Michigan doesn’t need some hidden trick to handle Michigan State. According to quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr., it needs to come out and play the kind of football that wins this matchup.
On Wednesday, Detmer laid out the Wolverines’ mindset in plain terms: they want to run the ball and make the game ugly.
“Want to beat the hell out of them. … Slobber, snot, heavy breathing.
Bones cracking, bruises. That’s what this game is," according to Michigan's QB coach.
The formula itself isn’t complicated. In games like this, the team that controls the line of scrimmage usually controls everything else, and that starts with the run game.
Michigan has generally held up well on defense, even with last week’s 21 points allowed to Rutgers, which was a season high. The hope is that was just a rough patch and not something bigger.
Rod Moore is expected back in the lineup this week, which should help cut down on explosive plays. But the real question hanging over Michigan is whether the offense can finally do what Detmer described and move people off the ball.
That has been the problem all season. Michigan still doesn’t have a 100-yard rusher. Against Michigan State last year, Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall both topped 100 yards, but that kind of production has not shown up this season.
The numbers in Big Ten play have been rough. Michigan is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry and sits ninth in the league in rushing yards per game at 132.
The line has been the biggest disappointment, though injuries have played a part, with both tackles missing at times. Andrew Sprague will be out again, too.
Jordan Marshall’s workload has dipped, partly because he doesn’t appear to be fully healthy. Savion Hiter has not delivered the kind of impact Michigan expected.
And while the run game has sputtered, Michigan State has not exactly been stout against it. The Spartans are giving up 4.3 yards per attempt, rank 14th in yards allowed, and sit 17th in rushing offense.
Both teams are dealing with a long injury list. Michigan State’s top two quarterbacks and running backs were on the injury report, along with its best defender.
So this is the kind of game Michigan has been waiting for: battered rosters, a physical rivalry, and a chance to finally impose its will on the ground.
In Other News...
Michigan Coach Just Made Bryce Underwood's Situation Even More Concerning
Tommy Carr is set to make his third start at quarterback for Michigan after Bryce Underwood was benched following a recent game in which turnovers helped force the change. Underwood had entered the season with plenty of expectations and even wore a captains label, but the results have been uneven, with passing accuracy and interceptions becoming recurring issues as the Wolverines try to steady the position.
From the sideline, Underwood has handled the demotion professionally and continued supporting Carr, which has not gone unnoticed inside the program. Quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer praised Underwoods leadership and the way he has responded, while also saying he wishes he had done more to prepare him for the season, a comment that only adds to the sense that Michigans quarterback situation is still searching for firmer footing. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Heads Into Michigan State With One Big Question Still Lingering
Tommy Carr is set to make his third career start when Michigan hosts Michigan State on Saturday at Michigan Stadium, and that alone gives this rivalry matchup a little extra intrigue. The Wolverines are still sorting through a few defensive question marks, but those players are listed as questionable and expected to play, which should help keep the focus on a game that always carries its own edge no matter the records.
Michigan will get the prime-time treatment with Peacock and NBC Sports Network carrying the broadcast, and Paul Burmeister and Yogi Roth on the call. For a team trying to settle in behind a young quarterback, this is the kind of stage that can either steady things or complicate them, and the biggest question around Ann Arbor is whether Carr can keep building momentum in one of the sport's most unforgiving settings. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's O-Line Problem Is Becoming A Real Concern For Bryce Underwood
Michigans offensive line has become one of the clearest pressure points in a season already defined by shuffling and attrition up front. Only junior Jake Guarnera has started all eight games, and the constant turnover has left the unit searching for any kind of rhythm. For a team that wants to lean on the ground game and make life easier on its offense as a whole, the lack of continuity has shown up in a hurry.
The results have been hard to ignore, with Michigan sitting 97th in rushing offense and still trying to find a combination that can hold up week after week. Coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive line coach Jim Harding have both acknowledged the challenge, and the focus now is on making the group more physical and more efficient. Until that happens, the questions around protection and run-game consistency are going to keep hanging over Bryce Underwood and the offense. [Read more 🡒]