Let’s just get right to it. Last night was bad, very bad. Michigan football lost 24-13. It could’ve been worse, but the Wolverines had their chances.
Here is the Week 2 report card for Michigan football.
Coaching: F
Head Coach Sherrone Moore and offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey looked scared all night and were conservative way too much. Too many runs up the middle when Oklahoma was stacking the box. Then running on obvious passing downs. Not to mention every screen pass got blown up. This felt like last year all over again. Why spend all of the NIL money that was spent on Bryce Underwood if you’re not going to give him a chance?
Quarterback: C-
It’s tough to say Underwood struggled when he wasn’t given a real chance. When he did throw, he was often under pressure. He missed some wide-open guys, but again, if he wasn’t moving around in the pocket almost as soon as he got the ball, he may have seen them. A lot of his throws were off target, which can’t be ignored.
Running backs: B
If it wasn’t for the opening play in the second half, which saw Justice Haynes score on a 75-yard run, this grade would be lower. The only time Michigan had any success running the ball was when they completed a pass to keep the Sooner defense honest.
Wide Receivers/Tight End: C
Outside of the deep ball that Donaven McCulley caught for 44 yards, there’s not much to say here. McCulley had three receptions, Haynes had three, but they went for a negative five yards. Channing Goodwin, Semaj Morgan, and Zack Marshall all had one reception. Not having Marlin Klein hurt Michigan football in this game.
Offensive Line: D-
Yes, there were a few injuries during the game to the offensive line, but they were dominated all game, both in the passing and running game. There was a player in Underwood’s face on the majority of his passes inside and outside of the pocket.
Defense: D
I can’t stress this enough. Stop going for the highlight knock-out hit so you can flex (with probably a taunting call knowing Michigan’s luck), and end up on SportsCenter. There were too many missed tackles. John Mateer should’ve been sacked or tackled for a minimal gain several times. Even on the interception by TJ Metcalf, the receiver was wide open; it was just a bad throw. This was the theme all night. A couple of drop passes or bad throws, but the Sooner receivers were open all night.
Special Teams: D
The only thing keeping special teams from an F is the muffed punt that Michigan recovered. A missed field goal and several short punts did Michigan no favors.
Overall Grade: D+
Oklahoma made its share of mistakes, but Michigan football couldn’t capitalize on them. Bad coaching, bad plays made for a bad night.
The Wolverines should be able to get back on track next week against Central Michigan, but there’s work to do. It’s not time to hit the panic button yet, but they can’t have many more games like this. Let Underwood throw the ball. If he makes a mistake, he can and will learn from it.