“They have a little identity problem.”
This is how Fox sports Joel Klatt describe Michiganoffensive misfortunes after his 24-13 defeat Oklahoma – A performance that has raised questions about who are the Wolverines and what they want to be.
Michigan The offensive seemed to be anemic, providing only 288 total infraction yards and converted on only 3 of the 14 third advance attempts. Klatt believes that the integration of the style offensive propagated by the new offensive coordinator, Chip Lindsey, has trouble adapting well to the floor game and the book that Wolverines have used a great success of 2021-23.
“This is a problem because Michigan, largely, has built its identity program,” said Klatt.The Joel Klatt Show“Who they are, the way they play, and their philosophy was the most important. It did not run with talent, even if they made a really talented team the national championship. It led with identity and philosophy, namely this physique, manage it well, play a great defense, win the melee identity line.
“It was an identity that failed on Saturday evening.”
On the surface, you might say that Michigan ran the ball against Oklahoma well. Wolverines had 146 yards on the ground in 32 races, an average of 4.6 yards per race. However, if you take the touch of 75 yards from judge Haynes to start the second half, which was a clear aberrant value, Michigan ran for only 71 yards in 31 races, good for only 2.3 yards per race.
But while Klatt has questioned the adjustment between Lindsey’s finesse style offensive and the physical nature with which the program has played in recent years, he also wondered if the talent was there for Wolverines to succeed in the race game. While Klatt is a fan of Haynes, he thinks that wide receivers are not talented enough to spread the defense, saying that Michigan essentially invited Oklahoma to play low because of this, and that the offensive line is not as good as it was in previous years.
“Identity problems leave many question points surrounding the program and where you go from here, especially on the side of the offensive,” said Klatt. “Maybe they don’t have the offensive line that we think we have. I don’t think the offensive line has played well. I looked at the Michigan offensive band coaches against Oklahoma and there have been many blatant errors on the offensive line. It is clearly not the offensive line they had in 2022, 2023 and certainly last year in 2024.
“They do not have the runners or the receivers they had during these years. They are not bad to run, and I think there were glimmer of hope – namely the long term leaving half -time – I think it is no longer a concern outside. Talent outside is there, the details outside are not there.”
The 75 yards hit by Judge Haynes was one of the rare highlights of the Michigan offensive on Saturday. (Photo by Chad Hamilton / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
An area of the Michigan offensive does not care, however, is Bryce Underwood. The first-year quarter-Arrière had trouble during its first departure on the road, finishing 9 of the 24 passes for 142 yards without affected or interceptions. He also had an impact in the racing game, putting in place -1 yards on the ground when he was sacked once.
Despite Underwood’s statistics line, Klatt saw enough of the five -star recruit in the Saturday match which made him optimistic about his future.
“If you just look at his statistics sheet, and many people will watch his statistics sheet and say” Bryce Underwood has not played well, it is not this or that. “This is not the case,” said Klatt. “I actually thought that Bryce Underwood was playing better than his statistics line. The film suggests.
“This does not mean that he has played perfectly. There is a ton of room for improvement for Bryce Underwood, namely his consciousness of the pocket, his ability to change the speeds on his throws. When you have a young quarter-rear which has this type of physical capacity and stature, many times, they throw a quick ball at each throw. Playing a quarter, you must have a selection of height.”
Klatt added that he thought that Underwood “had launched fast balls” on throws that should have been superimposed or with more contact on the ground. However, he thinks that these are small adjustments for a quarter-arre that has reasons to give Wolverine fans a little hope.
“I’m not concerned about Bryce Underwood. In fact, in many ways, I thought he was their best offensive player on the field,” Klatt said. “As a real recruit, it is quite remarkable. He gave me very early vibrations of some of the best quarters I saw in university football, where I say to myself” ok, I see it. “”
“As he improves, Bryce Underwood is as announced, whatever the statistics line.”
Bryce Underwood did not have a stellar on Saturday, but Joel Klatt liked what he saw from the first year. (Photo of Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
Even if Underwood is a solid quarter, Klatt wants Moore to remember what brought success to Ann Arbor after Covid and warned him to fall into the same trap in which the previous University successor of Harbaugh has fallen.
“They will have to find their way on how they are going to be,” said Klatt. “To be great in attack, you have to specialize in a philosophy. You must specialize in an identity. I think there is a tug with which identity will exclude in Michigan.
“I’ll Give A Word of Warning, and I Know Michigan Fans Are Going to Shudder at this and I Know That David Shaw Had Good Success after Jim Harbaugh, But If You Really Study What Went Went Ont, It Slowly Deteriorared from a Physicality Standpoint on the offensive The point where late in david shaw’s tenure at StanfordIt was a total team focused on the passes.
“It’s the second season since Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL, and the question for me is: Can you keep this physical nature in advance? It will be the question that goes forward.”
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