Michigan(4-1) comes off a resounding win (24-10) over a fellow Big 10 opponent in Wisconsin. Yet Questions around their offense remain. Fans grow impatient as they expected an offensive explosion with Bryce Underwood in the roster, especially after their bye week. But what they got to see was a string of dropped passes and offensive ineptitude. The Wolverines won, but when we see that it is against a team with a terrible passing defense who was starting their third string quarterback, it should have been a blowout. Sherrone Moore‘s offense is being labelled as conservative. Frustration has reached the point where voices outside and inside the team alike now call for better playmaking.

One of these inside voices is that of tight end Marlin Klein. Journalist Brice Marich wrote on X. “#Michigan TE Marlin Klein says it shouldn’t be an excuse if someone throws a ball hard or not with drops and he feels he’s personally used to someone throwing hard having to catch passes from Alex Orji.” This was in response to a general sentiment rising among the fans that Underwood was throwing too hard for his receivers to catch. Klein is not buying that excuse. Instead, he wants the receivers to step up and catch the ball, no matter in what velocity it is thrown at them.

Bryce Underwood has thrown for 1,003 yards with just 3 passing touchdowns across 5 games. In the game against the Badgers, TE Max Bredeson and Semaj Morgan both recorded a drop during key plays in the game. Morgan has dropped five passes this season. Kendrick Bell also dropped a pass in the second half following Underwood’s escape from a potential sack. It was lucky for the Wolverines that they had a stellar running game. Justice Haynes went off for 117 yards on 19 carries with a couple of touchdowns. Haynes has amassed 654 rushing yards while becoming the first Wolverine to run for 100 yards in his first five appearances as a Wolverine.

But despite the issues, there were bright spots in the passing game. Indiana transfer Donavan McCulley went off for 112 yards on 6 receptions with a touchdown. He made an incredible jump ball catch during the second half. Then there is freshman WR Andrew Marsh who had 80 yards on just 4 receptions. There are players in the roster that are able to catch passes by Underwood. They need to be brought to the forefront, whereas the rest need to go back to practice and perfect their craft. Speed of the ball is not an excuse at this level of competition.

Klein was right to bring up Alex Orji. The old Michigan QB would not throw the softest balls. “He has a rocket arm,” Sachse head coach Mark Behrens told FOX Sports. “He’s learned how to control that thing. I mean, it was nothing but fastballs, Nolan Ryan fastballs, for that first year. We really didn’t have anybody who could catch it. Then he started figuring out when he can and when he couldn’t do that.” So if Klein can catch balls from Alex, other WR should not have excuses for Underwood.

The Road Ahead For Moore’s Wolverines

After the Wisconsin game, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt analyzed Michigan’s Offense and said: “That was an identity that fell short on Saturday night.”.  Against Wisconsin, Michigan converted just 5 of 12 third-down attempts. Moore might have to stick to the running game to sustain the team’s growth and offensive maneuverability until the receivers and QB get on the same page.

Michigan travels to USC on October 11 as underdogs against an offense averaging 48.4 points a game. USC led by QB Jayden Maiava, ranked #1 on ESPN’s QBR list, poses a big threat to the Wolverines and their playoff hopes. Moore has made a statement by promoting freshman receiver Andrew Marsh to a starter spot to shake up the offensive malaise.

But the biggest test of all would be Ohio State at the end of their schedule. All the Wolverine Fans would be praying that Moore can find a few good receivers by then and change his Offensive playmaking to suit the talents of Underwood.