Going into the season, the one word that almost everyone inside Schembechler Hall used to describe the offense was explosive. But throughout the first two weeks of the season, that explosivity remains to be seen.
While exact definitions differ, explosive plays are generally defined by runs of 12-plus yards or passes of 20-plus yards. Explosive plays are one of the biggest predictors of drive success, so Michigan’s coaching staff is eager to stimulate that area of the offense.
“We (need to) get more chunk-yard plays,” Wolverines coach Kyle Whittingham said Monday. “We didn’t. We’re not having an abundance of those and that’s one of the most vital stats.”
The No. 19 Michigan football team ranks 120th in plays of 20-plus yards this season. And while explosive plays aren’t the only reason why the Wolverines have the sixth-worst scoring offense in FBS, chunk plays’ correlation with success shows why Whittingham values them so highly.
Given Michigan’s plethora of talented skill position players, and offensive coordinator Jason Beck’s ability to scheme chunk plays, it begs the question: Why is the Wolverines’ offense falling behind?
One reason that shouldn’t be overlooked is Michigan’s schedule. The Broncos and Sooners both have talented defensive units, so early-season statistics won’t favor Wolverines. Still though, Michigan’s coaches expect more explosiveness out of the offense, and some of that onus is put on projected breakout sophomore receiver Andrew Marsh.
“We need to get him involved more,” Whittingham said of Marsh. “… It’s something that we’re well aware of, and he flashed a little bit on Saturday.”
Marsh has five receptions for 28 yards right now — not a terrible statline, but certainly under his preseason expectations. In fairness, Marsh drew a pass interference penalty against then-No. 11 Oklahoma that impeded him from catching a deep ball. Marsh’s involvement so far has mostly come from bubble screens and short passes which, as a shifty athlete, he can excel with. But many of Marsh’s explosive plays last year came from pushing the ball down the field, something the Wolverines’ offense hasn’t done very much of so far.
However, pushing the ball down the field is easier said than done. Sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood’s struggles in the passing game have been well documented, but the stagnant passing attack can’t solely be attributed to him. Running a lot of two-back or two-tight end sets, Michigan’s personnel packages limit how many receivers can be on the field. This means defenses can hone in on the two receivers on the field which, in turn, narrows the margin of error for Underwood’s execution.
Another area where the Wolverines’ execution has inhibited their ability to generate explosive plays is with penalties. Michigan has the 16th-most penalty yards in college football, and procedural penalties have continually put the offense behind the sticks.
“Players have got to understand there’s consequences with penalties,” Whittingham said. “If you’re on offense, they’re essentially drive killers. The chances of moving the chains when you’re starting the series first-and-20, after a penalty, is not real high.”
While penalties have killed drives, they’ve also impeded the Wolverines’ backs from getting into a rhythm. Junior running back Jordan Marshall and freshman running back Savion Hiter both said recently that they perform better once they get into a rhythm. But when penalties force the offense into first- and second-and-long situations, bread-and-butter run plays that allow backs to get going aren’t as feasible to call.
With these inhibitors to explosive plays, however, it’s important for Michigan to build on what has worked. Underwood’s legs gave the Wolverines some chunk plays against the Sooners, and sophomore receiver JJ Buchanan has been the most consistent source of long passing plays. Beck relied on these two positives against Oklahoma, and it seems like they will be building blocks of a more explosive offense.
The preseason’s expectations of explosivity haven’t come to fruition yet, but the seeds are still there. If Michigan can clean up its execution and get its playmakers more involved, its early-season struggles could look more like its preseason expectations.
