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With a quarterback controversy once again swirling around the No. 18 Michigan football team, coach Sherrone Moore changed his approach. Instead of keeping who would start a secret, like he did before he named senior quarterback Davis Warren the Week 1 starter, Moore came right out with it on Monday.
“Yeah, (junior quarterback Alex Orji) will start on Saturday,” Moore said in response to the first question of his presser. “Excited for him. He’s been in here, chomping at the bit so we’ll move on from there.”
Moore was so publicly forthcoming with who his starting quarterback would be that he hadn’t even told the rest of the Wolverines’ roster yet. In fact, graduate safety Makari Paige and Senior running back Donovan Edwards both heard the news for the first time upon speaking to the media themselves. But after Warren threw six interceptions through three starts and Michigan’s offense never truly found its footing, Moore saw no point in dancing around it any longer.
While Warren started the first three games, Orji still earned usage as the Wolverines primarily relied on him to run the read option. In that bit role, Orji tallied 10 rushes for 59 yards while also throwing two touchdown passes — matching Warren’s season total in the stat.
And when Warren was benched in the third quarter against Arkansas State, Orji got the chance to run the offense for full drives instead of single plays. Michigan didn’t have him throw that much, as he went just 2-for-4 passing, but he commandeered one touchdown drive and finished it off with a nine-yard pass to freshman tight end Hogan Hansen. Combined with Warren’s turnover troubles, that was enough to earn Orji the start against No. 11 USC.
“I thought (Orji) was in a really good place, and Davis outperformed him in camp at the end,” Moore said. “Would love to see him just take the reins and do what he’s been doing through those first couple weeks, and I think he will.”
Moore expressed confidence in Orji, while also sharing that he doesn’t regret the original choice to start Warren over him. Still, Moore has no plans to flip between his two quarterbacks any longer — Orji has the job now, and Moore foresees it staying that way.
“We’re gonna play the guy who we think is going to help us win,” Moore said. “… I don’t think we’re going to flip back and forth. Alex is the starting quarterback now, so there we go.”
With Orji now taking snaps under center, the Wolverines’ offense will likely look different in the coming weeks. For as much as Moore wanted to act like there was “no difference” between starting Orji and Warren in the opening weeks of the season, the two quarterbacks have vastly different skill sets. Orji’s drives featured an even heavier emphasis on running the ball, while Warren’s drives included more passing plays
And though Orji’s legs add another dimension to the offense, his accuracy issues could take one away. Orji showed off his arm strength against the Red Wolves with an attempted deep ball to sophomore wide receiver Fredrick Moore, but missed him by a step, highlighting his struggles.
Moore says that Orji’s passing is moving in the right direction, though.
“He’s got great arm strength, the accuracy has improved tremendously and he’s done the things that we think can help us win,” Moore said. “It’s going to take great prep, mentally, physically and spiritually, to get him where we need to be. And I think he will.”
While Orji’s accuracy may have improved, it’s still one of the reasons why he lost the starting job in the first place. Thrown immediately into the fires of Big Ten play against a top-15 opponent, Orji will have to show marked improvement throwing the ball to keep up with the Trojans’ high-flying offense.
After Warren’s inability to hold onto the ball regularly cost Michigan, though, Orji will get the chance to show off his progress. And with no plans to spin the quarterback carousel another time, Moore and the rest of the Wolverines are confident in Orji’s ability to take that next step.
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