ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It was a surprise as Michigan football was set to kick off the 2024 season when Davis Warren was set to become the starter above the offseason favorite, Alex Orji. But the early goings for the former walk-on were rough, as he struggled to throw the football to his own team.
Turnovers in a win against Fresno State led to more against Texas, led to even more against Arkansas State. And with that, the dream scenario for Warren was dead as he was supplanted for Orji for the next few games. But then, Orji was replaced by Jack Tuttle, who hadn’t quite gotten back to full health. Following the Illinois game, Tuttle abruptly retired and Michigan had a decision to make as to the direction it was going to go in.
Warren was given the nod again, starting against rival MSU. And he turned in his first mistake-free game against the Spartans. He played well in a loss to Oregon, but struggled against Indiana. In a relatively even matchup against a fellow-middling Northwestern, Warren needed to rebound — not only for himself, but to show himself that he could have success in the final week in November.
His offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell shared on the Inside Michigan Football radio program on Tuesday why Warren was able to have his best game thus far, looking in command of the offense, and what was different for the former walk-on.
“We talked about going in the game. He didn’t have to do too much, just facilitate the football with what the play asked,” Campbell said. “Sometimes I felt like he was pressing a little bit much in Indiana and other games. And, he’s getting into his own, he hasn’t played relevant football since 2019. Obviously, we’re late in the season now but this is his sixth game really playing.
“But he was comfortable. He facilitated the football, completed the ball at 74%. There’s really four plays — you look back at it, you really want — two of them were the last two, and one was the interception. One was just in the course of the game. But just happy with his development, his demeanor. He’s getting calmer. He’s protecting the football better, and he does a good job keeping the play alive in the pocket.”
Though Warren did have more success downfield and made smarter decisions, there was still an interception that made its way onto the ledger. Campbell notes the pressure and that Warren’s pass sailed as he rushed the throw. But what was different this time was also the coaches knowing how to keep Warren engaged positively instead of ruining his confidence — and it paid off.
“So you rely back on your fundamentals and you talk about the preparation,” Campbell said. “‘Hey, Dave, you knew what you were doing. You just didn’t execute it. We’re gonna go back out there. We’re gonna put the ball back in your hands. You’re gonna help us go win the football game.’ In the course of the game, you can’t beat the kid. You can’t beat them down. You can’t yell at him. You let him know what he did wrong. Help him correct it, especially with the new technology of the iPad. And then you go out there and play.
“And I think the best thing for Davis was we went right into a two-minute drive, and he was able to get comfortable, and he was facilitating the ball. And then after that, at halftime, that interception was long gone because of the success he had in the two-minute drive.”