Michigan’s 3-0 start has come with a warning sign that’s hard to ignore: the run game just isn’t where it needs to be.
That matters even more with undefeated Iowa heading to Ann Arbor this weekend. The Hawkeyes bring the top-ranked defense in the country, even if that number has come against a Group of Six team and an FCS program. Either way, Iowa is built to make life miserable, and Michigan is about to find out how sturdy its offense really is.
The Wolverines have shown some encouraging signs elsewhere. Bryce Underwood has clearly taken steps forward from Week 1 to Week 3, and the defense has been as strong as advertised.
But Michigan football is supposed to be about control, physicality and leaning on the ground game. Right now, that part of the identity is missing.
Through three games, Michigan ranks No. 91 nationally in rushing offense at 147.6 yards per game. That’s not panic territory yet, but it is a real concern for a team that expected a bigger leap under Jason Beck. Beck’s recent track record suggested this could be a strength - he had the No. 2 rushing offense in each of the last two seasons - but the results so far haven’t matched the expectation.
A big reason is the offensive line. Michigan has been shuffling pieces all season, with injuries and rotation creating a sort of musical chairs situation up front. And the grades back up what the eye test has already been saying.
According to Pro Football Focus, Michigan is sitting at No. 79 in run blocking with a 59.5 grade. The pass blocking numbers are much better, with the Wolverines checking in at No. 12 nationally with an 84.5 grade. So if the run game is sputtering, the issue isn’t just one layer deep.
Maybe some of the blame belongs with Beck. Maybe some of it belongs with the backs. But the line has not consistently created push, and the analytics point squarely in that direction.
Manuel Beigel, the rhino, owns Michigan’s best run-blocking grade on the team at 68.5. Among starters, Evan Link is at 56.9 and Nate Efobi is at 56.8, which puts them No. 25 and No. 26 on the Wolverines overall - including skill positions. Brady Norton, who has seen time at right guard, leads the group of linemen who are getting playing time with a 64.1 run-blocking grade.
None of that is good enough for what Michigan wants to be. And with Iowa’s defensive front coming into town, the problem is about to get a lot more exposed.
Between Jim Harding and Beck, this has to get cleaned up fast. If Michigan can’t run the ball in Big Ten play, the burden only grows heavier on Bryce Underwood.
In Other News...
Michigan Controversy Resurfaces As Opposing Coach Reframes Western Michigan
Spencer Danielson gave Western Michigan a little more respect than the record shows this week, calling the Broncos an undefeated team while pointing back to the game against Michigan that still lingers in the background. It was an odd way to frame a 2-1 start, but it captured how much the final moments of that matchup continue to shape the way outsiders talk about the Broncos.
The controversy came from officials adding one second back to the clock, which allowed a final play to happen in a game the FBS Oversight Committee later said should not have reached that point. Even so, the result remains on the books, and now Boise State and Western Michigan are set to meet Saturday, Sept. 23, with both teams still sitting outside the top 25 and plenty of interest around how that old dispute gets folded into a fresh gameweek. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Just Took A Hit Michigan Fans Will Notice
Penn State is heading into its Big Ten stretch missing one of the more productive pieces of its passing game, a development Michigan fans will track closely as the conference race tightens. Koby Howard will be sidelined for an extended period after suffering an injury in a recent game, coach Matt Campbell said, and the setback lands at an especially awkward time for a team trying to keep its offense moving against better defenses.
Howard had become a central part of the attack this season, leading the team in both receptions and receiving yards. Without him, Penn State will have to lean more on the rest of its receiver group, with Chase Sowell and Benjamin Brahmer among the names expected to absorb more of the load as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Added Another Intriguing Name To Its Future O-Line Push
Michigans future offensive line push got another boost with a major scholarship offer to William Crawford, an offensive lineman from St. Johns College High School in Washington, D.C. Crawford has started to draw attention from top college programs thanks to a blend of size, strength, mobility and the kind of versatility that makes linemen especially valuable in todays game.
For Michigan, the appeal is obvious. The Wolverines have been aggressive about identifying high-upside prospects who can develop into real pieces up front, and Crawford fits that mold as a player who could grow into a significant contributor down the line. With multiple major programs now in the mix, his recruitment should remain one worth tracking closely as Michigan keeps building for the future. [Read more 🡒]