It's no secret. The Michigan offense has struggled to open the 2024 college football season. And when asked about it this week, Sherrone Moore didn't shy away from how poor the offense has been as a whole, but he did strive to bring some clarity and direction for his team, media, and fans alike.
"It's urgency, it's not panic," Sherrone Moore said. This group of Michigan players isn't exactly used to losing, so as they're set to play Arkansas State, Moore made it clear they just need to focus on getting better as a whole unit, building on the successes they have had so far. When asked about the things that Michigan's offense could build upon Moore had to say this:
"There were times where there were some efficient runs. And we've got to be consistent when we do it. [Pass] protection early was good. You know, the big thing when you get in passing and guys are just revving off the ball it's hard to protect at any level."
While it is true that pass protection struggled late, possibly due to the game script getting out of hand, that doesn't really give the offensive line any excuses for how poorly they were in run blocking early. And it certainly doesn't make up for the fact that both Evan Link and Giovanni El-Hadi were absolutely horrific in pass protection overall, surrendering several pressures, hits, and a sack.
Moore didn't want to throw any one position (or players) under the bus, so he emphasized that the whole offense needs to get better. However, in order for that to happen some starting personnel changes might need to be made up front.
Related: Sherrone Moore provides key update on the Michigan quarterback room moving forward after loss to Texas
When asked about mixing things up on offensive line, tweaking anything, and potential personnel changes, Moore first began with a "no", but then changed his tune mid-answer.
"No, I mean, you know, we're always going to challenge the guys and make sure that nobody's comfortable in their position....That's always been the standard here. There's competition every week so we're going to continue to do that, and have that throughout the week, and see who practices the best. And the best players will play. And for us it'll just be who's going to strain in every phase. That'll determine who will end up playing."
He went on to discuss some communication issues as well, so we'll see if those get taken care of this week against Arkansas State. But perhaps more importantly, Sherrone Moore left the door open for starting personnel changes on the offensive line. It sounds like there will be consistent weekly competition within the group as always, but that could (and likely should) lead to other offensive linemen getting a chance at increased snaps.
Both Greg Crippen and Andrew Gentry have seen limited action already. Others could certainly see the field if Michigan gets up big early on against Arkansas State. Either way, this is the last game on Michigan's schedule where they can truly test things out before diving into tougher Big Ten matchups. If Sherrone Moore and the coaching staff are going to get their offense right, it's now or never.
Related: Michigan's Big Ten worst offense on pace to break all the wrong records after horrific loss to Texas
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