ANN ARBOR – Michigan’s football team will take a three-game winning streak into Saturday’s matchup against Washington, but a concerning pattern has emerged for the reigning national champions.
The 10th-ranked Wolverines (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) have built double-digit leads at halftime in the last three games but have nearly squandered them in their past two outings, narrowly winning 27-24 against both USC and Minnesota.
Last Saturday’s victory over the Golden Gophers (2-3, 0-2) was especially surprising, given Michigan’s commanding 21-3 halftime advantage.
After receiving the second-half kickoff, Michigan put together a 40-yard drive that ate up 7 minutes and 36 seconds, resulting in a field goal and a 21-point lead. However, Sherrone Moore’s team nearly fell apart. Minnesota scored touchdowns on its final three possessions and almost recovered an onside kick in the final minutes, which was negated due to an offside penalty.
Michigan secured the second onside attempt, sealing the win, but Moore acknowledges that the team has been taking risks late in games.
“The key issue is we haven’t been finishing the way we need to,” Moore said on Monday. “It’s not about speeches or locker room talks. We just have to execute better, and that’s what we’re focusing on.”
In their dominant 40-3 stretch over the past three seasons, closing out games in the second half was crucial to Michigan’s success. For example, in last year’s 24-15 win over No. 9 Penn State, the Wolverines ran the ball on all 28 second-half offensive plays while their defense shut down Penn State’s passing game, holding them scoreless until a late touchdown with 1:59 left reduced the lead to nine.
In last season’s national championship game against Washington, Michigan dominated the final quarter, outscoring the Huskies 14-0 to secure a 34-13 victory and cap off a perfect 15-0 season. Washington’s last three possessions ended with a punt, interception, and turnover on downs, while Michigan scored on its final two drives before running out the clock.
However, over the past three weeks, Michigan has been outscored 57-26 in the second half by Arkansas State, USC, and Minnesota. The Wolverines have been outgained 595 yards to 389 during that stretch, leading to tense moments on both offense and defense.
“It all comes down to execution,” said edge rusher TJ Guy. “If you’re not succeeding, you probably didn’t execute to your best. I like our team, and when we’re all executing at a high level, I think we’re unstoppable. But we have to recognize it takes more effort, and we need to finish strong—finish dominantly.”
After building a 21-point lead midway through the third quarter against Minnesota, Michigan’s offense stumbled. Junior quarterback Alex Orji, making his second career start, threw a poorly placed pass behind an open Colston Loveland. The lack of power and accuracy on the throw gave a Minnesota defensive back enough time to intercept it.
On Michigan’s next possession after the interception, the Wolverines went three-and-out, and Minnesota capitalized by returning the punt to Michigan’s 17-yard line, setting up another touchdown.
“A win is a win,” said Michigan right guard Giovanni El-Hadi. “At the end of the day, we got the win, and that’s what matters. But is it how we wanted? No, it’s not. We need to be dominant for the entire game. We’ll fix that. We’ll keep working, keep pushing, and make sure we dominate.”
Michigan’s defense began to falter when Minnesota increased the tempo in the fourth quarter.
“We’ve got to get lined up quickly,” said head coach Sherrone Moore when discussing defending tempo offenses. “That’s the biggest thing. You talk to any defensive coordinator, and they’ll tell you if you’re lined up, you have a chance. So we just need to get our cleats in the ground and be ready.”
The Wolverines’ current win streak follows a tough 31-12 loss to Texas in Week 2, where they trailed 24-3 at halftime. Despite strong starts in recent games, Michigan players recognize the need to improve in closing out games. But with nearly 20 starters from last season’s championship team gone and a first-year head coach, TJ Guy is confident the team will progress as the season goes on.
“We’re still finding our identity,” Guy said. “There’s a lot of new faces on the staff and the team. By the end of the season, I have no doubt we’ll be where we want to be, especially in finishing games. We just need to do better at closing, but I’m not worried about it.”