Andrew Sprague, Michigan’s rock at right tackle, was scratched from Saturday’s UTEP game less than 24 hours before kickoff, leaving Coach Kyle Whittingham and the whole program trying to figure out what the heck happened. Whittingham himself sounded completely blindsided, telling team color commentator Jon Jansen that his immediate response was “Why, what happened between, you know, half hour ago and now?” It sounds like a total gut punch, especially when you consider Sprague played every single one of 115 offensive snaps in the first two games this season.
The “We Just Don’t Know” That’s Got Everyone Worried
The scary part? Nobody knows how bad Sprague’s injury is, or when he might return. Coach Whittingham said it could be “anywhere from this week to several weeks,” and he’s still sorting through it with the medical staff to get an exact diagnosis. The man was a monster for Michigan last year, starting 12 of 13 games in 2025, and he was the guy offensive line coach Jim Harding said had the right tackle spot “his to lose” coming out of fall camp. You can bet his health is the “major concern” and “primary concern” right now, because let’s be real, he is a huge part of what they do. Losing him means Evan Link had to slide back to left tackle, where he played last season when healthy, and Blake Frazier got bounced over to the right side. Whittingham “couldn’t be prouder” of how they handled that shift without any practice time as a unit, but it’s not ideal for a squad heading into Big Ten play. That makeshift unit might even have to stick together when the #18 Wolverines host #17 Iowa this Saturday.
Marshall’s “Nagging” Injuries Are Hiding a Bigger Problem
Meanwhile, starting running back Jordan Marshall is on the mend, and thank goodness for that. Whittingham says he should be available against Iowa “unless there’s a setback,” which is good news after his slow start. The coach admitted Marshall has been dealing with “nagging” injuries for most of the season, and yeah, it shows. He’s only got 135 yards on 34 carries, averaging just 4 yards a pop, with two touchdowns. That’s a world away from the guy who ripped off a carry of at least 19 yards in six of 11 games last year, and 36 yards in five of them. The good news is he “came out of this game feeling much better than when he came out of last game,” so there’s progress there.
This Saturday, it’s the Big Ten opener, 3:30 p.m. on CBS, against #17 Iowa. Getting Marshall closer to full strength is absolutely massive, and hopefully, they can figure out what’s up with Sprague, because this team needs all its weapons ready to roll for conference play.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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