Sherrone Moore is in his second year as the head coach of the Michigan football team, and it's off to a rough start after the Wolverines suffered their first loss of the season last weekend. Moore's first year at Michigan was a rough one, but it was excusable based on the situation he was in. There are no excuses now, however. Moore has a quarterback and a good roster around him, but Saturday's loss against Oklahoma was not a good sign for what is to come this season. Michigan fans are starting to get concerned.
After Saturday's showing against Oklahoma, it's very fair for Michigan football fans to start panicking about Sherrone Moore. It's year two now. There isn't room for excuses like there was last year. This season is supposed to be different, and on Saturday, we saw a lot of what we saw in 2024.
Michigan called a game for Davis Warren, not Bryce Underwood
First off, no disrespect to Davis Warren. He is an absolute warrior and continued to fight for Michigan through thick and thin last season no matter what. That is why he has earned the respect of every single Michigan fan. However, Warren himself would tell you that Bryce Underwood is a better QB who has a lot more in his arsenal. However, the play-calling against Oklahoma looked a lot like the play-calling last season. We saw the Wolverines run themselves in third and longs on the first two downs often, and then we saw a lot of screen passes and throws behind the sticks.
The confusing thing is, Underwood actually connected with his receivers on multiple occasions for chunk plays down the field. They didn't all work, but the Wolverines were having some success there. They didn't give Underwood enough chances to make plays.
Sherrone Moore is coaching scared
It seems like Michigan's approach right now is trying not to lose instead of trying to win. The play-calling was too conservative. It seems like Moore and the coaching staff are too worried about mistakes happening, so they would rather just run the football instead of risking it through the air. That's not how this team is going to win games. Underwood is clearly one of the most talented QBs to come through the program, and Michigan needs to use him. He's a true freshman. Mistakes will happen, and that is how he will learn and get better.
The biggest concern in regards to Moore coaching scared is something he said in his Monday press conference. Underwood is not only a very talented player in the passing game, but he is incredibly athletic and mobile as well. His size adds another element to his run game that makes him difficult to stop. So far this season, the Wolverines have called one designed run for him.
Moore was asked about Underwood running the football earlier this week. He said that Underwood can be used a runner and eventually will be, but he added this:
“But you had better have two (quarterbacks),” Moore said, according to a post from Chris Balas.
It's clear that the Wolverines aren't running Underwood because they are afraid of him getting hurt. It's football. There is always going to be that risk. Oklahoma wasn't afraid to run with John Mateer on Saturday, and that was a big reason why the Sooners had success offensively. Michigan has one of the most gifted QBs in the country. Use him.
When JJ McCarthy was at Michigan, he was willing to do whatever it takes to get the Wolverines a win. He put his body on the line every single game. Michigan wasn't afraid to use his mobility. We know that Bryce Underwood has that capability, and Michigan just wasted it during one of its biggest games of the season.
Sherrone Moore is now serving a two-game self-imposed suspension stemming from Michigan's sign-stealing scandal. Associate head coach Biff Poggi will serve as the head coach of the Wolverines during games against Central Michigan and Nebraska. It's going to be interesting to see how this team looks without Moore on the sidelines, and unfortunately, some Michigan fans are looking forward to it after the Oklahoma loss.
This season is far from over for the Michigan football team, as every goal is still in front of the Wolverines. However, if Sherrone Moore doesn't turn things around, his seat is going to be hot this offseason.
