Opponent Q&A: The Wolverine’s Clayton Sayfie talks Texas vs. Michigan

To preview the Maize and Blue side of things, Inside Texas enlisted help from The Wolverine beat reporter Clayton Sayfie for insight on Michigan’s strengths, weaknesses, week one matchup with Fresno State , and his final score prediction.

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What impressed you most about Michigan’s win over Fresno State, and in what areas do the Wolverines need to improve?

The defense was flying around. Michigan allowed 10 points but only nine rushing yards, and the pressure on Bulldogs quarterback Mikey Keene was constant. The Wolverines made him uncomfortable with their complicated blitz schemes and talent on the defensive line, both on the interior and the outside.

Senior EDGE Josaiah Stewart might have been the best player on the field Saturday night, which is saying something. He was a backup last season, his first with U-M after transferring in from Coastal Carolina , posting 5.5 sacks, but looks like he’s ready to break out. He had a pair of sacks and four total pressures, but was also great at defending screens and stopping the run.

Forcing two turnovers was also a positive. Junior nickel back Zeke Berry is stepping into big shoes that No. 50 overall NFL Draft choice Mike Sainristil wore last season, and he had a pick on the third play of the game. Junior cornerback Will Johnson , an All-American a year ago, actually allowed several receptions (he gambled on a few passes thrown his way) but called ‘game’ by notching an 86-yard pick six to put U-M up 30-10.

Michigan’s offensive line play has to be cleaned up before taking on Texas. The Wolverines had a lot of mistakes early in the game, and the run game got off to a slow start. Michigan is breaking in five new starters on the line, and the Wolverines insist the mistakes are easily fixable. Easier said than done, though.

The offense as a whole didn’t really get going until late in the second quarter, too.

How have you seen Sherrone Moore take over the Michigan program?

Michigan is just in such an interesting spot as a whole. Coming off the program’s 12th national championship and winning 40 of 43 games over a three-year stretch, Sherrone Moore hasn’t had any reason to switch things up. But he’s not the legendary Jim Harbaugh , either, and he has to be himself.

Moore was an elite recruiter as an assistant coach, has developed outstanding relationships with the players and is overall one of the better dudes we’ve seen in this business. He’s also a fiery former offensive lineman (at Oklahoma ) and demands excellence from the players, particularly the men in the trenches.

The 38-year-old impressively kept Michigan’s roster intact, continued NIL momentum, bulked up his recruiting staff and hired a general manager in his first offseason. Those have been some important things he’s done away from the field. He also has game experience as a head man, having stepped in as acting head coach on four game days last season, all wins ( Bowling Green , No. 9 Penn State , Maryland , No. 2 Ohio State ).

What is your assessment of Davis Warren at quarterback and the dynamic with Alex Orji ?

Davis Warren had a pretty solid first performance as Michigan’s starter, with some caveats. They didn’t ask him to do much, likely to get comfortable in the role but also to not show Texas all of their cards.

I thought he got rid of the ball too quickly, especially when he wasn’t yet pressured. That led to a lot of checkdowns and overly relying on junior Colston Loveland , who’s considered the best tight end in America.

Warren threw one interception, underthrowing a deep pass over the middle, but didn’t look rattled even though Fresno State kept it a fairly tight game throughout. I though his poise was what you want to see out of a quarterback in his first start since 2019.

I’m sure most Texas fans have read about him by now, but Warren is a leukemia survivor who returned to the field in high school and then saw his senior season canceled due to COVID. He walked on at U-M after Harbaugh gave him a chance and has risen up the depth chart ever since.

Junior Alex Orji saw nine snaps last week, throwing a three-yard touchdown pass and picking up three first downs with his legs. The Texan is a dynamic runner with great burst and pretty good top-end speed (elite for a QB), and at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, he is good in short-yardage situations. The key for U-M is to not disrupt the flow of the offense by bringing him in for a play here and there.

Strengths and weaknesses of the Michigan offense?

The strength should be the run game. Graduate running back Kalel Mullings had a big night with 92 rushing yards and really got into a groove toward the end of the game. He popped some big runs on the Wolverines’ final touchdown-scoring drive.

Loveland is tough to defend, and he doesn’t just line up at the in-line tight end position. He’ll play in the slot and out wide, and he can make plays from all over. He had eight of the Wolverines’ 16 catches and added 87 receiving yards with a touchdown last weekend.

The weakness is having an unexperienced quarterback, a new offensive line and brand-new receiving corps. It’s hard to build up chemistry in such short order.

Strengths and weaknesses of the Michigan defense?

The strength has to be the front seven. Michigan boasts two of the top defensive tackles in the nation in juniors Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham and a pair of standout edge rushers in Stewart and junior Derrick Moore .

The linebacking corps is fast and physical, led by junior Jaishawn Barham , a 6-foot-3, 248-pound heat-seeking missile who transferred in from Maryland. He’s one of the most physically imposing players in the conference. Expect to see him blitz quite a bit and play sideline-to-sideline.

The weakness might be coverage in the middle of the field. Michigan allowed some completions in that area last week. The linebackers and safeties have to be better. Senior safety Rod Moore , an All-Big Ten player who has All-America potential, tore his ACL in spring ball and is out. The Wolverines have experience there, but lack a game-changer like Moore.

If you’re a Michigan coach, what do you feel best about in this matchup and what’s your biggest concern?

Well, I like that this game is at home. Michigan hasn’t lost at home with fans in the stands since November 2019. The world was a much different place back then. The Wolverines have also played in and won a lot of big games in recent years — they’re typically ready for the moment. And there are a lot of guys who have contributed to championship squads still on the roster. Texas, obviously, has the same coming off a Big 12 title.

First-year Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale worked with Texas head coach and offensive play-caller Steve Sarkisian with the Oakland Raiders in 2004, and both will have wrinkles for each other this weekend. Martindale gets pretty exotic with his blitz packages but also disguises what he’s doing really well. That, coupled with Michigan’s talented personnel on defense, have to make the staff feel good about their chances to hold the Texas offense in check for the majority of the game.

The biggest concern is the offense as a whole. Michigan didn’t stay on schedule last week, averaging 7.5 yards to go on third down and failing to convert on four attempts of third and nine or longer. The Wolverines have to be a much more consistent unit on offense and stay on the field if they want to win.

Michigan wins this game if ________.

The offense takes a step forward, the defense plays like it can, the crowd is a factor and special teams are clean. It’s worth noting here that Michigan has a kicker with huge leg. Arkansas State transfer Dominic Zvada has made a 56-yard field goal in his career and he nailed attempts from 55, 53 and 45 last week. If this game is close like most are predicting, he could be the difference.

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Final score prediction and short explanation

If this game were later in the season, Michigan would have a better chance of winning. The Wolverines are figuring out an identity on offense, after naming a starting quarterback mere days before last week’s opener. The defense and special teams are legit, and there’s still a lot of talent on offense, so Michigan has more than a puncher’s chance. This will be a dogfight, but Texas has the edge heading in.

Prediction: Texas 28, Michigan 17

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