Kyle Whittingham just dropped the axe on offensive coordinator Jason Beck. It’s a move that was probably coming, but still hits hard: “The results have not matched our desired outcome, and I felt that a change in leadership was required for our offense,” Whittingham said. He’s absolutely right, and frankly, it’s about putting the team, and especially those offensive players, in the best possible position to win. You gotta make the tough calls when things aren’t working.
This Offense Was A Disaster. Period.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Michigan’s offense has been an absolute train wreck this season. You start the year ranked No. 16 in the AP Top 25, and then you plummet. We’re talking one of the nation’s worst offenses, with shaky special teams to boot, even if the defense has been solid at times. The numbers under Beck are just brutal: 132nd out of 138 FBS teams in total offense. Think about that for a second. That’s almost dead last in college football. They were also 126th in scoring, 125th in passing, and 109th in rushing. It’s no wonder Whittingham pulled the trigger. When you barely avoid being shut out by rival Michigan State in a 15-6 loss, after being favored by two touchdowns, something has to give. And being held scoreless in the first half three times in a season? That hasn’t happened since 1979. This wasn’t just a slump, it was a systemic breakdown.
Bowl Bid On The Brink: Can Harding Turn The Ship?
Now, Jim Harding, the team’s offensive line coach and assistant head coach, is stepping in as interim offensive coordinator for the rest of the season. He’s got a history with Whittingham, working together for 12 seasons at Utah, including two years as co-offensive coordinator. Interestingly, Beck had success under Whittingham at Utah just last season, with their team ranking No. 2 in rushing, No. 4 in total offense, and No. 5 in scoring. But that magic clearly didn’t translate to Michigan, and Whittingham’s second statement about Beck was gracious but firm: “Jason is a great man and coach, and unfortunately, it did not work out the way that we wanted it to at Michigan.” The Wolverines are currently sitting at 5-4 overall, 2-4 in the Big Ten, and the bowl bid they expected at the start of the season is now looking like a pipe dream. The quarterback situation has been a hot mess too, with former No. 1 recruit Bryce Underwood getting benched after a scoreless first half against Penn State. Tommy Carr, whose grandfathers are College Hall of Famers and brother is Notre Dame’s quarterback, stepped in for a comeback win against the Nittany Lions, but then struggled against the Spartans. It’s been a revolving door of frustration. Tight end Zach Marshall even criticized Beck in leaked group texts after the Minnesota loss, then didn’t play against Penn State due to a “noninjury situation.” The team chemistry was clearly frayed.
This Saturday, the Wolverines are underdogs at No. 18 Oregon, and after that, they’ve got No. 4 UCLA at home and rival No. 21 Ohio State on the road. The schedule is brutal, and the season hangs in the balance. Can Harding, the new man in charge, light a fire under this offense and salvage a season that was supposed to be so much more? Everything is on the line, starting with that matchup against the Ducks.
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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