The Michigan Wolverines (5-3, 3-2) will host the No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks (8-0, 5-0 in the big house in a Big Ten football matchup. Oregon is currently a 15.5-point favorite. This will be the Wolverines’ biggest test of the season. A win versus the Ducks will have them back in the national spotlight. Coming off a big win versus rival Michigan State, Michigan only has a 2 percent chance of making the playoffs, but a win on Saturday could see those odds flip dramatically.
Michigan Wolverines vs. Oregon Ducks Football History and Excerpts
Michigan has a 3-2 record all-time versus Oregon. However, the last two times both teams have faced off, Oregon has come out on top.
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore is being tasked with preparing his players for the best team they’ve faced all season. On giving his team the best chance to succeed he said, “We got to prepare our tails off. A lot of studying film-wise, but we got to go execute at practice. We got to have great game plans and the guys got to do their jobs, not try to be Superman. We’ve got a lot of talent on our team and we got a lot of ability. So, for us, it’s going to be, you know, one, putting great game plans together to put our players in the best position and then go execute on practice every day.”
Sherrone Moore reacted to the win over Michigan State and looked ahead to hosting top ranked Oregon this weekend!
“Every game is a big game. We’re just going to approach it like it’s another game. We know how good they are.”
“We know what we have to do to win and we have to… pic.twitter.com/qXtck7Rsz2
— Chas Post (@chas_post23) October 29, 2024
Putting the players in the best spot to succeed has been a struggle for this coaching staff this year. Ensuring every player is where they need to be to execute needs to be the coaching staff’s top priority.
Meanwhile, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has his Ducks team at the top of college football. They beat Ohio State in Eugene, along with strong wins against Boise State and Illinois.
About playing Michigan, Lanning said, “We’re getting the opportunity to play the reigning national champions. In this conference, it’s hard every single week. So we know we’ll get their best. We’ve gotten to play in some games that are fun for us so far this year and challenging and this will certainly be a challenge.”
Lanning also talked about the immense level of talent Michigan has on the defensive side of the ball. And, how both quarterbacks showed that they are capable of playing at a high-level last weekend versus Michigan State.
Key Players for Michigan
Davis Warren will be the presumed starting quarterback for the rest of the season, with Alex Orji coming in for designed runs. At this point in the season, the Wolverines must stick with one guy at quarterback to build confidence, and right now, that is Warren.
Warren had his best game of the season last weekend. He kept the ball out of harm’s way, moved the ball down the field efficiently, and didn’t create huge negative plays. What stood out was that the run game couldn’t get going, and Warren stepped up as a passer to win the game. Tight end Colston Loveland and Warren also seem to have the best quarterback-receiver connection on the field, so Loveland will likely be more utilized than ever.
The Michigan Wolverines football team struggled defensively last weekend. A big part of that was the coaches putting their players in poor positions to succeed. If Michigan has any chance of stopping the explosive Oregon offense, the defensive line is going to have to win consistently versus the offensive line.
Josiah Stewart, Mason Graham, and Kenneth Grant must have the best game of their season. Linebacker Jaishawn Barham is settling into his role and has truly emerged in the second half of this season. In the last three weeks, he hasn’t missed a tackle and has only allowed three catches. Will Johnson’s availability will be critical this week, but even in his absence last week, cornerback Jyaire Hill stepped up, so another good game from him is vital.
Key Players for Oregon
The Oregon Ducks have a high-flying offense. They’re led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who is a Heisman candidate this season. The quarterback is playing efficient football and putting up phenomenal numbers.
Meanwhile, running back Jordan James has 800 rushing yards on nearly six yards per carry. Wide receivers Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart both have game-breaking speed and possess NFL-level talent. Offensive tackles Ajani Cornelius and Josh Connerly Jr. have also been phenomenal.
Defensively, Oregon added a lot of talent through the transfer portal to improve an already great defense. This team excels in pass coverage. Cornerbacks Jabbar Muhammad and Brandon Johnson have been lockdown cornerbacks. Safeties Kobe Savage and Tysheem Johnson have also not only been great in pass coverage but also versatile weapons that Oregon can put all over the field.
Keys for Michigan to Win
Win Pass Rush on the Inside
While Oregon’s offensive line has been great, they struggle with interior pass protection. Thankfully for Michigan, two of their best players are defensive tackles. They must generate an interior pass rush to force Gabriel out of the pocket. Gabriel is a mobile quarterback, but if Michigan can win the pass rush battle on the outside, it limits the rush lanes for Gabriel to escape through.
Put Players in a Position to Succeed
The coaches must put their players in a position to succeed. This means not dropping defensive linemen into pass coverage, not lining Mason Graham outside the offensive tackle, and not forcing Davis Warren to make tough decisions in muddy pockets.
Offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell had his best play-calling game of the season last week. The offense kept the defense off balance with creative play calling and timely trick plays, so maintaining this level of play calling is crucial. Defensive coordinator must get his defense off the field on third and long, so putting his guys in a position to succeed so they can’t run the ball to convert third and 8+ is critical.
Control the Run Game
Last weekend, the Michigan Wolverines weren’t able to get the run game going, but Davis Warren was able to play well enough to survive the football game. However, Oregon’s secondary and pass defense are significantly better than Michigan State’s, so the wide receivers may see the separation issues they’ve faced all season.
This makes it even more critical for Michigan to control the run game and consistently generate 4-5 yard runs with Alex Orji, Kalel Mullings, and Donovan Edwards. If Michigan can run the ball efficiently in early downs, they can open the rest of the playbook.
