On Saturday, almost a full eight months after confetti rained down on the Michigan football team in Houston last January, the Wolverines return to the field as defending national champions.
This entire week leading up to the contest with Fresno State, Michigan has repeatedly claimed that its past is fully in the rearview mirror. Coach Sherrone Moore and his players contend that the successes of last year and the drama of two high profile scandals are of no concern to them, and that their sole focus is on the Bulldogs.
And on Saturday evening, the poise that they claim to have developed will be tested for the first time. Fresno State, while rightfully a heavy underdog, is not a lackluster first opponent. The Bulldogs finished last year 9-4 overall, are projected to finish this year third in the Mountain West in preseason media polls and have a history of knocking off highly ranked opponents.
However, the plain truth is that this contest will most likely be judged by how the Wolverines win rather than simply if they win. Whether their offense clicks or sputters with vastly different personnel and how their defense performs compared to last year’s squadron that allowed the nation’s fewest points per game will be telling as to what type of year this will be for Michigan.
But if you don’t know what to watch for, it can be difficult to take much away from a week one game. So follow along to find out what matters most.
Is it Orji? Is it Warren? Can they handle the pressure?
As of Thursday, Moore and the Wolverines have kept quiet on who their starting quarterback will be come game time, claiming that it could take up until the day of for anything to be final. By Saturday, this question will be answered, but how the contest goes could determine whether the answer is a long term one, or still in flux.
So far, the competition has been narrowed down to just two candidates: junior Alex Orji and senior Davis Warren. Neither has amassed substantial playing time in their previous years at Michigan, and both remain mostly a mystery to fans. But the Wolverines contend that other than slight differences in play calling and designed packages, who the starter is won’t matter.
What will be telling though is whether or not the starter can lead the largely new offense. The expectation for the first week should not be that Orji or Warren has the offense firing on all cylinders, but rather that they aren’t a detriment to it.
Orji’s physical attributes are well documented, but he’s had less of an opportunity to demonstrate his talents as a passer. On Saturday, if he is the starter, watch for whether or not his arm is a boon for him. If he can find established pass-catchers like junior tight end Colston Loveland, junior wide receiver Tyler Morris and sophomore receiver Semaj Morgan in rhythm consistently, the job should be safely his to keep.
For Warren, his strengths and weaknesses are more of a mystery. Players and coaches have praised his arm strength and accuracy, but outside of practice he has played only in a limited sample size.
If Michigan wins, regardless of by how much or how little, the biggest story will be how the quarterback fared. If the game is a blowout as expected, it’s likely the competition will be over. If the contest is tighter than anticipated, expect more questions than answers heading into week two.
How do Donovan Edwards and a completely new offensive line fare?
The Wolverines have seen massive upheaval from last season to this one in every facet of their roster. But there’s only one position group that you could call completely new without speaking in hyperbole, and that’s Michigan’s offensive line. Every single one of the Wolverines’ starting offensive linemen from last year either graduated or declared for the NFL Draft, and what’s left is a new unit that has spent years developing.
This year’s unit, while not finalized, has been spoken highly of by offensive line coach Grant Newsome. And importantly, it’s clear that some leaders have emerged within the group. Senior guard Gio El-Hadi and graduate lineman Myles Hinton have taken the reins as leaders on the line and appear to have locked up their starting roles, but who fills in alongside them is still up in the air.
On Saturday, pay attention to which five get the starting nod, and whether or not they have success against the Bulldogs. Their success, or lack thereof, will have major trickle-down effects throughout the offense — and especially on senior running back Donovan Edwards in Michigan’s run-heavy system.
For Edwards, last year was a mixture of ups-and-downs that culminated in a grand finale. Operating mostly in the second fiddle role to former running back Blake Corum, Edwards struggled to find a rhythm with only a handful of carries per game, and his numbers slumped heavily from the year before. But in the National Championship, Edwards broke through in a massive way.
Now he looks to maintain that momentum. Throughout the offseason, his coaches and teammates have praised Edwards’ performance and leadership.
“I mean when he touches the ball, it’s like a firecracker waiting to go off, he’s super explosive,” Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito said Wednesday. “Every time he touches it, you feel like it could be a touchdown.”
On Saturday, watch how Edwards performs in the starting role alongside the offensive line. If the Wolverines get the National Championship Game version of Edwards consistently, the season instantly looks a lot brighter.
Can Michigan’s defense contain Mikey Keene?
Unlike whoever will be the starting quarterback for Michigan, Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene comes into Saturday’s matchup with a proven track record and impressive numbers.
In 12 games last season, Keene threw for 2,796 yards with 24 touchdowns to just 10 picks. While most of that came against competition inferior to what the Bulldogs will find in the Wolverines’ defense, Keene still presents more of a challenge than Michigan is used to seeing in its first game — especially given his ability to make big plays happen with his legs.
“(Keene) makes it go,” Esposito said. “And he’s gonna move around in the pocket enough to where you have to keep him in there. … We’re gonna have to combat with low pads, we’re gonna have to keep him in the pocket, we’re gonna have to do some things to make sure that we put our best foot forward.”
On Saturday, keep an eye out for how the Wolverines’ brawny defensive line combats Keene’s rushing ability, and whether or not the defense as a whole resembles anything close to last year’s nation-leading group.
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Eight months after Michigan won it all, it’s back on the hunt.
Saturday won’t tell you everything that you’ll need to know about this year’s group, but with a quarterback battle needing solving and several position groups largely revamped, there’s a lot to learn about who the Wolverines can be if you know what to watch for.
The post What to watch for: Fresno State appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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