Coaches are as expensive as anything compared to Oregon

Free Press sportswriter Tony Garcia assesses Michigan football's performance Saturday in its 38-17 loss to Oregon in its first Big Ten meeting at Michigan Stadium.

Offense: C

After all the worry about the passing attack, who would have thought that it would be the lack of a rushing game that would prove costly? The running backs were under pressure for the second straight game as Kalel Mullings (eight runs for 16 yards) and Donovan Edwards (10 runs for 52 yards) had their least effective days of the season. Even QB Alex Orji was largely under pressure, running six times for 39 yards. Overall, Michigan averaged just 3.6 yards per attempt.

While it wasn't always pretty, the passing offense was acceptable. Aside from a fumble that he recovered in the first quarter, Davis Warren didn't put the ball in danger. He finished the day 13 of 23 for 165 yards and two touchdowns, but he wasn't the reason UM lost. He had a stretch midway through the game where he completed nine of 10 passes, four of which went for 18 yards or more, after UM finished the first 25 minutes of the game with just seven passing yards. Colston Loveland continues to solidify himself as the nation's top tight end; He caught seven passes for a career-high 112 yards.

Tyler Morris also had his best day of the year, with three catches for 38 yards and a nice touchdown reception on third-and-goal in the first quarter. Payton O'Leary also had his second career touchdown in the third quarter when he made a tough third-and-goal catch in traffic.

The second half was much better with two long drives, but an anemic first half was too much to overcome.

Defense: C-minus

Much like the offense, the second half was better, but not enough.

The tone was set when Oregon used four of its first five drives for touchdowns. Each of those possessions was a long haul, as all four took at least six plays and covered more than 60 yards. Three went for at least 75 yards.

The Ducks did pretty much whatever they wanted on offense, as Dillon Gabriel completed 22 of 34 passes for 294 yards, despite star receiver Tez Johnson leaving the game in the first quarter with an injury. Oregon had six passing plays of at least 15 yards and five rushing plays of at least 10 yards or more en route to 470 yards of offense. Michigan knew it had to win the third-down battle, but it didn't, allowing the top team in the country to convert 10 of 15 third downs.

While the second half was an improvement – Oregon's first three drives resulted in two punts and a field goal – an 11-play, 90-yard touchdown drive left a sour taste at the end of the game with 25 seconds left to play. Yes, UM was down in its two starting corners, but there was little resistance. UM had three tackles for loss, all in the second half, and no sacks.

Special Teams: B

There was one mistake that a special team made, but we should chalk that up to coaching. Overall the unit was good.

Joe Taylor opened the day with a 29-yard kick return and then made a momentary game-winning play when he forced a fumble on Michigan's second punt attempt. It put the Wolverines at the Ducks' 28, which led to a touchdown five plays later.

Meanwhile, the kicking game went smoothly. Dominic Zvada hit a 38-yard field goal and also made his two extra point attempts on the afternoon. Punter Tommy Doman, who has struggled this year, had perhaps his second-best performance of the season: five punts for an average of 45.2 yards while holding the Ducks inside their 20 yards twice (including once at the 6).

Coaching: C-minus

Michigan needed flawless play from its players and coaches to win this game, and even though the Wolverines didn't turn the ball over, the coaching staff didn't put it in the right position to win the game.

It started early with Oregon's first touchdown when Evan Stewart was credited with a score when replay showed he clearly dropped the pass. For some reason, the game wasn't challenged or reviewed: Moore said after the game, all scoring plays needed to be reviewed, so he needed to talk to the league to see what happened.

When Sherrone Moore later actually decided to challenge a result, it seemed questionable. Loveland attempted to throw a high third-and-8 pass near the left boundary when it was determined he had not completed the catch. The game was close, so Moore decided to challenge, but the call was upheld. “I thought he caught the ball, knocked his knee down, then went down and rolled out of bounds and then the ball came out,” Moore said after the game. “The children fought, I wanted to fight with them. To me it looked like it was a catch, so I challenged it.”

But perhaps the worst moment was in the third quarter. UM's defense had forced an Oregon punt, but on fourth-and-4 the Ducks lined up in an odd formation and Trey Pierce lined up directly over the snapper. UM was cautioned for a 5-yard penalty that gave Oregon a first down and ultimately led to a field goal.

Offense: C

Defense: C-minus

Special Teams: B

Coaching: C-minus

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