Joel Klatt highlights Michigan’s top "concern" under Sherrone Moore following crushing defeat to Oklahoma

After Michigan’s 24-13 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, college football analyst Joel Klatt gave his assessment of where the Wolverines stand under coach Sherrone Moore. Klatt described the game as “tremendous” but “sloppy at times” from both sides. While he credited the Sooners for their win, his biggest takeaway was Michigan’s growing “identity” issue.

“The number one thing that I think is a concern for me about Michigan after watching that game against Oklahoma, is that I sense that they have a bit of an identity issue,” Klatt said (Timestamp: 2:58).

According to the analyst, Michigan has long built its success not just on talent, but on an identity revolving around physical football, strong run game and offensive line play along with stout defense.

“An identity that, quite frankly, fell short on Saturday night on the road against the Oklahoma Sooners,” he said.

Joel Klatt primarily noted Michigan’s offensive line struggles. After reviewing the coaches’ tape, as he put it, he saw “glaring mistakes” from the unit, a far cry from the elite lines Michigan had in 2022, 2023 and even last season.

Continuing to talk about the uncertain offensive identity, Klatt said it’s a serious issue for a program that thrived on knowing exactly who they were. Without a reliable unit on that front, he questioned whether this team can sustain the style of play that brought it so much success.

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Where Michigan fell short against Oklahoma

True freshman Bryce Underwood had a less-than-desired outing, completing 9 of 24 passes for 142 yards with no turnovers, but also no real rhythm. While Oklahoma did not pick him off, they made him uncomfortable all night, forcing poor throws and limiting Michigan’s offensive production.

There were signs of miscommunication as well, for instance, on one red zone play, Underwood threw a pass to Donaven McCulley, who was still blocking.

The program tried short passes and screen plays early, but they did not pan out as hoped. The run game had one big play, a 75-yard touchdown by Justice Haynes, but outside of that, it averaged just 2.4 yards per carry. The Wolverines went 3 for 14 on third downs. Most of those were long-yardage situations (average of 8.4 yards to go), making it hard to convert.

On the other side, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer carried the Sooners, throwing for 270 yards and a touchdown while adding 74 yards and two more scores on the ground.

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