Michigan’s offense has reached the point where change isn’t optional anymore. Through five games, the defense has carried the load, but the attack has sputtered badly enough that the Wolverines are 3-2 and averaging only 23.0 points per game, which ranks 105th in the country. The total yardage is even uglier: 315.8 per game.
That’s the kind of output that makes every offensive possession feel heavier than it should. After the loss to Minnesota, the frustration around Ann Arbor has only grown, and the conversations have already widened from Jason Beck’s job to the possibility of trimming the call sheet itself. Michigan has seven games left, and if the offense keeps moving like this, the season could end up looking much worse than anyone imagined.
The first place to start is with the Rhino, the sixth offensive lineman package Michigan has leaned on too heavily. Converted defensive lineman Manuel Beigel has handled the primary role there, with Avery Gach stepping in over the last two weeks while Beigel deals with an injury.
The idea is simple enough: add an extra blocker and help the run game. The problem is that the run game hasn’t been good, and putting the Rhino on the field for passing downs takes a tight end or wide receiver off the field.
That’s a tough tradeoff when Bryce Underwood could use more targets, not fewer.
The Minnesota game showed just how much Michigan has been leaning on that look. Even with Gach in the spot, the Rhino was on the field for 28 of 49 offensive snaps.
More than half. That tells you the staff was still chasing production with the same setup even as the offense struggled to breathe.
The position doesn’t have to disappear, but Michigan has to be far more selective about when it uses it.
The bigger issue, though, might be the run game itself, and more specifically how Michigan is trying to run it. The Wolverines have leaned too much on outside zone, a fit that hasn’t matched this offensive line or the style of backs like Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter. Marshall is averaging 48.8 rushing yards per game, while Hiter is at 29.0, and both have been hampered by a scheme that asks backs to read, cut, and find space rather than get downhill and punish defenders.
That’s why a return to duo and power concepts makes sense. Those were part of Michigan’s offenses in 2024 and 2025, and while those units had their problems, the run game wasn’t the issue.
The same offensive line and starting back were productive in those looks last year, and the current system clearly hasn’t brought out the best in them. Getting back to what has worked would help the ground game and, in turn, make life easier for the passing attack.
Personnel changes are the other obvious lever Michigan can pull, and there are several spots worth rethinking. Quarterback is the most obvious one after Underwood’s performance against Minnesota, with Tommy Carr and Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi both in the discussion. The staff has decisions to make there, but none of them matter much if the line and run game stay stuck.
Up front, Andrew Babalola should get a look once he’s available, and Nathan Efobi’s struggles at guard have become hard to ignore. He was Michigan’s lowest-graded offensive lineman against Minnesota and has lived near that level for much of the season. That opens the door for other options such as Blake Frazier, Evan Link, Malakai Lee, or Gach.
If Michigan does move away from the Rhino more often, there’s also room to expand the roles of the tight ends and receivers. Hogan Hansen has seen a little more action lately, though still in a limited role, and freshman Mason Bonner should be part of the passing conversation more often. Salesi Moa and Channing Goodwin could also be used more from the slot, giving the quarterbacks more answers through the air and keeping defenses from loading up on Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan.
Michigan has no shortage of ways to shake up this offense. The real question is whether the staff is willing to make those changes before the next kickoff. If it isn’t, the results probably won’t get any prettier.
In Other News...
Michigans QB Debate Hits A Boiling Point Before Penn State
Michigans offense has spent much of the season looking like a unit still searching for its footing, and the latest stumble against Minnesota only sharpened the questions around Bryce Underwood. Under pressure, the quarterback had trouble finding rhythm on the road, reinforcing the pattern that he has been more comfortable at home than away from Ann Arbor. With Penn State next on the schedule, the Wolverines are carrying more than just ordinary game-week adjustments into the matchup.
The coaching staffs role in all of this is hard to ignore, because the offensive plan has not done enough to make life easier for Underwood when the temperature rises. A bounce-back showing is still very much in play against Penn State, especially if Michigan can clean up the design and execution around its young quarterback, but the larger concern is whether the offense can show real progress rather than another brief uptick before the next hard landing. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Heads Into Penn State With A Growing Offensive Line Concern
Michigans offensive line has spent much of the season absorbing hits, and the timing has hardly been ideal as the Wolverines keep pushing through the heart of their schedule. Andrew Babalola is expected back at practice soon after missing about a month, which would give the group at least one much-needed body as the staff continues to manage a unit that has been stretched by injuries.
Andrew Sprague remains out with an undisclosed injury and does not appear close to a return, leaving Michigan thin at right tackle and short on reliable depth up front. Kyle Whittingham updated the situation this week, and the larger concern is clear: even with one lineman trending back, the Wolverines are still trying to protect a position group that cant afford many more losses. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Suddenly Faces A Defining Home Test Fans Cant Ignore
A bye week gave Michigan a chance to reset, but the next stretch hardly looks forgiving. The Wolverines return to action against Penn State after back-to-back losses, with Bryce Underwood still set to remain the starting quarterback as the offense tries to steady itself and get the season back on track.
The schedule only gets more demanding after that, with the Big Ten announcing Michigan will host unbeaten Indiana on Oct. 24 at noon ET on FOX. The Hoosiers are ranked No. 5 after beating Nebraska and now have Ohio State ahead of them, which means the meeting in Ann Arbor could carry a lot of weight by the time it arrives. [Read more 🡒]