The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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30 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2024 M ichigan's passing game has strug- gled mightily in the first half of the season, ranking 130th of 133 teams nationally with only 115.0 yards pass- ing per game. The Wolverines were tied for 118th in interceptions (8) and had at least one turnover in every game, and at least one pick in 5 of 6. Offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell has had his hands tied a bit with sloppy offensive line and receiver play in addi- tion to sketchy quarterback play. Even the veteran running backs have been hit and miss in pass protection this year. Campbell is well aware of the diffi- culties at QB this year. At the same time, he said, it's a team effort in improving the passing game overall. "To help out the pass game, one, we've got to execute with more preci- sion and detail across the board, mak- ing sure we put them in good position," he said before the Wolverines faced Washington, a 27-17 road loss in which quarterback Jack Tuttle entered in the second quarter and lost a fumble and threw a pick. "But then when the plays are called, we've got to execute, as well. So, there's a catch-22 there. "We can, and we have plays on the call sheet to be creative that everybody wants, but if you're not executing at a high level and moving the football, they're hard to get off the call sheet. Once you start rolling first downs, you're able to call those things." Michigan put three scoring drives in a row together against the Huskies to take a 17-14 lead, and they included plays we hadn't seen much this year. A 22-yard, third-down strike to junior receiver Amorion Walker moved the chains over the middle, and Tuttle's third-quarter scramble and touchdown throw to junior tight end Colston Loveland was one of the plays of the year. Still, they need more of that going for- ward. Receivers, especially, have strug- gled to get open. This spring, Campbell said he believed they had more than enough talent to field an "explosive" of- fense, but through six games, U-M was 127th nationally in passing plays over 10 yards (27) and 130th in completions of 20-plus yards (7). They were second-to- last in plays of 30 or more and dead last in 40-plus. "When the plays are called, we've got to execute, as well," Campbell continued. "When the plays are there, we've got to make them, right? And then we've got to put them in situations to make the plays, too. I still [believe] we've got really talented players, but we've got to make some more plays, and we've got to call plays to get them in situations to go out there and make them. "There are multiple things we have done and we need to continue to do. You get them stacked in bunches and mo- tions and all that stuff, and then you've got to win by confines of the routes, the top of the routes. We know we're going to get challenged in man coverage, and we've got to learn to separate." EXPLOSIVE RUNNING PLAYS HAVE SAVED U-M, BUT THEY'RE NOT ENOUGH Michigan's running game, meanwhile, has been impressive through six games considering the absence of a passing game to complement it. The Wolverines ranked ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Wolverines Looking For Answers In The Passing Game First-year offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell entered the bye week with a focus on improving the team's execution in the passing game. The Wolverines were generating only 115.0 yards per game through the air to rank 130th in the FBS. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL