Michigan is heading to Oregon carrying all the baggage of a season that keeps getting heavier by the week.
The Wolverines arrive in Eugene after a 15-6 home loss to rival Michigan State, a game that underlined just how far the offense has fallen. Michigan managed only 192 yards and did not score until the final two minutes. On Sunday, coach Kyle Whittingham made a change, firing offensive coordinator Jason Beck and elevating offensive line coach Jim Harding to interim OC.
That leaves Michigan with an offense in disarray and a defense doing everything it can to keep the season alive. The Wolverines are 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten, and they’ll face No.
23 Oregon at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Autzen Stadium.
It will be just the second time Michigan has played in Eugene.
Whittingham has not said who will start at quarterback, and that decision looms over everything else.
He made a switch Oct. 17 against Penn State, benching Bryce Underwood at halftime in favor of freshman Tommy Carr. Underwood, the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2025 according to the 247sports composite rankings, has had a rough season across 19 starts for the Wolverines. He has thrown for 924 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 72 of 124 passes, a 58.1% clip.
Carr hasn’t solved the problem. Michigan is 1-2 in his three starts, and against Michigan State he went 14 for 26 for 138 yards with two interceptions.
For the season, he has completed 63 of 94 passes for 641 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Carr is also the grandson of Lloyd Carr, the former Michigan coach who was in charge in 2003, the last season the Wolverines played at Autzen Stadium.
The numbers tell the story of the offense as a whole. Michigan has two receivers with at least 40 catches, including JJ Buchanan, who has 40 receptions for 646 yards and five touchdowns. Savion Hiter and Jordan Marshall have carried the run game, with Hiter at 331 rushing yards and three touchdowns and Marshall at 323 yards and five scores.
But the unit has still been one of the worst in the FBS. Michigan ranks 126th in scoring offense at 19.6 points per game, 132nd in total offense at 302.6 yards per game, 125th in passing offense at 173.9 yards per game and 109th in rushing offense at 128.7 yards per game.
The defense has been the opposite. Michigan is fourth in the FBS and first in the Big Ten in fewest yards allowed per game at 255.3, and fourth nationally and second in the conference in fewest passing yards allowed per game at 154.8. The Wolverines have given up only 12 offensive touchdowns and 16.2 points per game.
Troy Bowles leads the team with 72 tackles, including 7.0 for loss. John Henry Daley has been a disruptive presence with 6.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss, while Zeke Berry has stood out in the secondary.
Oregon, meanwhile, has suddenly found its footing. The Ducks are 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten after back-to-back wins over ranked opponents, capped by a 41-28 victory Nov. 7 at Ohio State.
The matchup also brings back a short but notable history between the programs. Oregon and Michigan have met six times, with the only game at Autzen Stadium coming in 2003, a 31-27 Ducks win.
Oregon also beat Michigan 39-7 in 2007 at Michigan Stadium and won 38-17 in 2024 in the first Big Ten meeting between the schools. In that game, Evan Stewart had four catches and a touchdown, and Matayo Uiagalelei recorded a sack and forced a fumble.
Michigan’s three wins in the series came in 1948, 1960 and 1973.
In Other News...
Dan Lanning Just Added Fuel To Oregons Michigan Buildup
The buildup to Oregons meeting with Michigan at Autzen Stadium has already started to take on the edge fans would expect from two programs with real stakes attached. Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham recently pointed to Dan Lannings recruiting success and the financial resources behind Oregons program, and it was the kind of comment that tends to linger once the teams are headed toward a showdown.
Lanning answered in a way that kept the focus on the Ducks while still nudging the conversation back toward the Wolverines. He praised Whittingham, but also suggested Michigans spending priorities could end up shaping how the program recruits. With the game still ahead, the exchange has only added another layer to a matchup that was already going to draw plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Walks Into An Oregon Atmosphere Fans Already Hate
Autzen Stadium is getting a little extra theater for Oregons first meeting with Michigan since 2003, and the Ducks are leaning all the way into it. For the matchup, Oregon will break out a special Godzilla-themed uniform combination with black, silver and green jerseys, grey pants and a matte black helmet built around the movie monster motif.
The look is only part of the rollout. Oregon is also tying the game to its Ducks of a Feather NIL brand with related merchandise created in collaboration with Toho International, giving the weekend a full promotional package around one of the seasons most anticipated home dates. For a fan base that already treats Autzen as a weapon, the Ducks are clearly aiming to make the atmosphere feel as loud and as unmistakably Oregon as possible. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Could Be Closing In On Another Late Recruiting Flip
Oregon is heading into the Early Signing Period for the 2027 recruiting cycle with plenty of momentum, and the Ducks have managed to keep their class intact so far. That matters this time of year, when programs are trying to protect what they have while still leaving room for one more addition, and Oregon appears to be doing both as it continues to work the board.
One name to watch is Virginia Tech running back commit JP Jones-Priest, who is set for an official visit to Eugene. The 4-star recruit has put together a strong season and sits among the more highly regarded backs in the class, which is exactly the kind of player Oregon tends to keep in play late. Whether the Ducks can turn that visit into a real push remains the question, but the interest is clearly there. [Read more 🡒]