The Michigan Wolverines are – hopefully – in the midst of a ‘come to Jesus’ moment.
Following the program’s first home loss in almost three years, the Wolverines had hopes of building up confidence against their last out of conference opponent of the regular season, Arkansas State. And while the final scorecard will show a double-digit victory against the Red Wolves, 28-18, the box score tells a much different tale.
For those watching it live, the outlook can’t help but feel even more disheartening.
Putting it plainly: We are three games into the season, and this program very clearly hasn’t found its footing at quarterback. Worse, it’s beginning to cast a black cloud over the rest of the team.
Before getting into the grievances, I think we all could use something positive to bolster at least a little optimism. May I offer a dose of Kalel Mullings?
While the Michigan passing offense continues to struggle, against Arkansas State, the run game fully rose to the occasion. It’s important to note that Donovan Edwards remains the feature back for the Wolverines, and this was certainly his best performance of the season thus far. Edwards showcased some intangibles you’d expect from a seasoned veteran – including a terrific run where he took one step up the middle before bouncing outside for a gain of 9 yards (his longest attempt of the day).
But Mullings is something different, especially when he gets lateral.
He finished the day with two of Michigan’s four touchdowns and recorded three rushing attempts that went for 30+ yards. To be clear, he’s not the track runner that this team once had in Blake Corum, but his footwork and burst to reach second gear can give any back seven nightmares. The fifth-year rusher finished the day with 153 yards on 15 touches to go with his two trips to the end zone.
The other piece of good news from the afternoon for the Wolverines is an obvious one, but it bears repeating. It is a truly daunting task to establish a run game against this defense when you haven’t proven that you can beat them through the air on third down. A lot of that starts with Kenneth Grant, who is the model of a nightclub bouncer who will not let you walk through any door he’s standing in front of. But credit should also be given to Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham, who did their fair share of work in the offensive backfield and the secondary to only allow the Red Wolves to produce two scoring drives on the day. They also both led the team in tackles. It’s worth noting that Michigan has been held to just one sack over their last two outings. To truly unlock the potential of this defensive front, Josaiah Stewart and Derrick Moore need to make their presence felt more in the backfield.
Michigan quarterback Davis Warren is hit by an Arkansas State defender at The Big House on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 in Ann Arbor. (Tony Patroske/The Pit Media)
But, despite these marginally encouraging developments, it’s become impossible to talk about this team without addressing the elephant in the room: Davis Warren.
Somewhat ironically, Warren’s first drive of the game was inarguably his best. The script provided on the drive by offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell should also be commended. Michigan found positive yardage on every second down, which gave Warren manageable ground to cover in obvious passing situations on third down. Also, they showed us what Davis Warren looks like rolling out of the pocket, and while it wasn’t spectacular, the senior displayed a level of discretion and willingness to take what was (or wasn’t) there that fans have surely been hoping for. As a result, the Wolverines first drive ended in a 30 yard touchdown run by Mullings.
And that, sadly, is where the positives ended for Warren. Coming into the day with two touchdown passes and three picks, Warren threw three interceptions in the matchup with Arkansas St, with the last one resulting in him being benched in favor of Alex Orji late in the third quarter. After the game, Sherrone Moore was transparent about the decision to relieve Davis of his duties for the day, and that the upcoming week of practice would prove critical in deciding who starts against USC.
“Put the ball in harm’s way too many times,” Moore said after the game, addressing Warren’s performance. “Not great stuff to put on film. And yeah, I was surprised. It’s football, though, so that stuff is going to happen, and we had to make a change.”
Warren’s turnovers are where the bulk of the conversation will be focused in the days that follow, and rightfully so. The first one, however, doesn’t just fall on him – at least according to his running back, Donovan Edwards.
“I own up. I messed up on his first pick, and I told him that,” said Edwards. “It was basically all on me. I should have went back side, took my man. They brought a WILL and a Corner. Both of them came free, and I should have picked them myself. That’s a mistake that’s on me.”
Edwards’ account certainly answers for the breakdown in protection that preceded the interception, but it doesn’t account for the decision making by Warren to put the ball up for grabs on the Wolverines’ side of the field with a one possession lead. If not for Max Bredeson getting a tackle on Charles Willekes around the 15-yard line, there’s a strong chance this results in a pick-six that ties the game up. The second pick of the game was perhaps the most excusable, as Warren took contact to his throwing arm during the release, but the result took near-certain points off the board for Michigan with under two minutes left in the half – and gave the Red Wolves a drive that brought them within FG range.
In fact, this game could have looked very different for the Wolverines if Red Wolves kicker Clune Van Andel hadn’t doinked not once, but twice, on attempts from 42 & 38 yards.
As for the future of Moore’s side at the QB position, the doors are now firmly open. It’s no longer Warren’s job to lose. It’s (potentially) Orji, Tuttle or any of the team’s less publicized options at the position to win.
