The Michigan football win over Purdue may have ended in victory, but it was anything but pretty. The Wolverines got to a 7\u20132 record after their 21\u201316 victory against the Boilermakers. But their performance created more problems than it addressed.<\/p>\n
The game turned into a difficult contest even though the final result showed a clear winner. Michigan struggled in all three phases and once again needed Jordan Marshall<\/a> to put the team on his back. Marshall delivered an outstanding performance after Justice Haynes<\/a> became unavailable. But the remaining players showed they needed extensive development work.<\/p>\n The team faced unexpected challenges against Purdue despite their weak performance because they committed multiple turnovers and made errors with their passes and special teams play.<\/p>\n The Michigan football team defeated Purdue because Jordan Marshall achieved 185 yards and three touchdowns despite their struggling offense.<\/p>\n Marshall has become the team’s lifeblood because Haynes is out, and the passing attack has completely broken down. If Michigan didn\u2019t have him, it\u2019s fair to ask where this offense would be.<\/p>\n One week after throwing for just 86 yards against Michigan State, Bryce Underwood<\/a> followed it up with arguably his worst game as a Wolverine.<\/p>\n Despite the Michigan football win over Purdue, the passing game remained a major issue for Bryce Underwood and the Wolverines.<\/p>\n The freshman showed constant discomfort throughout the game through his erratic wild pitches and missed targets, and poor footwork. Confidence seems to be fading, and even when he did put the ball on target, receivers failed to help with costly drops.<\/p>\n Michigan\u2019s air attack is completely out of sync. The rhythm isn\u2019t there, the timing is off, and the passing concepts lack consistency. If this offense is going to make any noise down the stretch, Underwood has to settle down and start trusting his mechanics again.<\/p>\n One of the few bright spots in the Michigan football win over Purdue was Derrick Moore<\/a>, who added two more sacks to his total. \u00a0The defensive end recorded two additional sacks against Purdue, which raised his total season sacks to 8.5.<\/p>\n Moore is on track to join an exclusive group of Wolverines who achieved double-digit sack totals because Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo accomplished this feat with 14 and 11 sacks, respectively, during the 2021 season. Moore shows improvement toward his objective, yet his statistical accomplishments do not generate any interest from fans.<\/p>\n A strong finish in his last game with a standout performance against Ohio State would help Moore join the list of legendary players from his program.<\/p>\n The special teams unit at Michigan remains a significant problem for the team. The punt return unit remains ineffective with Semaj Morgan<\/a>, and the punting game might be even worse.<\/p>\n Hudson Hollenbeck<\/a> struggled again on Saturday, with punts of 29 and 37 yards \u2014 one tipped due to poor blocking, and the other simply shanked. The defense needs to manage challenging defensive situations because defensive mistakes happen every week of competition.<\/p>\n The special teams unit shows no signs of improvement, which results in Michigan losing crucial field position during each contest.<\/p>\n The upcoming second bye week stands as Michigan’s only hope to survive its remaining three games. The team faces multiple injuries, which have forced them to start with five absent players before facing Purdue. They lost two more \u2014 Jaishawn Barham<\/a> and Donaven McCulley<\/a> \u2014 before the night was over.<\/p>\nJordan Marshall Carries Michigan Win Over Purdue<\/h2>\n
Passing Game Struggles Continue<\/h3>\n
Derrick Moore Deserves More Recognition<\/h3>\n
Special Teams Have Become a Teamwide Weak Point.<\/h3>\n
The team needs this bye week to happen at this exact moment.<\/h3>\n