ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The top-ranked Oregon Ducks came into Ann Arbor and did exactly what most people thought they were going to do. Michigan didn’t have the talent or coaching to hang with the explosive Ducks. Behind Dillon Gabriel, Oregon was able to move up and down the field and the injury-plagued Michigan defense all game offensively. Despite playing hard in the second half, Michigan didn’t have enough firepower to keep up and overtake a 28-10 halftime deficit.

After a 38-17 loss, Michigan moves to 5-4 on the season. Here are some insights from the game.

It was a valiant effort by the Wolverines after going into halftime up 28-10. Michigan has been a team that has folded in the second half, but it didn’t against the No. 1 Oregon Ducks. Instead the Wolverines fought,

But offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell outsmarted himself several times that day. Twice, when Michigan entered the red zone, he inserted Alex Orji into the game in place of Davis Warren, who led the team down the field.

The worst came midway through the fourth quarter, when Michigan trailed by 14 and needed two scores. Not only did the Wolverines get into the red zone, but Michigan had a fighter’s chance to really make it a game if it scored a touchdown.

Instead, Michigan ran the ball up the middle on third-and-7, with Kalel Mullings going for two yards. Then on fourth-and-5, Campbell inexplicably put Orji on the play and attempted a Semaj Morgan reverse pass with a wide receiver, which fell incomplete.

While Michigan isn’t currently on the same level as Oregon, or any top team for that matter, the coaching staff has done this team a disservice after putting up a lot of effort.

This could be defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, but something needs to change before next season. The Wolverines’ defense has become laughable when faced with an elite defense. Michigan under Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter may have bent a few times, but very rarely broke.

Michigan’s defense is breaking a ton and it showed again on Saturday. Obviously being down two starting cornerbacks doesn’t help, but Michigan’s players are still out of position and struggling with fundamentals. It really comes down to coaching at this level and when you’re at Michigan, fans expect a lot more, especially after winning a national title.

Despite being benched after 2.5 games at the start of the year, Davis Warren has once again become the Wolverines’ starting quarterback – he’s the best option. This may not be earth-shattering news, but it’s clear he gives Michigan the best chance to win games. He has been safe with the football, but he is not afraid to expand the field if his playmakers let him.

He placed several balls over defenders against the Ducks on Saturday. Warren made about three great throws to Loveland in traffic, one to Tyler Morris for a touchdown and one to Peyton O’Leary for a score.

With Michigan not having a run game against Oregon, Warren did his best to keep the Wolverines in the game. He threw for 164 yards and two scores while not turning the football over for two straight games.

Last weekend against Michigan State, Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards combined for 48 yards. Alex Orji was the leading rusher against the Spartans with 64 yards.

This weekend against Oregon was no better. Michigan’s run game has been non-existent over the past two games and that is a major concern for a run-first team. The Wolverines finished with 105 yards on the ground.

Edwards and Mullings combined for 68 yards. Mullings barely played a role in the game and Edwards got the start. For a team that prides itself on running the football, Michigan needs to do a better job of sustaining drives and keeping high-powered offenses off the field.

This may sound crazy, but I think it was a good time to have star players on the sidelines to watch this Michigan team. It’s clear that Michigan needs help and it starts with Sherrone Moore’s first recruiting class. Moore currently has Michigan in recruiting trouble and the Wolverines can sell playing time along with better NIL packages.

It’s never fun to watch a team you have a deep interest in lose — or you’re there for a recruiting visit — but the Wolverines can certainly put a positive spin on it. Michigan needs help at every position and those in attendance can see that they can play for the Wolverines very quickly.

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