The Michigan Wolverines didn't look great again on Saturday, but they found a way to get a 29-13 win over Air Force. Michigan's offense continued to struggle, yet they put enough points on the board thanks to five field goals from Quinn Nordin and a couple of big plays.
WHAT A RETURN! Donovan Peoples-Jones (@dpeoplesjones) takes the punt and goes 78 yards to the house! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/NjsQlT1Bj1
— Chat Wolverines (@ChatWolverines) September 16, 2017
Karan Higdon ices the game with this long TD run! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/zRYIItp3lo
— Chat Wolverines (@ChatWolverines) September 16, 2017
Here are the three biggest takeaways for the Wolverines from the game:
1) Michigan needs to figure out the red zone
The Wolverines were virtually automatic last year in the red zone. This year? It has been their biggest weakness.
After going 0/4 in the red zone against Air Force, Michigan still has scored just one touchdown in their 10 red zone appearances this season. The power running game hasn't been as successful and Wilton Speight (more on him in a second) has had trouble finding open receivers. Jim Harbaugh's squad has been able to get by for now, but if they want to compete with the top teams in the Big Ten, they need to start punching the ball into the end zone with some consistency.
2) Is Wilton Speight really the best option?
I'm not saying Speight should be benched, but Michigan needs to keep evaluating the position given his play. Speight struggled again in this one, completing 14/23 passes for 169 yards. A large part of the blame for not being able to score in the red zone falls on his shoulders. The offense hasn't been able to move the ball consistently through the air due to him holding onto it too long, taking sacks and being hesitant in his decision-making.
In three games this season, Michigan has scoured just five offensive touchdowns - slightly more than the four non-offensive touchdowns they have. Don't be surprised to see John O'Korn on the field next week.
Michigan Fans - Download Chat Sports on iPhone today for breaking Wolverines news, rumors, scores and more - Chat Sports iPhone App!
3) Both offensive and defensive lines were not as dominant as expected
Line play has been a strength of Michigan's under Jim Harbaugh, but there were some holes in that armour today. Air Force's front seven was able to routinely step in and stop plays at the line of scrimmage or for a loss. On the flip side, their option offense had success because of the offensive line's ability to push the line of scrimmage up the field.
Air Force does have a quality offensive line, but Michigan is bigger and stronger - and their play just wasn't up to par. It's not a cause for alarm yet, but it is something that needs to be worked on in practice.
Follow our Michigan Wolverines team page for all the latest Michigan football news!
Back to the Michigan Wolverines Newsfeed