Michigan’s offense may not get the kind of Saturday it wants when UTEP comes to Ann Arbor.
After the Wolverines’ 17-10 win over Oklahoma, the defense has already shown it can carry a game. Now the attention shifts to an offense that still hasn’t found its footing, and the weather could make that even more complicated. As of this writing, it’s supposed to rain all day in Ann Arbor, which could push Michigan toward a more familiar style of football.
That matters because the passing game still hasn’t really opened up. Through two games, only two wide receivers have caught passes for Michigan: Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan.
RB Savion Hiter is the Wolverines’ second-leading pass catcher, with Marsh coming in at No. 3.
If there was ever a chance to start spreading the ball around to players like Channing Goodwin, Salesi Moa, Travis Johnson, and Jaime Ffrench, this would seem to be it.
But rain changes the equation. Teams can still throw in wet conditions, of course, and how much that affects the game will depend on how heavy it gets on Saturday. If the weather is rough enough, it could tilt things toward an old-fashioned Michigan offense and keep Bryce Underwood from airing it out.
That may not be a bad thing for a unit that hasn’t been efficient on the ground, either. Underwood is Michigan’s leading rusher with 134 yards in two games.
Jordan Marshall has 76 yards on 22 carries, and Savion Hiter has 13 carries for 21 yards. So far, the Wolverines haven’t been productive either way, and that has to change before Week 4 against Iowa, when a stifling defense comes to Ann Arbor.
The easiest path for UTEP to stay in the game is through turnovers, but Michigan may see this as a chance to get the run game moving first. Unless the rain stays light and Underwood looks comfortable, Beck likely leans on the ground attack and tries to get Marshall rolling.
A big day from Marshall would help. If he can get past 100 yards, that could give the offense a needed lift and create better looks in the passing game by forcing defenses to commit more attention to the run.
Michigan will need to prove it can throw the ball to win games. It just might have to wait one more week.
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