When the Ducks’ 2024 schedule dropped, this was by far the biggest road game of the season and their second-biggest test on the slate, only closely behind hosting Ohio State.
Before the start of the season, the idea of facing the defending national champions in their home stadium seemed a lot more daunting than it does now. The Michigan Wolverines currently sit at 5-3 on the season and seventh in the Big Ten standings at 3-2.
Still, one of the most historically-dominant forces in the Big Ten can never be overlooked, especially at home.
The Ducks and the Wolverines will be meeting for the sixth time ever, with Michigan leading the all-time series 3-2. Oregon was shut out in its first three contests against the Wolverines, all of which took place in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Ducks, however, were victorious in their past two meetings with Michigan, winning 31-27 in Eugene in 2003 and 39-7 in The Big House in 2007.
An early-season loss to No. 3 at the time Texas revealed the first cracks in the Wolverines’ title-defense campaign. Later losses to both Washington and No. 22 at the time Illinois exposed that Michigan’s 2024 team is far from the threat it typically is in the Big Ten.
Offensively, Michigan is still a work in progress.
The Wolverines are yet to score more than 30 points in a game this season (30-10 win over Fresno State in Week 1), and were limited to 20 or fewer points in all three of their losses. Head Coach Sherrone Moore has tried three different players at quarterback this year — Davis Warren, Jack Tuttle and Alex Orji — but nobody in the trio has tallied more than 567 yards (Warren) on the season. For comparison, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel has 2,371 air yards — good for eighth-most in the country.
Michigan’s rushing attack has been somewhat of a bright spot on a dull offense. While neither Kalel Mullings (694 rushing yards) or Donovan Edwards (415) have tallied as many ground yards as Oregon’s Jordan James (800), the Wolverines’ duo has accounted for 11 of Michigan’s 18 total offensive touchdowns in 2024. The Oregon defense’s main goal should be to limit the Wolverines’ ground attack and force them to rely on a weak passing game for production. If Oregon can strike first, as it did against both Purdue and Illinois, it can force Michigan’s hand early.
Unsurprisingly, it’s been the Wolverines’ defense that’s kept them in games in 2024. Linebackers Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham lead the team in tackles with 56 and 46 respectively, and could cause major issues for the Ducks’ offense.
Senior defensive end Josaiah Stewart has six and a half sacks on the season, good for second in the Big Ten, and Michigan sits fourth in the Big Ten in sacks with 21 on the season. Fortunately for Oregon, the Ducks are second with 24.
Gabriel has been prone to interceptions this season, and will face a secondary that’s forced six interceptions so far. Defensive back Will Johnson has a pair of them, but could struggle with Oregon’s three-headed monster of Evan Stewart, Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden if he’s able to go.
A big key for both teams will be creating or containing momentum by controlling the turnover battle. Oregon boasts a +4 turnover ratio on the season while Michigan will look to chip away at its -6 ratio.
Michigan will be relying on its home atmosphere. Before the Wolverines’ Week 2 loss to the Longhorns, they hadn’t been beaten at home since a 2020 loss to Penn State. Oregon will look to stay perfect on a 12:30 p.m. kickoff on Nov. 2 against the defending champs.