Michigan whipped but understands ‘season’s not over’

• Heather Dinich, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterSep 7, 2024, 05:54 PM ET

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  • College football reporter
  • Joined ESPN.com in 2007
  • Graduate of Indiana University

ANN ARBOR, Mich.– Nobody at Michigan expected the Wolverines to start 2024 looking like the unstoppable, unbeaten nationwide champs of last year– not when that 2023 team lost an FBS-leading 13 of those players to the NFL, along with its coach.But the disconcerting

distinction that has unfolded in a matter of months was on complete screen Saturday when No. 3 Texas dismantled the Wolverines in every which way on their home grass, breezing out of town with a 31-12 win while snapping Michigan’s streak of 23 straight wins in the Big House. The loss also broke Michigan’s Big 10 record of winning 29 straight regular-season games.Following the loss, first-year coach Sherrone Moore stated he didn’t think about growing discomforts with this team, rather he concentrated on what the Wolverines could do to improve.”We understood we’re a new group,”he stated.”We never ever tried to rest on our laurels after we won the championship game last year. So for us, it was what are we going to do to get better and make this group great? We’re at where we’re at. We’re going to continue to grow and get better. “The question isn’t just how rapidly– it’s also how much better they can be. It was the 2nd week the offense had a hard time, as Michigan also left to a slow start in its Week 1 win versus Fresno State. The difference against Texas up front on both the offending and protective lines was glaring. While Texas thrived in both its running and passing games, Michigan sputtered to get anything going on the ground and was then pushed into an unreliable death game when it tried to conquer a 24-3 halftime deficit.When asked after the game if he seemed like he needed to make any considerable changes to his personnel, Moore stated he needed to

see the game film to “figure it out.””I do not wish to make a knee-jerk reaction and simply say something, “he stated.” I’ll enjoy it, evaluate it, see what we need to do to put the best people in the ideal locations to make it effective.”Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Michigan, a group that hadn’t lost in 16 straight games, had 3 turnovers, consisting of an uncharacteristic

fumble from veteran tight end Colston Loveland, who remains among the Wolverines ‘more trustworthy players on offense. They completed with simply 80 hurrying backyards on the ground, an indictment of the offending line’s capability to obstruct against a Texas defense that wasn’t fooled much. There were times when Warren showed promise– slinging a dart in the 4th quarter for a first down as he was completely leveled by a Texas defender.But for the majority of the game, Michigan couldn’t sustain drives, converting only 3 of 12 third downs– while allowing Texas to control the clock by going 10-of-16 on third-down conversions.

Not all of these mistakes, Moore said, are long-lasting problems. He stated the first of 2 interceptions was a tipped pass, and the second was miscommunication. On the fumble, he stated, Loveland didn’t tuck it away quickly enough. “Those are 3 things that, if you do not have those,” he said,”you remain in a different ballgame. However they took place. And they did a good task capitalizing on them.”Defensively, Moore stated Michigan enabled 135 lawns after contact– evidence the essential dealing with requirements to improve. “For us, those little things, you repair those, it puts you in a better position,”

he stated, “however you can’t do that against an excellent team. “It’s hardly the last good team Michigan will deal with.

The Wolverines, in a supersized Big 10, will host USC in two weeks, travel to Washington on Oct. 5, and host Oregon on Nov. 2– all conference games. With a brand-new 12-team College Football Playoff, though, there is still a sense within the program that Michigan can go back to the CFP. The 5 highest-ranked conference champs are guaranteed a spot in the playoff, along with the next 7 highest-ranked groups.”Our season’s not over,”defensive end Josaiah Stewart said,”so one loss does not kick us out of the playoff like it most likely would last year.”While there was certainly frustration in the locker space

following the loss, Warren said Michigan is”much better than what we revealed today. “”We let them off too quickly,”stated Warren, who completed 22 of 33 passes for

204 yards and a touchdown when the game ran out reach.”It’s a really bad sensation because I understand this offense, this team has what it requires to win that football game and we didn’t do it.” Although this lineup has a various appearance from the nationwide champs, Warren said the standard at Michigan hasn’t altered– and”there’s no trouble”in preserving it.”It falls on everybody to maintain that requirement in every single method,”he said.” That’s something we plainly didn’t do well sufficient today. That falls on me to be much better, to play better, and it draws. Due to the fact that you come into this game, you know there’s a lot of the

line, you want to get a win. We have actually got to take a hard appearance in the mirror at what kind of group we want to be.”