Michigan heads to Minnesota on Saturday for its first road test of the season, and the Wolverines are walking into a tricky spot. They’re coming off a 20-19 home loss to Iowa and need a response before the back half of the schedule turns ugly.
Minnesota, though, is not looking like a team ready to roll over. The Golden Gophers just knocked off Washington 27-24, and PJ Fleck has them playing hard and playing well. Odd or not, he’s got a team that can make life uncomfortable.
One of the biggest questions for Michigan is whether the ground game can finally wake up. Jordan Marshall says he’s good to go, and Michigan needs him to be. The Wolverines have been putrid on the ground this season, ranking 92nd nationally in rushing yards per game, and Minnesota’s run defense has been stingy early on.
That sets up a game where Marshall has to create something after first contact. That’s where he can change the tone of the offense.
When he’s healthy, he runs with violence, and last week he looked like he was starting to hit his stride before leaving the game for the final possession. This week, the expectation is that he gets a bigger workload and turns a few modest carries into chunk plays.
The call here is that Marshall breaks an explosive run and goes over 100 yards, becoming the first Michigan rusher this season to top the century mark.
The other area Michigan needs to sharpen up is on defense, where the numbers have been strong but the takeaways have been too scarce. The Wolverines have forced only three turnovers all season - two against Oklahoma and one against UTEP - and their offense has done its part to make the margin worse. Michigan is minus-3 in turnover margin, so this game needs to feature cleaner ball security and more disruption from the defense.
Drake Lindsey gives Minnesota a quarterback with real arm talent, but also enough confidence to make him dangerous in the wrong way. That opens the door for Michigan to start cashing in on the chances it’s been missing. The prediction is two interceptions for the Wolverines, plus a strip sack.
Up front, Michigan may also have a chance to lean on depth. John Henry Daley is dealing with a leg injury he suffered on the second-to-last play of the Iowa game, and if he plays, it’s expected to be on a reduced snap count. That means more work for the backup defensive ends.
Tariq Boney is the name to watch there. He’s been productive in limited action and draws a comparison to Chase Winovich during the 2016 season, when Winovich was used more as a pass-rush weapon than a run-down staple.
Boney could have that kind of role this year, and this week he should see more snaps. The prediction is a big one: two sacks, including a strip sack, and a performance that leaves him as the star of the game.
In Other News...
Jordan Marshalls Frustration Says Everything About Michigan Right Now
Jordan Marshalls postgame frustration after Michigans loss to Minnesota said plenty about where the Wolverines are right now. The running back didnt sugarcoat the mess on the field, pointing to the mistakes and the lack of cohesion that have made this stretch so hard to watch, and he made it clear the team cant afford to keep drifting through games without sharper execution or better accountability.
Marshall also framed the upcoming bye week as a chance for the roster to look inward and tighten things up. He said the players need to own their part, get more connected and play with more purpose, while also expressing trust that the coaching staff can make the necessary adjustments. For a Michigan team searching for answers, that blend of frustration and faith may be the clearest sign of how much work still remains. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's Offense Has A Bigger Problem Than Fans Wanted To Admit
Michigans 20-14 loss to Minnesota dropped the Wolverines to 3-2 and reopened a conversation the program would rather avoid this early in the season. The defense did enough to keep the game within reach, but the issues on the other side of the ball were harder to ignore, especially with head coach Kyle Whittinghams timeout management and offensive coordinator Jason Becks scheme drawing scrutiny as the night wore on.
Bryce Underwoods performance only sharpened the concern, with two interceptions and a few missed opportunities leaving Michigan stuck without enough answers when it mattered most. For a team trying to steady itself after another frustrating result, the bigger problem looks less like one bad evening and more like an offense that has yet to find a reliable identity. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Have A Bigger Worry After Herbstreits Warning Sign
Kirk Herbstreit was the only College GameDay analyst to pick Minnesota over Michigan, and the call landed with extra weight because his son is playing quarterback for the Wolverines. The prediction ended up looking sharper than most expected, but for Michigan fans, the bigger concern was not one broadcasters take. It was the way the game exposed a team still searching for answers.
Coach Whittingham acknowledged the problems after the loss, pointing first to issues on defense and then to a longer list of deficiencies the staff is trying to clean up. He said the situation ranks among the biggest challenges of his career, a blunt assessment that matches the mood around the program. The warning sign now is less about one upset than about whether Michigan can fix enough before the season slips further from reach. [Read more 🡒]