a really slow start. This past Saturday was due to two of the first four possessions putting the ball on the ground and losing those fumbles.
We've got to get that corrected. You can't win a championship or even hope to be in the mix with that type of putting the ball on the ground that often."
Michigan’s turnover margin sits at -2 through three games, and Bryce Underwood has thrown only one interception. The problem has been fumbling. Underwood has put the ball on the ground five times in nine quarters after his lone fumble against UTEP, and Savion Hiter and Jordan Marshall also coughed it up, though Michigan recovered Marshall’s.
That kind of sloppiness can’t survive once Big Ten play starts. If Michigan keeps putting the ball on the turf, losses are coming.
At receiver, Whittingham said the Wolverines are still sorting out who fits behind the top options.
"The more guys you can go to, the better. Right now, Salesi Moa is battling for that third spot.
Channing Goodwin is in there as well. Who else have we got over there?
Kendrick Bell is getting some time.
"It's a jockeying position, so to speak, with three or four guys to get that third-most reps or wide receiver three spot. If we can get guys to step up and have another option or two in addition to JJ and Andrew, that just makes us better at football....Jaime Ffrench, he's another guy that's battling for that third wide receiver spot that really has the ability to stretch the defense."
That group is starting to take shape. Before Week 3, only Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan had caught a pass among the wideouts.
Against UTEP, Travis Johnson and Salesi Moa both got involved, giving Michigan four receivers with catches. Goodwin opened the year as the WR3, but Moa started against the Miners and caught a touchdown from Tommy Carr.
The job still looks unsettled, though the next step is clear: once Jason Beck leans on the passing game more, one of those receivers should separate.
The tight end room is in a similar spot. It’s still coming together, even with Hogan Hansen back in the mix.
"That room is still a work in progress. It was good to get Hogan back.
He brings some things to the table that the other guys don't. It's kind of a collection of guys that all have different skill sets.
I thought Zack Marshall did some good things on Saturday as well.
"Having Hogan back, particularly in the throw game, he's a target, another big catch-radius guy that Bryce can go to and runs good routes. It's great to have him back, and we're looking forward to Mason Bonner's continuing progression and trying to get him a little more integrated as he's ready for it."
So far, the tight end production has been thin. Jalen Hoffman has been the main option and the only tight end with a catch.
Zack Marshall is getting more snaps but still doesn’t have a target or reception. Hansen’s return adds something different, and Bonner is the one Michigan seems to want more involved as the passing game develops.
Then there’s Iowa, which brings the kind of defense that can turn a game into a grind.
"That's how they'd like it. I think that's their M.O.
They shorten the game and beat you with defense and win it at the end. That's kind of how they've done it, in my estimation, for a lot of years.
"We're playing really good defense right now as well. It could very well come down to a low-scoring game, but as soon as you think that's what you're going to get, then you get a 38-35 game.
So who knows? Based on the first three weeks, there's a high likelihood of that."
The numbers are stark. Iowa is allowing 4.3 points per game and 176.7 yards per game, which is the best defensive profile in the country statistically. The Hawkeyes have done it against Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa and a new-look Iowa State team, so the level of competition matters, but the defense is still bringing a real edge into Ann Arbor.
Michigan’s offense has been shaky, and Bryce Underwood will have to be careful against a unit that can make every mistake matter. If there’s a clean way to frame this one, it’s simple: the team that runs it better and protects the football better probably walks out with the win.
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