Minnesota is rolling into this matchup with several names Michigan can’t afford to lose track of, and that matters with the Wolverines favored by 5.5 points in Minneapolis. The Gophers are coming off a huge road win over Washington, while Michigan is trying to steady itself after a heartbreaking loss to Iowa in Ann Arbor. If the Wolverines are going to get this one on the road, they’ll need a clean performance and a sharp eye on Minnesota’s key players.
Start with Drake Lindsey, the quarterback wearing No. 5.
At 6-5 and 230 pounds, he brings the full package: size, arm strength, anticipation and the kind of veteran feel that makes an offense hum. He can make every throw, understands where his receivers are supposed to be, and has played well enough this season to start showing up on NFL Draft boards.
If Michigan doesn’t generate pressure, Lindsey can make them pay.
Then there’s Darius Taylor, the engine of the offense and Minnesota’s most important skill player. The No. 1 back is a dynamic, high-volume runner with excellent vision and the power to break tackles.
He’s the kind of back who can handle 30 carries and still be a factor as a receiver, too, with the ability to snag five or six passes out of the backfield. Taylor helps set the tone every time he touches the ball.
Javon Tracy has become Lindsey’s go-to target through four games. The 6-0, 205-pound receiver has 24 catches for 281 yards and a touchdown, and he can hurt a defense in a couple different ways.
He’s dangerous down the field, but he can also turn a routine catch into a big gain because of his run-after-the-catch ability. Tracy has been just as dangerous in the return game, where he already has two punt-return touchdowns and is averaging more than 21 yards per return.
Minnesota also has a difference-maker up front in Anthony Smith. The 6-6, 280-pound defensive end was a Preseason First-Team All American and looks every bit like a future NFL draft pick.
He’s one of the Big Ten’s most disruptive edge rushers and has more than 30 career tackles for loss. Michigan’s offensive tackles, who have dealt with injuries and lineup shuffling, will have to be ready for him.
And on the second level, Maverick Baranowski is the player who keeps the Gopher defense organized and active. Smith may be the flashiest defender, but Baranowski is the heartbeat of PJ Fleck’s group.
He leads the team in tackles, brings a high motor, hits hard and fills gaps with purpose. He’s rarely out of place and seems to find the ball on play after play.
In Other News...
Michigan Offense Is Taking Heat From One Of Their Own
After Michigans loss to Minnesota, one of the programs own took aim at what he saw from the offense. Jake Butt, the former Wolverines tight end who now works as a Big Ten analyst, described the performance as poor and said the unit lacked effort, a blunt assessment that landed hard for a team already searching for answers.
The criticism comes with Michigan still sitting near the bottom of the national rankings in total offense and rushing yards through five games, a jarring place for a program built on physical play and run-game identity. Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham also weighed in, saying Michigan has to make tough decisions and real adjustments to get moving, including the possibility of a quarterback change, as the pressure to fix the offense keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan May Have Just Shown The Only Way To Stop The Slide
The red zone trip that led to Jordan Marshalls touchdown was one of the few clean moments Michigan had in a 20-14 loss to Minnesota, and it stood out because it looked like the kind of sequence the offense has been searching for all season. After a series of successful plays, the Wolverines finished the possession with the kind of execution that has too often been missing when drives get tight and the field shrinks.
For a team still trying to stop the slide, that single trip offered a small but useful reminder of what works. Michigan did not get many chances near the goal line, but when it finally did, the drive suggested there is at least a blueprint there, even if the larger picture around it remains discouraging. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Offense Has Become A Bigger Problem Than Fans Feared
Michigans latest setback in Minneapolis was about more than just another loss. The 20-14 defeat to Minnesota dropped the Wolverines to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten, and it came with the kind of offensive frustration that can linger long after the final whistle. The ground game never really got going, the quarterback play was uneven, and the tight end production never gave the offense the dependable middle of the field presence it needed.
Pro Football Focus grades backed up what the eye test suggested, with wide receiver JJ Buchanan, center Jake Guarnera and right tackle Blake Frazier emerging as the top offensive performers. Beyond them, though, the chart was thin, and Zack Marshalls low grade at tight end reflected how few answers Michigan had in the passing game and around the line of scrimmage. For a team already staring at an 0-2 Big Ten start, the bigger concern now is whether theres a fix here or just a longer search for one. [Read more 🡒]