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Sherrone Moore promises a complete reassessment after Michigan's football loss to Illinois


Sherrone Moore promises a complete reassessment after Michigan's football loss to Illinois

Photo: Isaiah Hole

Photo: Isaiah Hole

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – It was no picnic after Michigan football's loss to Illinois on Saturday – the Wolverines aren't playing at the highest level and no one is safe.

The defense played well enough, giving up 21 points – 10 of which came after two short fields and two fumbles on offense. But the offense and special teams? They're just, well, offensive.

Head coach Sherrone Moore noted early in his postgame press conference that there is no world in which the Wolverines could turn the ball over three times in a conference game and win. And considering this was one of the biggest problems all year, it's a problem that doesn't seem to be going away.

“Overall, it wasn’t good enough offensively at all,” Moore said. “Disappointing in many areas. I can't turn the ball over. I have to make it clear to the guys that if they are open, we can make these passes. We just have to be better. And Colston played well. He did a few.” Kalel played well, ran hard. But we had three turnovers in a Big Ten game – no matter who you play, we just have to be better on offense.

So what's next for the team? It's coming to an end of a bye week in which one would expect that the program might find some answers.

But Moore says it's back to the drawing board and it's not just about working with the players on implementation. Moore says it goes so deep that you look at his assistant coaches and what he himself is doing wrong.

“I think we just need to reevaluate. Look and look,” Moore said. “We had a break week. I'm disappointed in myself as head coach that we didn't come out at a better level. There are too many little things, not enough consistency. So I have to look at myself, there is no blame either. Check what I need to do to be better for them, including the players and coaches.

We've seen other programs make drastic changes throughout the season, but it remains to be seen if Moore moves much in a different direction. But he promises to also evaluate the quarterback position.

Michigan has now had three starting quarterbacks this year, with Davis Warren getting the nod early in the season, Alex Orji from Weeks 3 to 6, and now Jack Tuttle has a game.

Orji is the only quarterback who hasn't turned the ball over multiple times per game, with just one interception in five games. Tuttle should be the better passer and with his veteran experience, he should also take care of the football. However, he now has two fumbles and two interceptions in two games. Therefore, according to Moore, the position is likely wide open with rival Michigan State on deck.

“We can’t turn the ball over. You don’t want to go to four quarterbacks,” Moore said. “You don't want to have to go through that process, but you've got a guy who has to take care of the football, so we'll see what we need to do and we'll have that conversation as we go along.”

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Sherrone Moore promises complete reassessment after Michigan football loss to Illinois

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