B1G Time: Michigan must find its QB lane; where Nebraska needs to improve as Huskers look to be on the rise

Who’s got it better than the Michigan Wolverines? A lot of people right now. As if being more than a touchdown underdog at home against Texas last week wasn’t enough, the Wolverines lost to Texas by 19 in a game that never felt even that close.

The offense failed to provide any kind of threat for the second straight game, and after two weeks of action, Michigan’s offense is one of the worst in the Big Ten. If you’re looking for one area the team has done well, it’s finishing in the red zone; the Wolverines are averaging 5.0 points per red zone trip, which ranks fifth in the conference.

The problem is only three of Michigan’s 21 offensive possessions have reached the red zone for a rate of 14.29%, which ranks last in the league, far behind everybody else. It’s one of a multitude of stats where the Michigan offense is hanging out at the bottom of the Big Ten.

Stat (Big Ten rank)

1.67 (15th)

4.7 (17th)

37% (18th)

-0.14 (17th)

8.5% (16th)

31.62% (14th)

What’s scary if you’re Michigan is that there isn’t an obvious solution because it’s not one part of the offense that’s failing you. The offensive line has not been very good against either Fresno State or Texas, which has impacted both the run and pass game. When dropping back, Davis Warren has caught plenty of heat for his performance, but you don’t see Michigan receivers getting much separation from defenders, either. It truly is an ensemble performance.

One thing that would help matters is Michigan choosing a lane at QB, and that begins with stopping the musical chairs act with Davis Warren and Alex Orji. It’s hard to say Michigan is turning to Orji too often in games when he’s played only 35 snaps during his career, but 11 of those snaps have come in 2024 already. Only two of those snaps have been a pass…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/b1g-time-michigan-must-find-its-qb-lane-where-nebraska-needs-to-improve-as-huskers-look-to-be-on-the-rise/

Author : Tom Fornelli

Publish date : 2024-09-10 14:36:13

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