Alex Orji leads improved, but still lagging passing offense against Minnesota

A week ago, in the No. 12 Michigan football team’s victory over then-No. 11 Southern California, junior quarterback Alex Orji wasn’t asked to do very much in his first start as the team’s leader. 

Orji threw for just seven completions, a meager 32 yards and no touchdowns in the win. And so as the Wolverines prepared for their first drive this Saturday against Minnesota, the expectation was rightly that Michigan would run — over and over. 

Instead, on his first play and on five of the Wolverines’ 10 that drive, the plays were designed as throws. For most teams, a 50/50 run pass split wouldn’t turn any heads on a drive. But for Michigan, it signaled an attempt to get Orji more comfortable in the passing game and get a better assessment of where that facet of the Wolverines’ offense stands.

At the end of the afternoon, with slightly improved numbers — 86 yards as opposed to 32 and a touchdown to boot — Orji displayed some additional comfort throwing the ball, but still couldn’t provide a downfield threat. And with a pick and a stagnant offense in the second half, Orji did little to challenge the notion that Michigan will have to rely very heavily upon its run game.

“I think we all have to get better,” Moore said. “So he thinks he has to get better, we think we have to get better as a group, and we’ll just continue to progress.”

In some respects, the throws that Orji made on Saturday were different from the ones he had relied upon a week before. With more midrange and deep shots, Orji expanded his repertoire with some success, but that mostly flowed through his safety valve options. Of his 10 completions on the day, only three went to wide receivers. The other seven were distributed to his tight ends and running backs, primarily through junior tight end Colston Loveland. 

This limited Orji’s longest completion of the day to just 16 yards, but it also allowed him to build some rhythm and assist in moving the chains. 

“Having Colston on the field is like jumping in the water with a life vest on,” Orji said. “Having him on the field, always knowing that he’s a big body target but also a smooth receiver … his presence changes the ball game.”

Orji’s sentiment rang true against the Gophers, as Loveland kept the Wolverines afloat   He led the team in receiving yards and all four of his completions went for first downs. But it was senior wide receiver Tyler Morris who put Michigan on the board in the second quarter. 

On a one-play drive starting at the 11-yard line, Orji threw a routine screen pass to Morris. Morris punched the Wolverines into the end zone and gave Orji his third passing touchdown of the season.

However, while he got into more of a rhythm with Loveland and tossed his first touchdown as a starter, Orji’s main deficiencies came in the form of missed throws that hemmed Michigan’s offense in. On multiple third downs throughout the game, Orji sent passes towards the sidelines for receivers on out routes that skipped off of the ground well before reaching their targets. And with enough errant throws and missed reads, Orji eventually got stung early in the fourth quarter.

On a deep shot to Loveland in space, Orji misread a safety and put the ball into harm’s way, handing Minnesota a possession that they turned into seven points.

“At the end of the day, (senior running back Donovan Edwards) was open,” Orji said. “Just gotta be better in the quarterback position right there. Definitely owe him one. But a better ball would have been a completion to Colston. Just gotta stay true to my training and find (Edwards) on that one.”

 The decision making, the throw and the presence of a wide open Edwards on a wheel route made the pick ugly. But through two games as the starter, having only one lapse in ball security doesn’t make Orji’s misfire especially concerning. The main focus for Orji and the receiving corps was to meaningfully contribute to moving the ball, and sustain  drives.

Orji was asked to do a decent amount more this Saturday than he was a week before. And with the opportunity, Orji facilitated a faster, more consistent offense for the first half. But it wasn’t dynamic, and so far, Orji has yet to prove that that’s something he can offer.

Saturday, Orji again showed that he’s capable of leading Michigan to wins. But again, he showed why questions linger.

The post Alex Orji leads improved, but still lagging passing offense against Minnesota appeared first on The Michigan Daily.


Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *