Michigan Football is Back to the Basics on Offense

Michigan has had multiple issues with its offense this season, and everything seems to come back to the quarterback position. Alex Orji and Davis Warren were first, and Jack Tuttle was supposed to be the final stop. Tuttle struggled mightily in his first start, and he suffered too many self-inflicted wounds to cement himself as the starter. 

Head coach Sherrone Moore met with the media on Monday and hinted at shrinking the offensive playbook. 

“For us coaches, from simplifying, doing things less so we can be better at those things, especially on offense,” Moore said. “We’ll work toward doing that.”

There were times in which Tuttle showed his arm talent, and times in which he missed wide open receivers. He showed a solid ability to move in the pocket, but tended to hold on to the ball too long. Moore said it all comes down to keeping possession of the ball. 

“Execution on offense and turning the ball over – there’s good, but not enough good,” Moore said. “We can’t turn the ball over. That’s really the end of the discussion. If you don’t turn the football over, you win the game … we have to take care of the football at all costs.” 

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Does Practice Look Like That? 

With the way Michigan looks on Saturdays, it might make people wonder what they do during the week. If the offense produces in practice, what keeps it from doing the same in a game? Moore said the team is still looking for the answer.

“I feel like we’re protecting (the ball) way better in practice, and it’s just not translating to the games,” Moore said. “We have to figure out as coaches, as a team, how to translate all that stuff to a game. There are things you can do in a practice they have to replicate like they have before in a game.”

Michigan has an inexperienced wide receiver room, and a veteran quarterback like Tuttle should be able to help put them in a position to succeed. However, Tuttle doesn’t have much experience himself. Moore said it’s not just about the quarterback. 

“Timing plus spacing equals completions,” Moore said. “It has to be precise timing, the pre-snap alignment has to align with that, the quarterback’s footwork … all those things tie into place, and (we) have to continue to hone in and get better.”

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