Sherrone Moore: Michigan has its starting offensive line set for 'right now'

At one point, Michigan Wolverines football planned to take at least its left and right tackle position battles into the season, starting different players at each spot in the first game and another pair in the second. However, the Wolverines have had the same starting five in wins over East Carolina (30-3) and UNLV (35-7). The coaches are confident in that group, despite some of the ups and downs in the run game.

“Like we always say, though, the depth chart flows,” Michigan offensive coordinator and line coach Sherrone Moore said Monday ahead of his team’s game against Bowling Green, in which he will serve as interim head coach. “So, if guys don’t practice or play well the next week, then that will change. But right now, we know our starting five.”

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Michigan’s starters so far have been graduate Karsen Barnhart at left tackle, graduate Trevor Keegan at left guard, graduate Drake Nugent at center, senior Zak Zinter at right guard and senior Myles Hinton at right tackle.

Graduate LaDarius Henderson was pushing at left tackle during fall camp, and senior Trente Jones, who also serves as an extra lineman/tight end on heavy formations, was competing on the right side. Outside of Jones’ extra duties, though, he and Henderson have played just 20 offensive snaps in mop-up duty during two blowout wins. That’s not to say things can’t change, though, Moore said when asked if there’s “wiggle room” with the top group.

“There always is,” Moore reiterated. “It depends on how you perform. Whenever I take over the line that first day in camp, I tell them, ‘I don’t care who starts, because I love you all the same.’ The five guys that practice the best and play the best will be the starters. I’m going to put out the five best guys that are going to help the University of Michigan football team win. And that’s who it is. It’s not an emotional decision. It’s based on film. Whoever those people are, that’s who I want it to be. 

“Those five guys have shown to be the best five, so we’re just going to continue to work and see who the best five is this week and the next weeks and the next weeks.”

The reps are being split fairly evenly in practice, too, the Michigan coordinator said. In fact, he insists on it being that way, both against the scout team and the U-M defense.

“Throughout practice, when we have our scout team periods, they’re pretty split down the middle, so I get a good chance to see what guys are doing,” Moore explained. “And when we go against the [Michigan] defense, everything is split evenly. So, there’s not a lot of wiggle room of, ‘Oh, I got more reps [or] I didn’t.’ ‘Nah, you got the exact same amount of reps as he did,’ so we’ve got a pretty good count system.”

Sherrone Moore not caught off guard by run game issues

The Wolverines bludgeoned teams on the ground last season, ranking fifth nationally with 238.9 rushing yards per game. Michigan ranks just 75th through two weeks, though, putting up 150.5 rushing yards per contest. The Wolverines are averaging only 4.7 yards per rush, too (53rd).

Moore said he’s not surprised at having to work out some kinks, given that Nugent and Hinton — both Stanford transfers — are new to the lineup, and Barnhart is relatively new to playing left tackle in games.

“When you have new guys in there, that’s something that’s going to happen,” the Michigan coordinator said. “Positives — we’re fourth in the country in negative plays. We’ve only given up 3 total. We haven’t given up any sacks in protection, so that’s been positive.

“And obviously, people respecting us in the run game, so we just have to do different things to help us — and help the players, as well. It’s not just the players, it’s the coaches. Like I always tell them, we do this all together. So I’m not just going to put the blame on them or say it’s just the players. As coaches, we’ve got to do a better job executing the plan that we have and then planning the right way — and we’ll attack that this week.”

The Wolverines know they have to be better in that area. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said so himself during his weekly news conference, saying there have been too many “inefficient runs.” Moore discussed what he’s seen and how it’ll get fixed.

“Definitely progressed from week one to week two,” the Michigan assistant said. “You can see that. “Obviously, not where we want to be and where our standards are, so I’m going to continue to emphasize it. That’ll be addressed today. The guys have already been in, they’ve already watched the film, so guys understand where we need to be and how we need to get there.

“We’re going to take the necessary steps to make sure we’re better — to our standard — [and] where we need to be. In all phases, not just in protection and the run game, we’re going to leave all stones unturned and continue to do all the things we need to do to get there.”