The Michigan football team improved to 2-1 on Saturday with a 28-18 win over Arkansas State. The Wolverines had a big lead for most of the game, but the score got a lot closer with two late touchdowns by the Red Wolves. Michigan did some things well on Saturday, but there is a ton that they need to clean up.
Michigan's run game dominated on Saturday which was a great sign for the Wolverines. The run game didn't look good in weeks one or two, so it was good to see the Michigan football team get back to their roots.
The biggest issue for Michigan is certainly quarterback play. Davis Warren threw three interceptions on Saturday, and he was replaced by Alex Orji. The QB position is a major concern.
Michigan got some momentum with their run game, but they still have a lot of work to do before next week. Here are a few takeaways from Saturday's win:
Michigan has a major problem at quarterback
When Davis Warren was taken out of the game on Saturday, he hadn't thrown a pass that wasn't caught. Unfortunately, three of his passes were caught by Arkansas State players. Warren has made some impressive throws, but he can't take care of the football. It's a problem, and he was taken out of the game because of it.
Michigan brought in Alex Orji after Warren's third interception. Orji is a great runner, but he has some question marks in the passing game as well. The fact that the coaching staff rode with Warren through all the mistakes for as long as they did probably says a lot about their confidence in Orji's passing ability.
It would be pretty surprising if Jack Tuttle isn't the guy when he's healthy. He has the most experience out of any Michigan QBs and we have seen him throw the football in the past. Something has to change. Maybe Orji can get it done, but it just doesn't seem like he has the arm talent. The coaching staff has shown no confidence in him when it comes to throwing the ball more than three yards down the field.
Offensive line played better
One positive for Michigan was the offensive line and the run game. Obviously, Arkansas State isn't a very good football team, but the Wolverines needed to show some life here, and they did. The run game finally got going as Michigan rushed for over 300 yards, and Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards both had a good game. Michigan wants running the football to be their identity, and it was on Saturday.
Kalel Mullings is clearly the best running back on the team
Donovan Edwards did have a much better day on Saturday and he is going to continue to get a lot of carries, but Kalel Mullings is the best running back on the team. Mullings finished the game with 152 rushing yards on 15 carries and he got into the end zone twice. Edwards had 82 yards on 17 carries, and he found the end zone once. Mullings gives the team the best chance to win.
If Michigan is going to beat USC next week, they need to play a lot better. The Trojans have looked really good in their two wins this season, and they are going to be a tough team for Michigan to beat. If the Wolverines lose that game, they are in trouble.
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