Against Southern California on Saturday, the No. 12 Michigan football team recorded its fewest passing yards in a game this century.
According to ESPN Research, you’d have to flip the calendar all the way back to 1987 to see the Wolverines throw for less than 32 total yards. And you wouldn’t even be able to find a game in which they averaged fewer yards per completion — the 4.6 yards mark from Saturday is the lowest in program history.
But that doesn’t bother Alex Orji.
The junior quarterback earned his first career start against the 13th-ranked Trojans, taking over a sputtering and turnover-ridden Michigan offense. He only attempted 12 passes, completing just seven of them with the longest being a nine-yard catch-and-run to junior tight end Marlin Klein.
So while Orji’s performance through the air left much to be desired, he’s not disappointed — because he still accomplished his two most important goals.
“For me, the things that I try to go into the game and do was one — the number one rule of playing quarterback is try to win the game, and I think that I did an okay job at that,” Orji said Monday. “And next after that is to eliminate turnover-worthy plays. So those are the main two things that I’m focused on.”
With zero turnovers to his name en route to a thrilling victory over USC, Orji checked off both those boxes in his first full game under center. He might’ve already made the Wolverines’ history books with some of their lowest passing numbers ever, but he’s not focused on being the best passer. He’s focused on winning and taking care of the ball.
As Orji continues to zero in on his goals and settle into the starting role, he has a significant support system behind him — players, coaches, family and beyond. But perhaps one of the most important people in his corner is also his competitor: senior quarterback Davis Warren.
About a month ago, heading into Michigan’s season-opener against Fresno State, Warren beat out Orji for the starting job. The former walk-on started three games before his persistent turnover struggles forced Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell to reevaluate. Orji then got his first opportunity against the Trojans, and Moore confirmed Monday that he will start again this upcoming weekend against Minnesota.
Reflecting on his reaction when Warren won the job out of camp, Orji explained that it would’ve been selfish of him to focus on his own feelings. Warren was preparing for his first career start, and it was Orji’s responsibility to help him feel comfortable. The roles were reversed this past week, but the sentiment remained the same.
“Within this building, there’s not a whole lot of guys that I’m closer with than Davis,” Orji said. “And the same way that I feel like I tried to help him get ready for Fresno State, I wouldn’t have been able to go out this past Saturday and do what I did without him. He’s been such a great older brother to me, such a great leader. So I really can’t say thank you to him enough.”
With Moore, Campbell, Warren and many others by his side, Orji hopes to build off Saturday’s performance and continue putting Michigan in positions to win. He certainly still has room to grow — especially in the passing game, even if it’s not his main focus.
But he’s already delivered on his two biggest objectives, and those will continue to take priority moving forward.
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