Tag: andrew stueber

Why Joel Honigford had to reel himself back in after making first career catch vs. Nebraska

This is too good! #GoBlue

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The transition is really officially, officially complete now for Michigan tight end Joel Honigford.

Honigford previously came to Ann Arbor as an offensive lineman, but last year, he made the switch to tight end. This year, he transformed his body so he actually looks and plays like a tight end. And in Week 6, he finally got his first catch — something of a transcendent feeling for a former offensive lineman. Many O-linemen will tell you they dream of being tight ends, especially since some were in high school, but translated more to being in the trenches once they got to college.

For Honigford, it wasn’t just a monkey off his back, getting his first career catch against Nebraska, but it was such a big moment, he had to reel himself in, he said on Tuesday.

“It was a pretty exciting feeling. I did not expect that ball to come to me, I’m not gonna lie!” Honigford said. “I was running my route, I was trying to figure out if I should convert or not. Ended up not converting it, turned back to the quarterback and the ball was already on its way. Which is kind of a blessing, to be honest with you, because I didn’t have to think about, ‘Hey, maybe I should catch this or not!’ It was like, alright, it’s here, let’s go! Caught it and just turned upfield. It was like, alright, I’m just gonna run straight. I’m not gonna test out any juke moves right now.

“But it was a really cool feeling. I wanted to, after it happened, can’t get too hyped. We’re in the middle of a huge game. Can’t just take over for myself and get emotionally hijacked. So I just like, yeah, hand the ball to the official, started running back to the huddle. That was fine, then Erick All comes up behind me and starts yelling in my ear. I think you can see it on the TV copy. I just broke and started smiling then. And Andrew Stueber started laughing. It was an awesome moment though — really cool!”

So why was Stueber laughing? The Michigan right tackle explains.

“This past game, Nebraska, he caught his first pass, so I looked up at the end of the play and saw that it was him falling to the ground, so I started laughing,” Stueber said. “Because I knew how big of a moment it was for him and how far he’s come. I’m super proud of him and his transition to tight end and how he’s taking it. It’s definitely cool seeing him get passes. I keep pushing for a touchdown pass to him. So we’ll see if it comes.”

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Still, Honigford appreciated the fact that he got the love from his former roommate and offensive line compatriot, even if he had to reel himself in a bit.

“It was just a weird, crazy moment, because I played offensive line with them my first three and a half years, and now I’m running routes and catching passes,” Honigford said. “It was always something we kinda joked about — I mean, it was always a possibility. Just more of a run blocker first. Just that it happened, it was a funny moment — it was cool. It was more laughing out of excitement for me, like, ‘Wow, he really did just catch a pass! That did happen.’ It was cool!”

According to Stueber, there was something of a shock factor that came with Honigford’s first catch, that is, on Joel’s end. Of course, being a former offensive lineman who had seen plenty of action blocking — even when he made the transition to tight end — he had never been tackled in live-action. That changed in a hurry once he got the ball in his hands.

“Yeah, we both looked at each other and we both knew what just happened,” Stueber said. “He was kinda shocked for a little bit, then once it got cooled, I went up to him in the huddle. The first thing he asked me was, ‘Man, does it always hurt when you get tackled like that?’ I think everyone was like, ‘Yeah! Every time it hurts to get tackled like that!’ I don’t have any experience in that, but it was good to finally see him get the ball, and I hope it continues.”

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With that in mind, is Honigford lobbying now for more catches, particularly in the end zone? He’s not opposed to it, but he certainly takes his job as a run blocker more seriously, still.

“I joked with them after the game, but nah, they’re gonna put me into positions they want to put me into,” Honigford said. “I’m a run blocker first. If I need to run any deep routes, I’m sure they’ll let me know. I don’t see that coming anytime soon. I definitely solidified my name in there a little bit more as a pass-catcher, not just an ex-offensive lineman now — I’ve got hands! I think the last time I talked to you guys, you asked, ‘When is that gonna happen?’ Now it has happened, so we’re here!”

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Michigan heard Washington say it’d stop the run, made it pay

‘We’re in the business of not talking, we’re in the business of actually doing it.’ 👏

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There’s a continued notion in college football that it’s unwise to poke the bear. After Michigan ran all over Western Michigan in Week 1, it turned out that Washington hadn’t learned that lesson.

Though the Wolverines had a focus on running the ball entering the 2021 season, the Huskies weren’t just determined to stop it, they told the world that they would stop it in the week leading up to the game.

“We’re going to stop the run,” Washington linebacker Jackson Sirmon said. “They want to run the ball, and we’re going to stop the run. We’re excited to do that, they have some talented guys running the ball. It’s one of those things that one guy, one guy is going to get on the tackle and everyone is going to flock to them. We need to limit yards after contact.”

Bold move, Cotton. How did it pay off for them?

It didn’t. Michigan accumulated 343 yards on 56 carries, scoring all four touchdowns on the ground.

An Instagram story posted by Wolverines director of development Chris Bryant showed many of the offensive linemen gloating — with good cause — at the end of the game as they were walking off the field. Among them was fifth-year right tackle Andrew Stueber who yelled, ‘It’s a long plane ride back to Washington!’ Several players shared Sirmon’s quote on their own Instagram stories after the game, including third-year left guard Trevor Keegan.

So did he and the other linemen hear Sirmon’s proclamation earlier in the week? Turns out, yes — and it was unwise to poke the bear.

“Coach Moore definitely made a huge, huge deal about it,” Stueber said. “I think one of the linebackers said that, that they are gonna run the ball and we are gonna stop it. Coach Moore said that and took it upon us as words of action to take it. We’re in the business of not talking, we’re in the business of actually doing it.”

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It became not just a point of emphasis but such a point of pride for an offense that certainly has carved out a niche, running the ball for more than 300 yards for two consecutive weeks. Despite Sirmon’s insistence, the Husky front wore down, and Steuber and company began to feel their will break as Michigan ran the ball with impunity.

“We went out there, started running the ball every play. I think that drive where we only ran the ball coming out, just producing, getting yards, driving off the ball, they started to give up hope midway through the third, early fourth quarter,” Stueber said. “They just were getting physically beat down. We take huge pride in that. It’s something we practice everyday in the Beat Ohio drills, like I mentioned before. That’s Big Ten football so we’re gonna keep doing that.

“When we get to Big Ten league play, whoever rushes for more yards is usually the victor. That’s something we take huge pride in and we hope to continue doing it.”

“We’re confident in our playbook, we know our schemes,” Keegan said. “We prepared all week and we were pretty confident about it.”

It’s not like Washington didn’t try to stop it, either.

As Jim Harbaugh said after the game, they ran a lot of different defensive looks in order to try and stifle the Wolverines ground attack. But it proved futile. Keegan says that Michigan was prepared for everything that the Husky defense threw at them.

“We’ll do whatever it takes to help the team win. We loved it. We imposed our will on them,” Keegan said. “They did a lot of things to try to stop the run: try to blitz off the edges, ruin our run lanes. But we had answers for it.”

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Why Andrew Stueber expects Michigan football to rebound in 2021

Do you believe #Michigan football will see significant improvement in 2021?

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — ESPN recently suggested that Michigan football is a program that will be on the rise in 2021, rebounding from a terrible 2-4 campaign in 2020. But a lot of fans and media don’t share that enthusiasm.

Yes, Jim Harbaugh signed a contract extension and all-but cleaned house when it came to the coaching staff, bringing in six new faces total, including a new defensive coordinator in Mike Macdonald. But there appears to be some pessimism as to how quickly it could come to fruition, so much so that the Wolverines weren’t voted into the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, though fellow 2020 strugglers Penn State and Wisconsin got the benefit of the doubt.

Of course, the Wolverines will have to put it all together on the field, which fifth-year OL Andrew Stueber is confident will happen. But why does he feel that Michigan is poised for a rebound this year?

“I think the first (reason) is just the spring we had,” Stueber said. “I’ve never seen that much want and drive from a spring practice. I’ve been here for five years and that energy going into spring ball I’ve never seen before and I’ve never seen carry through the whole spring ball, too, into the spring game. It’s something that is unheard of for me.

“Especially now, going into the season, going into fall camp, I think the senior leadership is really good. The bond that the seniors have — my class is the fifth-year graduate class now, there’s only a few of us left — and the bond that we have and the way that we’re able to cover the whole special teams, offense, defense, we’re all close because we’re all in the same class. That leadership, that bond has trickled down to the whole team.”

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It’s not just the seniors and graduate students who have formulated that bond, as Stueber says. He insists that the whole team, as mentioned, is closer than ever, a bold statement considering he’s been with the program going all the way back to 2017.

It starts with the seniors, but they’re doing everything they can to will the underclassmen to rise above their stations.

“The whole team right now is really close,” Stueber said. “From a teammate bond, from a brothership bond, we’re really close and we’re growing that. We’re getting the freshmen involved, we’re bringing them along. I think that the bond that we have right now isn’t something that I’ve really felt as close in past years. Maybe because I was an underclassman and now I’m in my fifth year. But I think right now the bond we have right now as a team is special and I can’t wait to see it happen come fall.”

We’ll see come Sept. 4 whether or not this practice pays dividends when Michigan hosts Western Michigan at The Big House for the 2021 season opener.

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Why Michigan’s defensive changes helps the offense in 2021

The changes on the defensive side of the ball has something of a fringe benefit that helps the offense.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — You might call it a fringe benefit, the fact that Michigan football is switching defenses from the schemes planned by Don Brown to Mike Macdonald. But not necessarily on the defensive side of the ball.

While results will come for better or worse this season on defense, the fact that Macdonald’s scheme is purportedly more multiple than his predecessor is giving something of a leg-up to the offense.

Though Brown’s defense did occasionally move to a three-man front, the set base was a 4-3, and Brown loved to have his corners on an island in man coverage. Now there are several fronts, several coverages, and seemingly different schematic changes and looks designed to disrupt the offensive flow. While that might sound like something of a hindrance in a camp setting, instead it’s giving the offense a holistic preview of what they can expect to see from different teams at different points in the season.

As Wolverines fifth-year offensive lineman Andrew Stueber says, it’s keeping the offense on its toes.

“What I’ve seen right now is the unexpected,” Stueber said. “They show a bunch of stuff, they make adjustments, they’ll make switches. A lot of unexpected stuff keeps happening that I’ve never seen before, that I’ve never seen our players do. It’s really cool to see that. I like the way they’re playing around. They’re playing really fast, they’re playing to the ball, they’re playing physical. It pushes us as an offense to come together and to work harder. Iron sharpens iron. I can’t wait for them to keep putting in tougher schemes, tougher stunts. Trying to decode that and figure it out. So far, it’s been really fun to see and can’t wait to see how they do in the season.”

Of course, Stueber is working at deciphering what the front seven is going to do on any given play. For a player like senior wide receiver Ronnie Bell, adapting to the changes present similar challenges.

“I was laughing with somebody about it — because in the secondary, it’s a lot more complicated than it used to be,” Bell said. “They’re all just moving and doing different things now, so it’s not all man like it used to be.”

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But how does any of that help? For the lack of a better word, wouldn’t that — stunt — the offensive progress?

Not really, as it not only helps the offense prepare for future looks, it has the unit already in game preparation mode like it would be during the season. Especially because with the defensive install being more aggressive now that it’s fall camp (compared to spring ball) the offense isn’t really sure what it’s going to see on a given day.

“I definitely think it helps us, because — Don Brown’s defense was great in so many ways, it was a very unique defense in a lot of ways,” Stueber said. “I think that what Coach Macdonald is doing right now is very impressive in that they’re showing us a lot of different fronts and a lot of different stunts and everything, but a lot of those stunts are things that we’re gonna see this season. So we’re already starting to game plan four-down fronts, some Okie fronts. Obviously, a lot of teams play that and a lot of teams have those fronts in.

“So, being able with every install, having to game plan our defense and the looks they’ve shown so far and the things we think they might put in, too, it’s really cool to game plan our defense like a whole new team. It’s transferring more than spring ball, because in spring ball you can only put in so much. They put in everything in fall camp. So being able to learn what they’re trying to do and how they’re trying to do it to such a different defense has really been impressive and I think that’s gonna be able to help us in the season being able to game plan teams quicker and recognize the fronts they’re putting us in because we’ve experienced them already in fall camp.”

“I do see it as a positive change, yes,” Bell added, discussing the more complicated secondary. “As an offense, especially as a receiver, when you’re running around, trying to figure out who you’re blocking or who you’re running your route off of, it’s definitely a lot more complicated than it used to be.”

We’ll see how the new-look defense pays off on both sides of the ball come Sept. 4, when Michigan football opens up the season against Western Michigan at The Big House.

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How Michigan’s OL is transitioning from Ed Warinner to Sherrone Moore

How Andrew Stueber reacted to Ed Warinner being replaced by Sherrone Moore and why he likes the coaching change.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There was a time in the not-too-distant past that Michigan football fans clamored to give former offensive line coach Ed Warinner a lifetime contract. Seemingly the most accomplished assistant on the staff, it was that much more of a shock to the system when he was let go in January, in favor of tight ends coach Sherrone Moore being moved up to oversee the position group he once played as an Oklahoma offensive tackle.

But it wasn’t just the fans who were surprised. The players Warinner coached weren’t anticipating the change, either.

Nonetheless, with Moore taking over as the new offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator, the move is being heralded by those who are the recipients of his mentorship, noting that while he has a much different style, it’s meshing well with those who he’s coaching.

“It was somewhat surprising to see Coach Warinner leave,” fifth-year offensive tackle Andrew Stueber said. “Because obviously, he has a great style, he’s a great coach, he has a great legacy behind him. But it was definitely optimistic. I think the whole offensive line seeing Coach Moore replace his spot – much younger guy, he knows from experience, he played the position. As far as the transition, it’s definitely a different kind of coaching style, a different kind of energy in the room. But I think the younger guys are appreciating it. It’s a more open environment. You can ask a lot more questions. He knows from experience, too. I think the older guys are liking the energy and the vibe he’s bringing to the room, to the practice field and his overall energy.”

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So, what does Stueber like about Moore’s style of coaching?

He says that Moore brings a much more conversational approach to the position group, which is something that the veteran players appreciate. Similarly, that style of teaching is helping the younger players come along that much faster because they feel more comfortable asking questions than they may have under his predecessor.

“I’d say his coaching style is more personable, more interactive, I feel like,” Stueber said. “He comes with a tight end sense – that’s a lot smaller of a meeting room. It’s a lot smaller. So once we brought it in, he’s asking a lot more questions of the individual, he’s allowing more of a discussion. ‘What do you guys think about this? What do you guys think about that?’ It’s just a lot easier to get discussion going. As an older guy, I appreciate that a lot more. Obviously, the younger guys are still learning, so they’re a lot quieter in the meetings just trying to follow along. But, as an older guy, I appreciate being able to speak my mind, give my input and ask questions when needed.”

When Warinner was let go, he eventually landed at Florida Atlantic, where he oversees the offensive line and run game under fellow former Jim Harbaugh assistant Willie Taggart.

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How Michigan QB spring competition is progressing in eyes of teammates

How the Wolverines teammates see the quarterback competition unfolding in spring ball.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — For yet another year, as spring progresses into summer workouts, fall camp and eventually the 2021 football season, all eyes in Ann Arbor will be on Michigan football’s quarterbacks.

Since the departure of Shea Patterson, there hasn’t been an obvious answer at the position. It’s been something of a revolving door. Last offseason, Joe Milton appeared to have won the job over Dylan McCaffrey, which led to the latter’s decision to transfer. Milton got the nod at the beginning of the 2020 season, but as he started to struggle down the stretch, Cade McNamara took over, which led to Milton’s decision to transfer.

In spring ball, there’s a number of quarterbacks battling it out, between the aforementioned McNamara, entering his third year with the program, second-year signal-caller Dan Villari and former five-star early enrollee J.J. McCarthy.

At the moment, it appears McNamara is taking the lead, but, naturally in a Jim Harbaugh-coached team, it’ll be a while before that position is earned by the starter.

“The quarterbacks’ competition and level of play has been really interesting to see,” fifth-year offensive tackle Andrew Stueber said. “Cade’s finally starting to take a more commanding role. It’s different, because last season he obviously played for us a little bit, but it’s obviously different when you think you have the starting job and now you have command of the offense. You take much more pride in it, much more intent in it.

“He’s been doing great so far. I love his poise in the pocket, the decisions he’s making. His confidence, too, is growing, so it’s great to see.

“Obviously, we have J.J. coming in. He’s still learning the playbook. But he’s shown some really impressive stuff, scrambling out of the pocket, making people miss. I know he’s known for that, so it’s really great to see that. And we also have Dan Villari, too, who is really impressive with his read option, so far. It’s been pretty nice seeing him run out of the pocket, making some moves.

“All of the quarterbacks we have right now, I’m really impressed with all of them. I hope it keeps going.”

“It’s always cool watching how talented our quarterbacks are,” senior wideout Ronnie Bell said. “I always feel lucky because I feel like if I’m in the game – if it’s Dan and I’m in the game or it’s J.J. and I’m in the game – there’s never any type of hesitation as a receiver (when) you’ve got a quarterback with that type of skill next to you. So I always just feel lucky. It’s just fun watching those guys compete, because all of them are just very, very good.”

That’s where the competition stands this spring, but come fall, a new challenger will enter the ring. Former Texas Tech starter Alan Bowman opted to transfer to Michigan this offseason, and he has 5,260 yards under his belt in just under two-and-a-half years of play.

Still, McNamara, the presumed starter at this moment, will not shy away from having such a challenge, given his mental makeup, his teammates say.

“Cade’s always had a little kick to him from a standpoint of command or lead or like a swagger,” Bell said. “He’s always had that, even when he got here as a freshman, a long time ago. For me, whether he won the job or didn’t have the job before, it was never nothing new to me about Cade. I knew Cade, I know how he attacks every day. That’s just always the kick he’s always had to himself. And that’s one thing that makes him special is that he’s never scared or shy of that.”

“Cade’s definitely a huge competitor,” Stueber said. “Obviously there’s gonna be no starter named yet. Coach Harbaugh likes to leave it up to competition with a meritocracy. But there is huge competition at the quarterback position. Obviously, you have to be a high-level competitor. Each quarterback takes great pride. At the end of each practice, we have a ‘move the ball’ drill, and each quarterback takes one drive. They each take tremendous pride in it. It can affect their mood for the rest of the day into the off-day. It’s something that they take huge pride in, they’re fighting it out in there. And it’s something that’s great to see, all the young quarterbacks battling to get out on top. It’s been amazing to watch.”

While that might be the status quo, many wonder if the Wolverines will make an early turn to McCarthy considering his high school accolades. When you come in as a five-star, the expectation is that you’ll play relatively early, even at the quarterback position.

As far as what he’s doing in spring ball, Stueber notes that McCarthy is still a work in progress, but he’s liked what he’s seen from a willingness to learn standpoint.

Though he might not be ready out of the gates, he’s doing everything he can to prepare for when his name is called.

“One time, J.J. had to throw – he still learning how to read defenses, he doesn’t know double-covered, single-covered, single high,” Stueber said. “So, he’s still learning that. Sometimes, he’ll throw it off and just seeing everyone pick him up, carry him along, then watching him in meetings learning – it’s always something great to see young players learn.”

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Michigan embracing challenge of facing red-hot Iowa

Michigan football isn’t shying away from a game where it’s a considerable underdog.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan drew the shortest straw when it came to Big Ten champions week this week, as the conference went away from its original plan to match East vs. West by where the teams finished, as it tried to reschedule some canceled rivalry games. Since it didn’t want any rematches from earlier in the season, the Wolverines drew a red-hot Iowa team that’s won six-straight games and is poised to finish second in its division.

But, while the fanbase might be apprehensive, you won’t hear players in Schembechler Hall complain or have a similar attitude.

Fourth-year offensive lineman Andrew Stueber is one who’s eager for the opportunity, noting that this team is ready to avenge its loss to Penn State — which easily could have been the final game of the season given the team’s COVID-19 woes. And considering Michigan is a sizable underdog, that’s a challenge that the team is excited about and not shying away from.

“It was definitely kind of an interesting take, but we accept any challenge,” Stueber said. “They’re a great team. We have a great history of playing them in the past. They’re a great, hard-nosed Big Ten team — so are we. We’re plowing ahead, we’re game-planning (like) any other opponent. Have a great game plan set up. Everyone was excited when we found out we were playing Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. It’s gonna be a great atmosphere, even though there’s no one there. It’s a great stadium in itself. At night, too, on Saturday.

“So yeah — we were excited, especially after two weeks of not playing a game. You’re really just excited to get any opponent. We didn’t want our season to end with a game against Penn State — we wanted to play one more game. We’re excited to play them and can’t wait to get a chance to get to Kinnick and show them what we got.”

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It’ll be a particular challenge for what will likely be a makeshift offensive front for the Wolverines.

The Hawkeyes are second in the conference with 22 sacks, just one sack behind Indiana. But the Michigan football offensive line is the top team in the conference and No. 14 in the country in sacks allowed, having given up just eight all season long.

Stueber notes how stout Iowa’s defensive front is and what it’s good at. Again, it’s a challenge that Stueber & Co. are embracing and not shying away from.

“They’re a good defensive line,” Stueber said. “They lost a pretty good defensive end last year in A.J. Epenesa. But they’re still a very good, very sound defensive front. They know who they are and they play great defense. But their defensive front is great, they have great (hard-nosed) players who play their game, get off blocks. So I’m excited to play against them, line up against them, and hope things go well.”

The Wolverines and Hawkeyes will kick off at 7 p.m. on Saturday night in Iowa City.

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It’s definitely different: Michigan prepping for Iowa with numerous players out

The Michigan football team is adapting to having multiple players out with Iowa on deck for Saturday.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — We won’t know exactly how decimated the Michigan roster actually is until it takes the field this Saturday in Iowa City, but the team missed two weeks due to rising COVID-19 cases, which has kept a number of players out.

Many have focused on the numbers that Michigan has reported — without differentiation between sports, nine student-athletes tested positive last week, 14 the week before, and seven the week before that — without recognizing that multiple players are also unavailable due to contact tracing. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reported that 45 players would have been out against Ohio State, had Michigan moved forward with that game.

247Sports’ Zach Shaw posted a picture from the practice field on Sunday while walking home from the basketball game at Crisler Center, and it showed just how thin the team might be at the moment.

While it’s difficult to decipher just how many players are out on the field, it appears that there were only 30-something involved. Again, there’s no telling who will be available for the Iowa game, but all signs point to a shell of the rostered team.

“It’s definitely a different environment,” offensive lineman Andrew Stueber said. “We still have a few guys quarantined because of either positive cases or contact tracing, so it’s definitely a different atmosphere. A lot of young guys are starting to step into new roles which is something that we’ve been prepping them for all year. That’s definitely one of the defining aspects of the season — people can go down at any moment just by contracting it or being in contact with someone. So there’s been a heavy focus that everyone needs to be ready at any moment.

“It’s definitely been a different atmosphere at practice. Definitely smaller numbers. People have stepped into different roles, whether that be scout team or playing offense, defense, or special teams. So it’s been different, but it’s also great to see different guys step into different positions as well.”

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But the Wolverines aren’t looking at it as a ‘woe is me’ type of situation. Team captain Josh Ross says that they’re embracing the opportunity to get younger players work — players who might not otherwise have had the chance.

“We have a lot of guys out, but at the end of the day, with guys out it’s new opportunities,” Ross said. “It’s a blessing — guys stepping up, it’s young guys stepping up and it’s so much opportunity on that field to go and get it. And we’re excited to play and put our talents forth.”

Saturday night, we’ll know exactly how healthy the Wolverines are. But from the looks and sounds of it, Michigan won’t be anywhere close to full strength.

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Fixing Michigan’s offensive line is the key for a 2020 turnaround

No unit on the offense has struggled more for Michigan football than the offensive line. If they can turn it around, the season can change.

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It’s year two under the speed in space offense run by Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. Last year it showed flashes of what it could be, but it wasn’t up to par. With another year of learning, this offense has a chance to put up points week in and week out. There’s just one problem with that so far this season, and it’s the offensive line.

The offensive line was known to be taking a backseat in 2020. Despite having a great offensive line coach in Ed Warinner, it wasn’t looking well for the group. With four new starters among the line, it was well documented that this unit wouldn’t be as good as they were the year before.

Against Minnesota, that seemed to be gibberish. The offensive line kept Milton up almost all night with just allowing one sack, and it was on the first series of the game. The ground game was able to churn out yards and get into the endzone, finishing with 256 yards and five touchdowns on 31 carries.

The unit seemed like it wouldn’t be a problem, like many expected. Then came the next game against Michigan State. Michigan was getting no push from its lineman and the ground game that worked well the week before was stagnant and not itself. The team was only able to get 152 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries. So with more carries, Michigan got over 100 fewer yards and two fewer scores. What hurt the team the most that game was losing starting right tackle, Jalen Mayfield.

This week against Indiana, Warinner needed to show that the depth he had at his positions were stout. The team wouldn’t see Mayfield play against Indiana, but they also wouldn’t see starting left tackle Ryan Hayes either, so now both starting tackles are injured for the Wolverines.

The offensive line would see a dramatic shift as Karsen Barnhart would start at left tackle. Zak Zinter would start at left guard. Andrew Vastardis would remain at center, while Chuck Filiaga would flip from left to right guard, and Andrew Stueber would move from right guard to right tackle. Stuber played right tackle before the 2020 season, so luckily, he’s had experience before at that position.

Heading into the matchup today, despite being weakened at the position, Michigan had a chance to run all around the Hoosiers defense. Against Penn State, Indiana allowed 250 yards and two touchdowns on 52 carries. The week after against Rutgers, they allowed 121 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries. If you average those two up, Indiana allowed an average of 185.5 yards per game and an average of 4.4 yards per carry.

Today against Michigan, Indiana eradicated the Wolverines running game. Michigan was only able to get a measly 13 yards on 18 carries. That’s .72 yards per carry. Those numbers are unheard of when talking about Michigan football. Michigan is known for being a smashmouth running team that will make you pay for everything in the trenches. The trenches today for the Wolverines ran dry.

The theme of a poor offensive line continues to define the offense this season. When Michigan isn’t able to run the football well, the offense takes a hit. Despite the speed in space type of offense Gattis runs, it still needs the running game to be relevant because if it dies, so does the offense. In both losses, Michigan was not able to get the ball moving on the ground. They struggled with that against Michigan State and really showed its struggles against Indiana.

These teams aren’t the best rushing defenses in the country, either. Indiana allowed 250 yards on opening week, while the Spartans allowed 226 against Iowa today. It’s plain and simple. If Michigan can’t run the football well, they lose the game. What dictates whether the running game can work? The offensive line.

Michigan has plenty of weapons in the backfield with Hassan Haskins, Zach Charbonnet, the returning Chris Evans, and the freshman, Blake Corum. These players are good at what they do, and when they are asked to try and run through a wall of defenders because the offensive line doesn’t have any holes for them to run through, that is a lot to ask out of them.

Warinner needs to figure out what he can do with his guys. Injuries have certainly changed up the game for him, but if he can figure out what issues they are dealing with, the offense can do what it did against Minnesota two weeks ago. With the defense having issues, Michigan’s offense needs to put up points. The offense is the biggest issue overall for the team in 2020.

Sure, you can point at the defense and give them the blame, but if Michigan can put up points, drive after drive, and its defense can make one more stop, they win, easy as that. College football is moving away from its low scoring, defensive shutouts, and more towards the high-scoring action-packed games. Defenses don’t win you championships anymore in college; offenses do. If Michigan can figure out what to do with the offensive line and help the running game become relevant again, then this team has a chance to turn this around possibly.

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‘Feel very good’ – Jim Harbaugh notes likely starting OL for 2020 opener

Though there were six names that the Michigan football head coach rattled off on Monday, we now know who will likely be starting on the OL.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Though Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh evaded answering whether or not quarterback Joe Milton had won the starting job, posturing by saying ‘Joe’s been running with the ones,’ he wasn’t so mum about what’s going on with the offensive line.

With the Big Ten 2020 season opener coming up on Saturday at Minnesota, Harbaugh eagerly listed six players who have been contending for five starting roles, while denoting precisely who will be playing where.

“Feel very good,” Harbaugh said. “Big, a lot of length and really good athleticism. The two tackles are both experienced guys – Ryan Hayes and Jalen Mayfield. Karsen Barnhart, also consider him a starter as well. Inside, Chuck Filiaga has really made a lot of strides. He’s playing extremely well. He’ll be in there for us at guard along with Andrew Stueber – who had an ACL last year in camp, but did a great job rehabbing. He’s back healthy and been very good and consistent. Andrew Vastardis is the starting center. We’re excited with our offensive line.

“Them jelling, coming together has been a good process. Excited to see them let it rip, too.”

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That said, clearly one of three of the listed tackles between Hayes, Mayfield and Barnhart won’t actually be in the starting five — with chances that Barnhart is the odd-man out. He got added experience this fall with Mayfield having initially opting out before reversing course a month later when the Big Ten announced it was having a fall season after all. Perhaps the Wolverines would use Barnhart as an extra blocker in certain rushing sets, as the New England Patriots have with former Michigan RG Michael Onwenu early this season.

Nonetheless, despite only having one nominal starter from 2019 returning, Michigan is poised to have a solid group up front with the 2020 season opener on the horizon. In order to keep Joe Milton upright and create running lanes for the Wolverines deep group of backs, it’s imperative that the O-line comes together sooner than later once actually facing opponents wearing different colored jerseys Saturday and beyond.

WolverinesWire projected offensive line starters:

Left tackle: Ryan Hayes
Left guard: Chuck Filiaga
Center: Andrew Vastardis
Right guard: Andrew Stueber
Right tackle: Jalen Mayfield

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