Stock Up, Stock Down: Michigan football bullied in Top 10 matchup vs. Texas

Where the Wolverines showed improvement, and where there's cause for concern following a 31-12 loss to the Longhorns...

Matt Lounsberry | Sep 7, 2024

Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden (2) scores a touchdown against Michigan defensive back Aamir Hall (12) during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 7, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Michigan Wolverines

It was a tough afternoon for No. 10 Michigan, which was beaten soundly in a 31-12 loss to No. 3 Texas on Saturday afternoon at the Big House. The Wolverines' struggled offensively once again, getting held to just 284 total yards by the Longhorns. On the other side of the ball, Michigan's defense was picked apart by Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, who completed 24-of-36 pass attempts for 246 yards and three touchdowns.

After a disappointing outcome in Ann Arbor, lets take a look at areas of improvement and areas of concern for the Wolverines' going forward.

Stock Up

Donovan Edwards: Michigan had to abandon the run game for most of the second half, so its total rushing numbers weren't very impressive. With that said, Edwards seemed to run with more patience and conviction today then we've seen from him a long time. The senior averaged 5.1 yards per carry, but had only eight attempts. Kalel Mullings followed up a solid Week 1 with six carries for 25 yards (4.2 yards per carry), and we got our first look at Benjamin Hall, who had 14 yards on three carries (4.7 per carry). It's a small sample size, and little consolation to today's loss, but this may have been a small step in the right direction for Michigan's run game.

Semaj Morgan: Granted, most of the sophomore's production came with the outcome already decided, but Semaj Morgan finished with a solid stat line today: five catches, 45 receiving yards and a touchdown. I didn't love the sophomore's celebration following a reception and fourth down conversion with his team was trailing 31-6, but this was one of Morgan's first chances of being a go-to target and he did produce.

Overall offensive line play: It was hardly a banner day for Michigan's front, but there did appear to be some improvement from last week. The offensive line opened up a handful of holes in the run game, and mostly did a good job protecting Davis Warren on dropbacks. Warren was sacked once, but that was the result of good coverage. Warren did have to escape a collapsing pocket on a handful of occasions, but had time to look downfield the majority of times he was asked to throw. It's a far cry from what the Wolverines' offensive line has been able to do in past seasons, but perhaps this new starting group is beginning to gel a bit.

Dominic Zvada: It's not hyperbolic to suggest Michigan's best player through two games has been its kicker. After going 3-for-3 in Week 1 with a pair of 50-yard field goals, Zvada added two more today from 37 and 52 yards out for the Wolverines' only points until their final drive of the game. As things stand right now, Michigan has a lot of work to do in order to be competitive against the best teams it will play in 2024, but in potential close games ahead, having a lights out kicking game is certainly a luxury.

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore walks off the field after 31-12 loss to Texas at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 7, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Stock Down

Michigan's pass coverage: Texas is going to make things difficult for most defensive secondaries, but the Wolverines have a big problem in coverage. The Longhorns essentially ignored whomever Will Johnson was covering and picked on redshirt freshman corner Jyaire Hill throughout the day. Michigan's safeties and linebackers didn't have a very good day either, and it resulted in the Longhorns averaging 10.3 yards per completion. Texas only threw for 246 passing yards, but that number likely would have been much higher in a more competitive game. This performance from Michigan's pass coverage comes on the heels of a less-than-stellar outing from this unit against Fresno State as well. Even Johnson had a subpar game against the Bulldogs before his game-clinching pick-6. This is an alarming start to the year for the back end of the Wolverines' defense.

Michigan's downfield passing game: Michigan's limitations in the pass attack comes down to a couple things. The Wolverines don't have a consistent deep threat who can stretch the field and Davis Warren hasn't had a chance to develop chemistry with the guys Michigan does have. Outside of tight end Colston Loveland, who had a costly fumble today, Michigan doesn't have many pass-catchers who are difference-makers. Tyler Morris and Semaj Morgan are good, starting-caliber players, but they aren't the kind of wide receivers who make a quarterback's job easy. Years of struggling to land top-end high school talent at wide receiver has caught up with this program. After losing their top two wide receivers from last year's team, Michigan added just one from the transfer portal: Youngstown State's C.J. Charleston, who's had one catch through the first two games. The roster is what the roster is for 2024, and the Wolverines will need to make do with the room they have, but this program needs to start bringing in more talent at wide receiver in the years ahead.

Alex Orji: Long believed to be Michigan's 2024 starting quarterback this offseason, Alex Orji's usage has been minimal through the first two games of the season. The redshirt sophomore was on the field for less than five plays today, and he did not attempt a single pass. Orji had two carries on third down and went absolutely nowhere both times. Whether the coaching staff doesn't trust him to throw the ball, or they want those reps to go to exclusively to Warren, it doesn't appear we're going to see Orji play many meaningful snaps this season.

Turnover differential: Michigan was about a 7.5-point underdog heading into this game and likely needed to force a couple turnovers and give its offense a short field in order to pull off the upset. Instead, the Wolverines gave the ball away three times and didn't turn Texas over at all. U-M quarterback Davis Warren threw a pair of interceptions, one while trying to fit a throw into a tight window on third down and another when he and Loveland weren't on the same page on a deep route. Loveland also had a unforced fumble late in the first half on a play that should have resulted in a first down for Michigan. Instead, Texas added a touchdown to end the half and took a 24-3 lead into halftime. The Wolverines have exceled at winning the turnover battle over the past three seasons, but fell woefully short today.

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