The positives in a 28-18 Michigan win over Arkansas State (and yes, there were some. The running game, the first team defense, and the final score for anyone with betting squares who felt their 8 – 8 draw sucked) were overshadowed by one big one Saturday …

RELATED: Sherrone Moore updates Michigan quarterback competition after Davis Warren struggles

And it was the one many of us feared going back to spring, when we suggested Michigan might need to go to the portal for its starting quarterback. Without question, this has become a huge concern now through three games, right up there with an offensive line that seems incapable of making plays for whoever is behind center. 

Make no mistake — Michigan starter Davis Warren was one of the biggest problems Saturday, way too careless with the ball. Two of his throws inexplicably bad. 

Maybe a more experienced quarterback would have eaten the ball when senior Donovan Edwards missed a protection rather than throwing it up for grabs, but Warren panicked and changed the game in one terrible decision Saturday. 

The Wolverines had just gotten the offense moving on the ground behind seniors Kalel Mullings and Edwards, and they probably could have grinded their way to another score had they been more conservative. And while we understand the screaming about the play call on first down from its own 38 after 8- and 9- yard Edwards runs, here’s the rub …

This game wasn’t just about winning today. It was about preparing guys for the meat of the schedule and tougher tasks to come.

It would have taken a lot more to go wrong for this game to be competitive in the fourth quarter. But the Michigan offense needs to take step forwards to beat the better teams on the schedule — teams with offenses of their own, like Texas, USC, Oregon, etc. — and that means finding other ways to move the ball. 

This was the game we hoped to see massive improvement. Instead, we saw the turnovers, terrible penalties, turnstile right tackle play, veteran backs blowing protections … and what they really didn’t need, but maybe we all should have expected:

A quarterback controversy. 

“I wouldn’t call it an issue,” head coach Sherrone Moore said of his quarterbacks’ play Saturday. “We’re just going to go to work. We’ll get better, as we did in the running game last week. We’ll get better in the passing game, and we’ll continue to strive forward.”

He might not call it that, but we will. Some of the knocks on Warren have been ridiculous, of course. He does have a good arm, and he made some nice throws Saturday. But again, he looks like a guy who hasn’t played a lot of football (which he hasn’t). Starting at Michigan is a tough place to learn. 

Orji — everyone wants to turn him loose, but it seems awfully telling that the coaches simply won’t when he’s in ball games. They gave him one deep throw Saturday against man coverage, but that was a relatively low risk shot. They kept it on the ground with him, for the most part, as they have … well his entire career. And he was solid, as you’d hope he’d be against an overmatched defensive team. 

It will likely carry over to next week against USC, and it needs to. Moore said practice would determine his starting quarterback, as it always does, but the reasons they gave for Warren getting the nod — ball protection and a better passer — well, the first part, at least, isn’t translating. The logical outcome here is both quarterbacks will continue to play, but not in Drew Henson — Tom Brady fashion. It’s going to be the lesser of two evils, as it was Saturday.

Also not translating — play at center and right tackle. Many of the pressures and mistakes coming from the quarterback spot are the result of failures by the right side of the line. It’s stunning that Jeff Persi, who has played solid football here (even starting a game a few years ago) isn’t a better option at right tackle right now. There are times when — not much embellishing here — you wonder how it could get much worse. 

Two third down runs for Orji against Texas would have worked last week, two, had the right guard done his job. 

While practice matters, yes, the State Street (practice) players vs. Main Street (games) difference is real. It appears veteran center Greg Crippen might be one of those, having been beaten out by Dom Giudice for starting duties, but performing much better today in the game. The offense just moved better when he was on the field. He was allowing the interior to come off double teams and get someone to a linebacker, opening holes in the running game.

We’ll say it again, too. They need ways to keep Mullings on the field. He broke some big runs with his ability to shake off tackles in ways others can’t. 

“I’ve seen him, watched him last year, think he averaged like 6 yards a carry last year,” Moore said. “It doesn’t surprise me he’s running the way he is. He just needed the opportunities. But when you’ve got Blake Corum, it’s just a little different. 

“So, he’s handled it very well. He had less carries than Donovan, had 153 yards, averaged 10 yards a carry. The guy’s just a workhorse. But Donovan’s no slouch. He ran hard; he ran physical. Kalel just made some big plays when it was there. I’m proud of both those guys, for sure.”

Again, there have to be ways to get them both involved that play to their strengths, even on the field together. There are games on the schedule they’ll be able to win by overwhelming offenses with superior talent, but the better teams will require much more from the offense. 

Yes, it’s still early. At this point, though, it seems more likely than not that they just don’t have the horses, the plan, or the consistency to get it done.

Observations from a 28-18 Michigan win over Arkansas State

• The Michigan defense struggled on the first drive, giving up three long third down conversions, and “here we go again” crept in. It improved with some adjustments, however, and the starters and second string did what you’d expect them to against an overmatched team. 

“When you look at the whole game and 1s and 2s, they went in there and besides the first drive, they didn’t have a lot of football plays,” Moore praised. “[Arkansas State] didn’t have a lot of successful plays. We went in more and got the threes and fours in. Those guys didn’t finish to the depths of those first two groups.”

“I just thought they all did their job. They did exactly what they were coached to do. They weren’t trying to press to make plays; they just made them. Coverage was sticky. Run lanes were shut down. Everything was gapped out. They made a couple plays here and there, but they really did a really good job and played our style of ball.”

Still, the best Michigan teams have always had the attention to detail from everyone, top down, when they get their opportunities to play. A late hit, blown coverage, and other undisciplined play led to two late scores and a bad taste in the mouth leaving the stadium, even if it was the third and fourth stringers.

“I addressed it in the locker room … we know we’ve got to finish as a team,” Moore said. “But I thought the first two groups did an outstanding job and played our type of football.”

• You don’t have to watch the film — or even know much football, really — to understand the issues on the offensive line. The right side is the most frustrating situation we can remember in our decades watching the program (yes, even worse than the RichRod years). Something has to change there, or the offense will have no shot to reach its potential. 

Michigan veteran Andrew Gentry replaced Evan Link at right tackle at times, but he seemed to have his own issues. Crippen, though, appeared to be more effective in the middle. 

“Crip did come in the huddle and I said, ‘Hey, Crip.’ Then I ran the ball and got like seven yards,” Edwards said with a laugh. 

He praised both the centers, but again, Crippen seemed to look better to the naked eye. 

“We always talk about competition. All those guys definitely know that … it goes back to the last three years,” Moore said of his plan. “It always goes back to the O-Line … whoever practices the best is going to play. 

“Just right now, both those guys are practicing at the same level but practicing pretty good. So, you’ve got to still give them the opportunity. Greg got the opportunity and so did Dom. We’ll see how the film looks.”

• Some of the mistakes made Saturday are those that well-prepared, good football teams simply don’t make. Personal fouls, missed assignments, other penalties, etc. … they just can’t happen to be competitive against better teams. 

Warren needed to eat the ball on his first sack — no excuses. He wouldn’t have been in that position, though, had Edwards made his block. 

“I own up. I messed up on his first pick, and I told him,” Edwards said. “I let him know multiple times, in the locker room and on the field. It was a different look that they brought. It was basically just all on me. I should have gone backside and took my man. 

“They brought a will and a corner. Both of them came free and I should have just picked the one. It’s nothing on Davis. That’s on me.”

It’s on both, of course, but it’s like the “one guy here or there” argument on bad plays. “My bads” don’t matter … all that matters is results. So far, the offense is struggling with the basics, including discipline.

“It’s a different team, but we’ve got to be better at it,” Moore said. “That’s plain and simple. There’s not really an excuse for having those issues. We’ve got to be better at it, and it’s my job to make sure we are. That’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

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