Michigan football boosts offensive confidence ahead of epic top-10 showdown with Texas

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – This weekend, the No. 10 ranked Michigan Wolverines will play host to the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns in a highly anticipated matchup inside The Big House.

The week two matchup will be the first time both teams will have played each other during the regular season, but Texas won the previous meeting in the Rose Bowl on a last-second field goal on Jan. 1, 2006.

The game will feature many celebrities affiliated with both programs, like actor Matthew McConaughey and New York Yankees legend and Major League Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter, who will represent his maize and blue on Saturday (Sept. 7).

According to reports, Jeter, who committed to Michigan before beginning his pro career in 1992, will be the honorary captain for the Wolverines.

Both teams are coming into the matchup with their fanbases ready to rumble. Still, in week one, many questions linger for the Wolverines after their uninspired 30-10 victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs.

The Wolverines are on a 29-game regular season winning streak, the most in the Big Ten conference’s history.

Michigan is also a home underdog for the first time since the Ohio State Buckeyes game in 2022; the only difference is that the fanbase is very worried after what was displayed in the season opener.

“We’re used to it,” said Will Johnson. “It’s always been that way since I’ve been here since I’ve grown up. At Michigan, you’re always an underdog no matter what you do, so we wouldn’t like it any other way.”

Newly crowned starter Davis Warren has gained the trust of Sherrone Moore and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell to run the Wolverines’ offense.

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A lot of offseason hype revolved around Alex Orji and how his athleticism would lead the Wolverines back to the promised land. Then the season opener kicked off, leaving fans scratching their heads.

During week one’s matchup against Fresno State, the Wolverines were held to 89 yards in the first half and had negative 10 yards at one point in the second quarter.

Every time Orji came into the game to run a quarterback option, the fans erupted, and then they’d start booing once Warren re-entered the game as the offense couldn’t move the ball again.

The influx of boos went on for about a half until Orji ran a sprint right option and threw the ball in the direction of junior wide receiver Tyler Morris, and he threw the ball directly into the ground.

At one point, NCAA 2025 cover athlete Donovan Edwards had six carries for six yards while running back roommate Kalel Mullings toted the rock 15 times for 92 yards.

Edwards finished the game with 11 carries for 27 yards while catching two passes for zero yards and one touchdown in the 30-10 victory.

Moore discussed the biggest improvements he’d like to see heading to the Texas game.

“I mean, everything,” said Moore. “We’re not going to say just one piece of our game that we want to get better. We’re going to strive for perfection and chase excellence. Everything. We’re going to try to get better on offense in all phases; defense in all phases. I thought we were really good on defense, but we’re going to try to get better on that and on special teams as well.”

Warren, postgame, also talked about the offensive struggles he and the team faced during the season opener.

“Obviously, there were some moments where we struggled to get the ball moving and pick up third downs, and that falls on me as a quarterback to make sure we’re in the right play and doing the right thing. But we can’t leave ourselves in third and long. We’ve got to keep the chains moving, and that falls on all of us to keep us going, but I’m just so proud of the way guys battled. That last drive, that’s Michigan football right there. And that’s just the momentum that we needed. I kept telling the guys, ‘Hey, we’re going to get this thing going. Things are going to start moving and popping.’ They eventually did, and it eventually brought us together. It gave us more confidence and more trust to go out there and play fun and play free. I was praying that we got another drive as I felt like if we got another drive, we were going to score again, so I’m proud of the way guys fought and the O-line as they played special in the end there.”

Michigan Wolverines starting quarterback Davis Warren

The newly formed offensive line had a continuity issue, which some may focus on as to why Edwards struggled.

In years past, teams stacked the box against Michigan, and the O-line still moved opponents out of the way, but last weekend’s game showed otherwise.

It may have been a case of not having preseason games in college football for the offense, but defensive coordinator Wink Martindale had his guys ready to roll, and it showed.

National Football League fans have seen defensive teams in years past, like the 1985 Chicago Bears, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the 2010s Legion of Boom Seattle Seahawks, dominate their side of the ball only to have the offense sputter early and often.

That deflates the team as its offense continues to come off the field on third down. Situations like the one the offense is going through can deflate a stout defense like the ones mentioned above.

They couldn’t get a quick drink of water because their offenses were going three and out for most of the game, which can become deflating and/or tiresome as you barely contribute to the victory.

This could happen if the Wolverines continue to play conservatively on offense, with first-down runs of minimal yards. They could follow that up with another run play on second down and become predictive on third and long, causing defenses to pin their ears back because they know you’re passing the ball.

When they pass the ball, they’re not stretching the field, as everything is dink-and-dunk near or at the line of scrimmage. Or it’s a quick curl, slant, or out route to the sticks that cause your defense to come back into the game after taking a quick breather on the sideline.

Inserting Orji for one play at a time and then going back to Warren for drop-offs isn’t going to work against better teams like Texas, who, with their own cover athlete in quarterback Quinn Ewers, boat-raced Colorado State 52-0.

Maybe Michigan held much of their playbook back, figuring they’d handle Fresno State with their vanilla offensive schemes, knowing they’d have a big-time test in week two.

One of the Wolverines’ big advantages is that Saturday’s (Sept. 7) game is in Ann Arbor. It will be played in front of a Maize-Out crowd at 12 p.m., and the temperatures will be fall-like at kickoff.

The Longhorns probably have no clue what they’re studying or preparing for in the offense, as the starters are new compared to Team 144.

The offensive line and running back are new, as are the receivers and quarterback, so maybe it’s a game of chicken or some sort of Muhammad Ali rope-a-dope as superstar tight end Colston Loveland talked about the physicality they possessed on offense and how he liked the way the team finished the game during their last drive.

“I thought it was there at times and lacking sometimes, too. Maybe someone didn’t strain at tight end or receiver, and a guy got off and made a play later, but we kind of got it together at the end.

The defense can only go so hard, and I think that’s a credit to our strength coach staff and what we do in practice, but there was a lot of meat on the bone. We got to strain a little harder as a whole. It’s just great to get a win, and it’s time to prepare for next week.”

Michigan Wolverines tight end Colston Loveland

Mullings talked about the final drive being a good sign heading into their top-10 matchup against Texas.

“At the end of the day, it’s football, and anything can happen. You can’t go on just making assumptions thinking that some things might go one way, so being able to deal with the adversity, facing it, and overcoming it is a good sign, but the main priority is getting back on Monday and attacking this week in practice and continuing to do that each and every week during the season and getting better each and every week during the season.

“I think our offense can improve a lot no matter if it’s two weeks time, three weeks time, whatever, but I’m super excited about this offense. I can’t wait to play next week. I can’t wait to play the week after that and continue to put together games and be out there with the guys.”

Michigan Wolverines running back Kalel Mullings

The trip to Ann Arbor will be the first for Texas football, and from the looks of it, the men in maize might have a few tricks up their sleeves inside The Big House.

Not to mention, being in a plethora of big games over the last three years has prepared them for moments like Saturday in front of the home crowd, which will be electric.

The game has a big-fight feel, and it’s only week two. With the adjustment of the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams and the way universities will now have the opportunity to host a home playoff game for the first time, Saturday’s game and the Wolverines fanbase will give the college world their first look at what a the home-field playoff atmosphere will look like.