Getting an offensive line to play consistently and cohesively game after game is the dream, but Michigan offensive line coach Jim Harding has been living a mix-and-match nightmare through the first four games of the season. Thanks to a brutal string of injuries, the Wolverines have already rolled out three different starting offensive line configurations, and Harding isn’t sugar-coating it: the line still hasn’t lived up to expectations.
The Injury Bug Is Hitting Hard, Especially at Tackle
The constant shuffling is real, and it is largely due to the injury bug taking a huge bite out of Michigan’s depth, particularly at tackle. Evan Link, who started at left guard, got dinged in the season opener and missed Game 2 against Oklahoma. That forced Nathan Efobi and Brady Norton into guard duties. Then, just 24 hours before the Week 3 UTEP game, starting right tackle Andrew Sprague was suddenly unavailable due to an undisclosed injury. This sent the whole unit scrambling: Blake Frazier moved from left tackle to right, and Link slid over to left tackle. Sprague has now missed two games.
Adding insult to injury, Frazier himself got hurt during the loss to Iowa last weekend, though he bravely continued to play. Now, with the Big Ten road opener against Minnesota on deck for Saturday, Oct. 3, there’s a real chance Frazier might be out. If that happens, freshman Mark Walbridge, who briefly spelled Frazier against Iowa, is the likely candidate to step in. And while there is some good news on the horizon, tackle Andrew Babalola, who missed all of last season with a torn knee ligament, has not been available this season. Head coach Kyle Whittingham confirmed Babalola has been cleared to practice starting next week, which is something to hold onto.
Coach Harding Is Done With Excuses, Demanding More Push
You want to talk about frustration? Harding is feeling it. When asked to assess the offensive line’s performance this week, he didn’t pull any punches. “Truthfully, it’s not where I want it to be, and where I think it can be, and that falls on me ultimately,” he said. He’s heard all the talk about injuries, but he’s shutting it down. “You could say, well, you’ve had this many injuries or this many missed games, and frankly, nobody cares. There’s injuries all across the country, and so we’ve got to do a better job.”
It’s not all doom and gloom though. Harding has seen some flashes. He noted that pass protection has been “really good” so far, but it needs more consistency. The big hang-up? The run game. “The run game needs to get more push,” Harding stated, though he did see “more surge at the line of scrimmage” against Iowa in Game 4. He emphasized that the line of scrimmage was actually moving that week, which he sees as progress. But progress isn’t perfection. “It’s nowhere where it needs to be, in my opinion, and it should be,” he added.
Harding is putting the pressure squarely on his unit, believing the offensive line dictates everything. “If we play well, everybody else is going to play well. If we’re not doing what we’re supposed to doesn’t matter what skill kids we have around it, it’s not going to be as efficient and as explosive.” He’s crystal clear: “We’re not where we need to be offensively, and that’s the same answer for the offensive line, we’re not where we need to be.” It’s no coincidence that the offensive line had its best game against Iowa, both in run blocking and pass protection, and quarterback Bryce Underwood had his strongest performance, as did the run game, which has struggled to get going this season.
So, the Wolverines head into their Big Ten opener against Minnesota with a clear message from their coach: injuries are a fact of life, but the expectation is still high. The offensive line needs to find that consistency, and quickly, if the offense is going to hit its stride. Can they finally put together a cohesive unit and start pushing for real? We’re about to find out.
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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