Michigan gets one more dress rehearsal before Big Ten play starts, and the Wolverines ought to treat it that way.
UTEP comes to town with Michigan sitting at 2-0 and Iowa waiting next weekend at the Big House for the conference opener. On paper, this is the kind of game Michigan should handle without much drama.
But Week 1 already served as a loud reminder that nothing is automatic. The Wolverines came out hot against Western Michigan, then went quiet for most of the night, letting a game that should have been comfortable drift into trouble.
That’s the cautionary tale hanging over this matchup.
The response against Oklahoma was a different story. After the scare against Western Michigan, Michigan followed with a dominant defensive effort against John Mateer and a powerful Oklahoma offense.
That kind of bounce-back mattered, and it’s the standard Michigan needs to keep in place against UTEP. This is exactly the sort of spot where looking ahead can get a team in trouble.
One of the biggest areas still waiting for real traction is the run game. Through two weeks, it’s been hard sledding, even if the box score from Oklahoma shows 152 rushing yards.
A big chunk of that came from Bryce Underwood, who is currently the team’s leading rusher. That’s not how Michigan wants this thing to look.
Underwood’s legs are supposed to be a bonus, not the centerpiece.
Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter need to become real factors, and Hiter said this week that patience and rhythm are part of what the offense is still building toward.
“During the season, I feel like we could get in a rhythm more in the run game,” Hiter said. “That also goes with the patience and the linemen and the timing with that, too.
“As soon as I get in that rhythm, I mean, it’s game over.”
That rhythm hasn’t shown up yet for Hiter or Marshall. Neither has gone over 50 yards in a game this season, and the way they’ve been used has been a little strange.
Michigan has leaned too much on running side-to-side, which doesn’t really fit Marshall’s game. He’s at his best when he can get his pads square and go downhill.
Hiter brings toughness too, and the Wolverines need to start leaning into that.
The problem isn’t just the backs. The interior offensive line has had trouble opening lanes, and Michigan hasn’t been able to establish the kind of physical run game that gives the offense something dependable heading into conference play. That has to change soon.
There’s also an opening for Michigan to get more out of the passing game beyond JJ Buchanan and Andrew Marsh. Mason Bonner flashed a little of what he could offer against Oklahoma, even though the play itself ended in an incomplete pass. At 6-foot-7, he brings a frame that can create problems on 50-50 balls, and his size alone makes him a different kind of threat.
The tight end spot has been something of a void early on, and Kyle Whittingham sounded like someone still looking for answers there this week. Bonner may not be the most refined option, but he’s the most talented one. Michigan could use more juice in the passing game, even if that means sacrificing some blocking ability at the position for a more dangerous receiving threat.
UTEP gives Michigan a chance to see what Bonner can do with more snaps before the schedule gets more serious in October. And for a team trying to clean up its run game and avoid another slow burn, this week feels like one where the Wolverines need to look sharp from the start.
In Other News...
Michigan Fans May Need To Rethink Pregame Plans For UTEP
Michigan fans heading into the UTEP game may need a little more flexibility in their usual Saturday routine. Michigan Athletics and public safety officials are keeping an eye on weather conditions that could affect the schedule, including possible delays to gate openings and parking access, with the university directing fans to rely on official athletics channels for the latest updates.
For a No. 19 Michigan team that is 2-0, the on-field focus remains the same, but the pregame experience may look different depending on how the weather develops. If gates do not open on time, fans are being told to stay in safe locations and wait for further guidance, a reminder that the logistics around kickoff can shift quickly even when the game itself is still on track. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Still Has One Big Concern After Another Blowout Win
Michigan kept rolling in a 52-17 win over UTEP to move to 3-0, and the final score reflected how thoroughly the Wolverines took control after shaking off a sluggish start. Early turnovers could have made things interesting, but the offense settled in and the second half turned into another convincing display, with quarterback Bryce Underwood throwing for 223 yards and two touchdowns in just three quarters.
Andrew Marsh was a bright spot again, finishing with 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, giving Michigan another reliable target as the passing game found a rhythm. The defense also settled in after a few early mistakes, but even in a blowout like this, the game did not fully erase the concern that has lingered around the Wolverines through the opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Finally Found Some Offense But A Bigger Worry Is Growing
Michigan finally got the kind of offensive afternoon it had been waiting for, rolling past UTEP 52-17 as Bryce Underwood looked more comfortable as a passer and the unit found more rhythm than it had shown earlier in the season. There was even a milestone for the freshman group, with Tommy Carr tossing his first career touchdown pass, a small but useful sign that Michigan was getting production from more than one spot on the field.
Still, the more immediate concern out of the win may be on the other side of the ledger, where the injury list keeps getting harder to ignore. Right tackle Andrew Sprague, running back Jordan Marshall and cornerback Zeke Berry all missed time or were limited, and for a team trying to build momentum, those absences could matter as much as any box score improvement. Michigan got the offense it needed Saturday, but the health of a few key players is becoming a bigger storyline by the week. [Read more 🡒]