They say that defense wins championships, but in Michigan's case, it can't win games on its own. So far this season, the Wolverines' defense has kept the offense in the game, keeping teams close, but against Minnesota, the utter lack of offensive play from Bryce Underwood and Co. proved to be too much.
Not once did Michigan's offense actually complete a full drive that resulted in a touchdown. On the lone offensive touchdown, the Wolverines were given great field position on the Minnesota 34-yard line thanks to an interception by Utah transfer Smith Snowden after linebacker Troy Bowles hit Drake Lindsey as he was throwing.
Jordan Marshall got the five-yard touchdown run to tie the game, but the O was problematic for the Wolverines the rest of the game. Michigan looked bad offensively in Week 1 against Western Michigan, but arguably looked worse against the Golden Gophers, resulting in a brutal 20-14 loss, and has yet to find a win in Big Ten play.
Michigan's defense is elite but can't be asked to do it all for for the Wolverines
Defensive coordinator Jay Hill could not have asked more from his unit today. Two turnovers, one of them returned for a touchdown, one of only two touchdowns scored by the Wolverines against Minnesota. The Michigan defense was on the field for over 37 minutes and even forced the Golden Gophers to kick field goals after turnovers from the Wolverines' offense in their own territory.
It just wasn't enough to overcome the poor play from Michigan's offense. All season, the Wolverines' defense has bailed out the offense, keeping them in the game with big stops, turnovers, and stellar plays. It just wasn't enough, though, against Minnesota when the Michigan offense struggled to gain anything.
It wasn't that the Minnesota defense was that dominant against the Wolverines, but instead Michigan looked lost. The passing game suddenly disappeared after Underwood had his best game last week against Iowa. The run game struggled behind an offensive line that could not protect the running backs or quarterback to save their lives.
Michigan's offense had a total of 180 yards, with Underwood throwing for 101 passing yards and two interceptions, and the run game producing just 79 yards and one touchdown from Marshall. Michigan's inability to get the ball to anyone not named JJ Buchanan and Andrew Marsh proved to be their downfall, especially on the final drive.
Buchanan went down after a hard hit on the ground on a big catch, and while he remained in the game, he just wasn't himself. Twice, Underwood forced the ball into double and triple coverage to Marsh, instead of taking an easier throw to another receiver. Tight end Hogan Hansen was the only other player to catch a ball from Underwood, with three receptions for 22 yards.
Michigan is going to struggle to find wins for the rest of the season with the type of schedule it has if it doesn't figure out these offensive problems. The defense can't continue to bail them out, or outcomes like the Minnesota game will continue to come in.
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