Michigan’s offense has been searching for answers all season, but the run game has been the clearest problem spot. Through five games, the Wolverines are averaging just 135.0 rushing yards per game, and the low point came against Minnesota, when they were held to 79 yards on the ground.
That’s well below what Michigan expects, even by the standards of the last two seasons, when the offense as a whole was uneven but the run game still did enough to hold up its end. So the ongoing push to get the ground attack moving again has become one of the team’s central priorities.
“We put a lot of emphasis on the run game, and obviously, being at Michigan, that’s a big thing for us,” center Jake Guarnera told the media on Tuesday. “I think we’ll eventually put it together and show the team that we should be playing as.”
Guarnera’s comments matched the general sense around a unit that has not yet clicked, even though the Wolverines entered the year with all five starting offensive linemen back and plenty of optimism that the group could take a step forward. The addition of Jim Harding as offensive line coach only added to that buzz. Instead, the line has spent much of the season trying to patch things together rather than settle in.
Injuries have played a role in that shuffle. Andrew Sprague has been sidelined for the last three weeks, Blake Frazier missed part of the game against Iowa, and sophomore Andrew Babalola is expected to return from his own injury. That gives Michigan another talented piece to work with, but it also adds another variable to a group still trying to find the right combination.
Even with the results lagging, Guarnera said the line feels close to a breakthrough. In his view, the difference has often been one missed assignment away from a much bigger gain.
“Every time I watch the film, we’re one block away from hitting a big run, so we just need to start executing as a team and not just as individuals,” Guarnera said.
The bye week gave the offensive line more time together on the practice field, which could help the group clean up some of those small mistakes. But Guarnera also pointed to something beyond reps and corrections. The linemen have been making a point of spending time together away from football, too.
“We do O-line dinners every Thursday, and I think that’s something we need to keep doing and keep hanging out off the field because that’s something we did the year before in 2024,” Guarnera said. “Keep bonding together as a group, not just on the field but off the field.”
That kind of chemistry will get tested this week against Penn State. The Nittany Lions’ 3-3 record may not look intimidating, but their run defense has been vulnerable, allowing 165.8 rushing yards per game, which ranks No. 82 nationally. Michigan hasn’t needed an elite defense to slow it down this season, as the Minnesota game showed, and this matchup offers a real chance to get the ground game moving after an extra week to prepare.
If the Wolverines are going to change the conversation around their offense, it starts there.
In Other News...
Michigan Teammate Fires Back As Andrew Sprague Rumors Keep Growing
Andrew Spragues absence has become one of the quieter but more persistent storylines around Michigan football since the Oklahoma game, with the offensive tackle sidelined by an unspecified health issue. As the questions have lingered, teammate Jake Guarnera stepped forward publicly to push back on the social media speculation, making clear that Sprague remains with the team and is still contributing even while he has not been on the field.
The comments add some needed clarity, especially after coach Kyle Whittingham said Spragues situation is health-related and that doctors are working on it. For Michigan, the key issue now is less about the online noise and more about patience, since Sprague is not expected back immediately and the Wolverines will have to keep navigating his absence while the recovery process plays out. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Has A Quiet Weapon While The Offense Searches For Answers
While Michigans offense keeps looking for a steadier rhythm, the Wolverines have leaned on a part of the game that has hardly made any noise at all. Through the first five games, Michigan has held every opponent to 20 points or fewer, and when the team has stumbled in losses to Iowa and Minnesota, the defense still gave itself a chance by keeping those games tight. In the background of that grind, sophomore punter Cam Brown has quietly become a useful weapon by regularly forcing opponents to start deep in their own end.
Browns value has been hard to miss for special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs and for teammates who have watched him turn field position into an advantage. His work ethic has drawn praise as Michigan searches for answers on offense, and his consistency has given the Wolverines another way to control games while the bigger issues get sorted out. It is the kind of under-the-radar production that does not usually headline a Saturday, but it has mattered plenty to a team still trying to find its best version. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Hits A Dangerous Pressure Point Against Penn State
Michigan and Penn State are heading into their Week 7 meeting in the 2026 college football season with both programs trying to steady themselves in Big Ten play. It has not been the kind of stretch either side envisioned under new leadership, with Michigan adjusting to Kyle Whittingham and Penn State working through the early days of Matt Campbells tenure after consecutive conference losses.
For Michigan, the pressure point is hard to miss: the offense still needs to find more consistency, even as Bryce Underwood gives the Wolverines a possible running threat to lean on. Penn State, meanwhile, needs splash plays to change the feel of its own offense, and special teams could end up carrying more weight than usual in a matchup where both teams are searching for any edge that can stop the slide. [Read more 🡒]