Davis Warren proud to be Michigan football’s starting quarterback
Michigan quarterback Davis Warren said he’s excited to try to meet the expectations for Michigan football as the team’s starting quarterback.
Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore needed some perspective about his own offensive line.
The one he used to coach.
So, he spent some time watching tape of Michigan’s offensive line in its first game in each of the past three seasons, and he was reminded of how that line was less than perfect then.
But he also found something else.
He kept watching those three seasons, though, and that’s where he found the perspective. He saw how much the improved — in all three seasons — in the second game. “Like two different lines,” Moore said.
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Now, you probably didn’t realize that because Michigan started 2023 with a cupcake schedule that included East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green.
And you probably didn’t realize it in 2022, when Michigan rolled through Colorado State, Hawaii and UConn by a ridiculous combined score of 166-17.
Michigan was able to cruise to victory and fans didn’t even realize the improvement that was going on behind the scenes.
But this year?
This year is completely different.
The improvement is not just needed — and fast — it’s imperative.
Because here comes No. 4 Texas.
The Longhorns come to the Big House on Saturday favored by nearly a touchdown, in part, because Michigan is coming off an uninspiring 30-10 victory over Fresno State — a game in which the Wolverines led just 13-3 going into the fourth quarter.
One way to look at Michigan’s first game before playing Texas: Ruh roh!
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The other way: Michigan didn’t show Texas anything, and the Wolverines found out a whole bunch of things they can improve.
“Never where you want it to be,” Moore said on Monday. “It’s definitely got to get better. But I thought the attitude, I thought the strain was there, the details and technique have to continue to get better. And that’s a product of your first game as an offensive line.”
Texas a huge test for Moore
What do we know about Moore?
Last year, he proved he could take a talented, dominant team with a strong offensive line and win games when Jim Harbaugh was sitting out. Moore closed out the 2023 regular season by leading Michigan to three straight wins, including two over top-10 teams, as Harbaugh served a three-game suspension from the Big Ten.
It was impressive, to say the least. And I wrote he was the obvious choice to replace Harbaugh.
Now, he has, and we are at the next stage in Moore’s development as a head coach.
We are about to find out something else. Not about Moore’s game management.
I’m talking way before that. What is his in-week preparation like?
I mean, without Harbaugh?
That is the real test facing Moore this week.
Last season, Harbaugh was coaching the Wolverines during the week before those big games Moore won. Harbaugh was setting the overall game philosophy. He was identifying weaknesses, and he was setting an overall plan of attack for his entire team. That’s the role of a head coach: to set the big picture.
Harbaugh was like a chef, planning the menu and getting everything ready before letting somebody else bring it all together on game day.
Now, obviously, Harbaugh is gone. And this week will tell us so much more about Moore.
Moore has to prove he can get his players throughout his program to clean up mistakes — here’s the positive about that: the most improvement always happens between the first and second games — while creating an overall three-phase strategy to pull an upset against what looks like a stronger team, getting the offense, defense and special teams units to complement each other.
“We’re super-excited for the challenge,” Moore said. “We know we got a really good football team coming in in all three phases. … Obviously, they have a really great quarterback, skill players, fast everywhere. Running back is really good. … And the O-line is as good as you’ll see in the country.”
How do you beat Texas?
Moore is faced with several questions: Texas has some talented, speedy receivers, so how will the Wolverines deal with that?
“The big thing that stands out is their speed, their ability to separate,” Moore said. “So for us, it’s going to be doing everything we can to contain those guys.”
One way, of course, is to keep them off the field, which means running the ball and controlling the clock.
And that was easy, last year, when this team had an offensive line that was one of the best in the country, and running back Blake Corum was busy being his brilliant self.
But now, Corum is gone and the line is completely new.
But Moore said he saw improvement at the end of the Fresno State game.
“Offensively, we got a rhythm at the end of the game, really felt the line jelling,” he said.
So, that’s a positive. Something to build on.
But there’s more for Moore: How will Michigan develop a passing threat, if the only proven, consistent threat is tight end Colston Loveland?
And how will Michigan get more explosive plays? The Wolverines had just two plays longer than 15 yards in Game 1.
“So for us, it’s just about the preparation this week,” Moore said.
Indeed.
This game will not just tell us about the Wolverines and what type of season they might have.
It’s going to tell us more about Moore — and how well he can prepare a team without Harbaugh
Contact Jeff Seidel: [email protected] or follow him @seideljeff.
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Publish date : 2024-09-02 23:08:00
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