Big Ten Daily (Sept. 3): Sherrone Moore Harps on Michigan's Offensive Line play
The pressure is on Michigan's offensive line to improve, and improve fast. The Wolverines struggled up front in their season opener against Fresno State on Saturday, and coach Sherrone Moore knows his team faces a much tougher challenge this weekend.
Michigan had a new starting line on Saturday, so some growing pains were expected. But college football waits for no one, and No. 4 Texas heads to Ann Arbor this weekend, fresh off a 52-0 drubbing of Colorado State.
“Never where you want it to be,” Moore said. “It’s definitely got to get better. But I thought the attitude, I thought the strain, was there. The details and the technique have to continue to get better, and that’s a product of your first game as an offensive line.”
The Wolverines rushed for just 148 yards against the Bulldogs, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. Kalel Mullings led the way with 92 yards while Donovan Edwards was limited to just 27. Quarterback Alex Orji accounted for 32.
It's a night-and-day difference from a year ago. During Michigan's run to the national championship, the play in the trenches was arguably the team's greatest strength. It's only been one game, but it looks like it might be a significant weakness.
Moore said that's part of the maturation process in building a sturdy offensive line. He said it's a yearly problem, especially in the first game of the season.
“Even the first (game) last year and the year before that, I’d probably say the exact same thing,” Moore said. “If you went back the past three years and watched the first game and then watched the second game, it looks like two different lines. I expect those guys to be a lot better.”
Matt Rhule's interaction with Colorado fan
Matt Rhule got his first taste of the old Nebraska-Colorado rivalry last year in Boulder. But during the offseason, the Huskers coach indicated he had a not-so-pleasant experience while on vacation.
Colorado heads to Memorial Stadium on Saturday for a showdown under the lights against Nebraska. On Monday, while talking about the rivalry game, Rhule talked about an interaction he had with a Buffaloes fan — who apparently wasn't afraid to share her thoughts on the Huskers.
"My wife and I, we went skiing this year in Beaver Creek (Colorado) ... We were sitting down, hanging out and this young lady walked up to me and said, 'Are you Coach Rhule of the Huskers,'" Rhule said. "I thought it was a Husker fan, I said yeah. She said something to me that I can't repeat out loud.
"Her boyfriend was like, 'Sorry, coach!' I was like, 'Hey, this is what is great about college football.' We love rivalries, we love all of that."
"This is a long, established rivalry, and I think it's great for the game."
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 2, 2024
Matt Rhule shares his thoughts on the @HuskerFootball-Colorado rivalry 👇#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/hEIRl7mJ4o
It's just another added element to this rivalry clash, which resumes Saturday night under the lights in Lincoln.
Minnesota upsets top-ranked Texas
Switching over to the volleyball court, Minnesota pulled off a stunner on Monday night. The 18th-ranked Golden Gophers upset No. 1 Texas in a five-set match, handing the Longhorns the first loss of the year.
Minnesota defeated Texas 3-2 (22-25, 25-19, 25-20, 13-25, 15-7). It was the first time the Gophers have beaten a No. 1 team since 2019.
UPSET ALERT 🚨@GopherVBall takes down No. 1 Texas in 5 sets ‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/SR5wfBamOJ
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 3, 2024
Julia Hanson ended the night with 19 kills for the Gophers and Mckenna Wucherer added 12. Zeynep Palabiyik had 22 digs and Phoebe Awoleye had seven blocks in the upset victory.
"I don't think I really have words," said senior setter Melanie Shaffmaster, per GopherSports.com. "We finally proved ourselves that we're not the same team we were last year. We have a lot of really great people here with us."
The volleyball season has only been in action for a week and we already have our first major upset.
Related Big Ten stories
BIG TEN POWER RANKINGS: USC picked up the biggest win of the weekend, defeating LSU. Penn State clobbered West Virginia. What do the power rankings looks like after Week 1? CLICK HERE
BIG TEN WEEK 1 OVERREACTIONS: Nick Saban swears on live television, Mike Gundy takes a shot at Michigan, "Huddy" for Heisman and Minnesota's fireworks show highlight the overreactions. CLICK HERE
DUSTIN SCHUTTE