Michigan football's offense has struggled to manufacture points, scoring under 20 points in four of its first five games, according to a October 15 report. Despite calls from a vocal segment of the fan base to replace play-caller Jason Beck or quarterback Bryce Underwood, head coach Kyle Whittingham has decided to stand pat with his current staff and starters.
Whittingham, who has 22 years of experience as a head coach, stated that the results are currently unacceptable. However, he noted that if a coach believes in what they are doing, they cannot panic. The decision follows a 20-14 loss to Minnesota, which marked the team's second consecutive defeat due to offensive struggles.
The current offensive struggles contrast with Beck's previous success at Utah, where he helped transform the Utes into a high-scoring unit that ranked fourth in scoring. At Michigan, the offense averages 23 points per game, a figure lower than 100 other teams. The team's ground attack has been weak, averaging 3.84 yards per attempt, which ranks 106th in the country. Additionally, Michigan ranks 79th in red-zone touchdown percentage, a significant drop from Utah's top ranking in that category one year ago.
The offensive line has been identified as a primary weakness, failing to impose physicality and struggling with both run-blocking and pass protection. Quarterback Bryce Underwood has been sacked eight times and pressured on 27.7% of his 136 dropbacks. Underwood has also committed six of the team's nine turnovers. Whittingham has attempted to tailor the offense to Underwood's strengths by using designed rollouts to provide clearer throwing windows.
The discrepancy in performance is partly attributed to the difference in personnel between Beck's Utah and Michigan teams. At Utah, Beck utilized a returning offensive line that included first-round NFL draft picks Caleb Lomu and Spencer Fanu. At Michigan, the unit has been a revolving cast that has yet to produce a player with over 100 rushing yards in a single game.
Michigan is scheduled to play Penn State on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Michigan Stadium. The matchup is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff.
