Keys To The Game: Michigan Vs. Texas

By Chris Balas

Fresno State proved to be a great opener for Michigan, a good team with athletes that prepared the Wolverines for one of their biggest tests of the year — Saturday vs. Texas. U-M is a touchdown underdog here after looking pedestrian on offense, while the Longhorns hammered Colorado State. Steve Sarkisian’s team looks complete, and it will take a great effort from a revamped Michigan team to beat them. 

RELATED: Staff Predictions: Michigan football vs. Texas

“Offensively, they’re extremely explosive,” head coach Sherrone Moore said this week. “The quarterback is as seasoned, as good as any in the country. He’s accurate, knows the offense inside and out. He does a good job of controlling the offense. 

“The O-line has four guys that started the last year and are all older, all seniors. So, their experience … they’ve done a really good job. They’re really well coached on offense. Sark does a great job calling the game and rhythm. And then they’ve got weapons on the outside that are all really fast. Defensively, they’re sound. They do a really good job of fitting the run and being gap sound and playing great coverage.”

But this is Michigan, and the Wolverines are loaded defensively, talented enough to win this game. They’re going to have to jell quickly on offense, though, to make it happen. Here are the three keys to a U-M win Saturday.

Michigan Key No. 1: Make quarterback Quinn Ewers uncomfortable 

This doesn’t mean being irresponsible and blitzing every down, of course. The best Michigan defensive performances against passing teams the past few years have come when they’ve mixed defenses and dropped into coverage, bringing the occasional extra pass rusher or two. 

Wink Martindale is more aggressive, and that’s fine as long as it doesn’t lead to home runs. The Wolverines can’t afford to give up easy ones in this game. Texas has a good offensive line, but U-M’s front seven needs to find ways to get to Ewers and make him uncomfortable, sometimes even with four. The Longhorns quarterback isn’t as good under pressure (as most QBs aren’t), and they need to keep him off balance.

Michigan Key No. 2: Limit the communication mistakes on offense

That means center Dominick Giudice, particularly, is going to have to have a better game in week two — and we imagine he will. Last week, there were times it appeared the guards missed blocks, but Moore indicated it was the result of the pre-snap call and responsibility.

“Dom Giudice … had some communication things which caused some pressures,” he said. “People see somebody miss a block but don’t really know what’s going on. The biggest thing was the communication. There’s a plan — you’ve got to stick to the plan and can’t erase from the plan because those will mess up everybody else around you. So, for us, keep the communication clean, concise, and continue to do that.”

The line got push against a solid Fresno State team, but there were times on combo blocks, etc., that they also missed assignments. Those things usually get cleaned up throughout the year — and yes, a lot of them from week one to week two. They’ll have to be Saturday. 

Michigan Key No. 3: Control the ball

That means running it effectively. If that means going to Kalel Mullings earlier in the game and using Donovan Edwards as a receiver out of the backfield or in the slot, so be it. This is a game in which wasted downs and possessions will be extremely costly given the level of talent on the opposite sideline. 

It doesn’t mean just running, though. Offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell is likely going to have to scheme for the Longhorns limiting tight end Colston Loveland’s effectiveness with added attention. There are going to have to be some outliers who step up, and the plays they didn’t make last week — Peyton O’Leary, Tyler Morris, even Loveland — in the passing game need to be made this week.

This defense will need to weigh much more heavily on the starters than it did a week ago. That means taking time off the clock and keeping them relatively fresh.

The breakdown: Michigan football vs. Texas

Texas has the luxury of getting Michigan in a rebuilding year on offense. While there’s plenty of talent on offense, there’s also a lot of inexperience and guys who haven’t been the focal point. They need to embrace these roles and step into them the way Kalel Mullings did at running back. Tyler Morris and Semaj Morgan have more to give, as does Donovan Edwards.

The Longhorns look like a complete team, but Ann Arbor is a tough place to win again. The Wolverines are outstanding in two of three phases of the game — if the offense is solid to good and avoids key mistakes and turnovers Saturday, they can win this game. 

This should be a very good battle between heavyweights that’s won or lost in the fourth quarter. As always, any turnovers will be huge.