Michigan vs Fresno State Game Preview | College Football Game Predictions

welcome back to another episode of rock boys football deal officially gameweek Michigan hosting Fresno State night game in the big house and I as a Michigan fan myself I don't know if there's been many season openers that I'm more excited about than this matchup where one Fresno State a very very solid team coming over from the Mountain West this is not you know some sort of FCS matchup Cakewalk game Michigan's going to need to play some good football to win this game by a solid margin but I think more importantly so many moving parts around this Michigan program we've talked extensively during the offseason about what this Michigan team is going to look like specifically on the offensive side of the football want to get into a few key matchups but more importantly really dig into what we're looking for from this Michigan offense talk about the quarterback situation really excited to get into this one now before we do it as always would love to hear from you guys in the comments section specifically the Michigan fans who are checking this out one the amount of support yall have shown all offseason long all the input that you guys have given in the comment section it's been a blast talking football with you guys but I think more importantly D would love to hear about the quarterback situation from all the Michigan fans I don't even know if we necessarily agree on the quarterback situation either there's a lot of different opinions out there so let it fly in the comments section Dill I I'll kind of open it up to you first let's talk about how Chiron Moore Kirt Campbell juggle this quarterback situation how do you want to see Michigan do you want to see a half and half do you you want to just see a name starter and let him kind of rock and roll for four quarters how do you think Chiron Moore Kirt Campbell should handle that quarterback battle Yeah I think honestly everybody wants to see a name starter but at the end of the day if they don't have it they don't have it and like you got to trust the process a little bit the Michigan's done this in the past obviously in 2022 I mean I go back to that and like yeah it worked out in the long run I suppose but I do think it stunted the growth a little bit I think again it was so obvious to anyone who was watching that J was a far superior quarterback so I don't want to make it like a contest for the sake of like testing Alex orgy if he's the guy he's the guy and if Davis Warren's the guy he's the guy so I prefer certainly just to go ride with one guy but I mean I'm not in those practice rooms I don't necessarily know how that battle shaped up if it's if it's razor razor tight I guess I guess you kind of have yeah we kind of talked about this earlier last week I think the number one priority for Michigan is getting the decision right because you don't want to go with a guy and then have to flip-flop round right and so if this quarterback battle is still going up until kickoff on Saturday night then let maybe Alex or get the first half Davis born in the second half but I think in an ideal world again would love to hear from the Michigan fans and we'll talk more about this during the Michigan Power Hour on Wednesday I think I think you want to see a guy named let him go through game day as that quarterback one taking command of the offense and ESP with Texas right on the heels of this game I mean maybe if it's like one of those Seasons where you kind of had like three or four games be favored by 20 plus points in every one I guess you maybe have more of the luxury but at the end of the day I don't want to see them go out and run a really Bland offense I think you want to see them at least put kind of the semblance of their offense on the field where they are throwing the ball and do I think Michigan would probably win this game just trying to pound them down running the ball every play or so yeah they probably could do it but again when you have to go play Texas where your offense does need to be a little bit more complete I want to see the starting quarterback kind of show that he can do that yeah and I I don't think Michigan needs to show all their cards because again you have Texas coming up in week two but you do want to see whoever is the quarterback whether it's both quarterbacks in this football game you want to see them go out and execute the offense that Michigan is going to run in the 2024 year because again we too you have one of your biggest games of the Season out from the quarterbacks what are we looking for one Fresno State secondary it was very solid last year it was number eight in the country in completion percentage allowed only at 55% this is a stingy secondary deal I think it starts for me with overall command of the offense I think that's St more Kurt Campbell that is what they've said throughout fall Camp even going back to Spring practice we're going to go with the quarterback that you know moves the football on offense can play Within the offense if it's a guy like Alex orgy I don't need Alex orgy to go for 300 passing yards in this football game but when he does have the opportunity to push the ball down the field you want to see accuracy you want to be good decision- making and you want to see him making the right reads you want to see him kind of knowing where to go with the football and then being on time inaccurate that's what I'm most concerned with I think Alex orgy has the capability of making these jaw drop and throws but I want to see from a down to- down basis the consistency from really whoever is playing quarterback but specifically for Alex orgy when he takes the field you want to see him have command of this passing attack here so at the end of the day if Alex on the field I think you got to believe the passing is is good enough and you've seen moments in the spring games of quick decisive decision making and then you've seen the other times of not not necessar holding the ball I don't think we've ever seen that but just really lack of accuracy and if that's the case and the like the 10 plus th yard throws down the field are way off like they have been at times in the spring and he's made some of those draw droppers you go back to the 222 spring game he made some unbelievable throws so you know that's in the bag but I'm mostly what looking at if orgy's on the field I just want to see if the accuracy's up I think I kind of believe in everything else he's done at least from from the spring game I've seen But I just want to see and if Alex orgy is on the football field at contending for a starting spot at this quarterback position you kind of know that he shown it because I don't think Chiron Moore ktk Campbell are gonna Trot Alex orgy out there if he's truly been just a one-dimensional quarterback throughout fall practice right so I think that if Alex orgy does come out as your starting quarterback as Michigan fans you should have some sort of confidence that there has been some development that has taken place at the quarterback position again we'll we'll dive into the quarterback conversation a little bit more later on in the week another storyline that I'm looking for is D how do we get the pass catchers involved I think we know the Michigan Run game is going to be pretty solid especially against Fresno State I think they should be able to impose their will on the offensive line but when we are throwing the football how are we getting these different wide receivers involved I don't think there's going to be that true you know wide receiver one in this offense I think it's going to be spread out and I think what's fascinating about this Michigan offense is you have a couple of different kind of guys right obviously the passing game is going to go through for the most not for the most part but a large portion of the passing game is g to go through the tight end position I think we're all very excited to see Marlin climb kind of know what we have in Coulson Loveland best tight end in the country but then you look at the wide receivers and say all right how are we getting samj Morgan touches in space because we know this kid is absolutely electric with the football is Tyler Morris kind of emerging as that true boundary wide receiver one and then maybe even a guy like amarian Walker or Freddy Moore like how are they getting utiliz what concepts are we asking them to do where do they Excel as pass catchers that's probably the second thing that I'm looking for from this Michigan offense that is largely you know kind of an unknown at the wide receiver position and that'll be one of the interesting things is can they generate a little bit more easy access throws in general in the offense because even I felt like last year there wasn't a ton of I mean I know the completion percentage were high but there was a fair amount of work that had to be done and not getting guys in space as much as you kind of want to see that is one thing I'll just inherently be looking at I think again with the way Alex or pres if he wins this job can kind of create his own space if you will as being a running threat and being able to take Defenders out of the pass game out of the rushing attack game for the running backs I kind of want to see if they can do a little bit more unique things like thinking almost like how Oregon was able to do it last year where they were so effective at getting their Playmakers open quickly easy throws a like way high completion percentage for bow Knicks that's not something you've gotten to see from Michigan yet it's something again as Kirt Campbell and I thought you saw some moments in his ECU game where he was a little bit more open than shron Moore was at times because shron Moore and in Tron Moore did what we had to do obviously won the National Championship but it was always when things kind of got tight if you will it was always back to the ground game yeah if that's true and there's that's I think Michigan sticks with that like that is the recipe for Michigan winning football games but I'm kind of with you I think Chiron Moore stuck with Kurt Campbell because I think we understand that there needs to be a little bit more explosion specifically in the passing attack and you can manufacture explosive plays in all sorts of different ways whether it's amarian Walker working vertically down the field or just getting the football to smage Morgan on a quick slip screen and letting him operate in space I think the second thing like more Rhythm I know they tried to do it last year but there were way too many times where it was almost like obvious they were doing it yeah almost want to see more VAR a little bit more creativity in that respect because again you do have guys like I mean s Morgan I want to see getting probably fiveish touches a game I mean last year they didn't have that guy that I really cared if they got the ball to aside from Coulson Loveland I wanted Coulson Loveland to be catching lot of passes but otherwise there wasn't that guy that felt like a real extremely dangerous weapon in the way that I think Sage Morgan can be at times with the ball on his hand how about how about two running back sets you we talked about it all the time you look at Michigan where are their Playmakers I think we think they're in the running the running back room how can we get a guy like Donovan Edwards and potentially kle mullings on the football field at the same time and give opposing defenses a lot of different looks now maybe not so much against Fresno State you might want to save some of those packages and sets for Texas week too but I would be interested to see if Michigan you know kind of gets some of those two running back sets going and gives you know opposing defense to some different looks I think the last thing on offense I'll be looking for is the offensive line chemistry I think know from a Personnel standpoint we feel pretty damn good about this offensive line that being said it it's a lot of new faces that haven't necessarily started football games they've played a lot but haven't started football games how do the new faces you know kind of come together how does the blitz pickups look that's probably the last thing that you're looking for but again these kids are all guys that are going into their fourth fifth years of college football like you feel pretty good that this offensive line as a unit they've probably played a lot together on the two deep over the last couple years have played a lot together not too wor worried about the chemistry of the offensive line now D going over to the defensive side of the football wink Martell taking over I think the number one thing we're both looking for is the depth on the defensive line that's you know been one of our bigger talking points where hey we know we got dogs in Kenneth Grant Mason Graham Josiah Stewart Derek Moore what made Michigan so special was when Derek when a guy like Kenny Grant or Mason Graham came off the field and Chris Jenkins was coming on the football field who are the depth pieces going to be specifically guys like Trey Pierce or Eno Eda who've been getting some fall Camp Buzz that's what I'm looking for the most I think you have the opportunity to play a lot of those guys significant reps in this Fresno State game how physically imposing do they look that's probably what I'm looking for here yeah and I I don't even know that we'll really know that until Texas week too I think even if Michigan's depth isn't necessarily what it was last year I think it's gonna be good enough to look good against Fresno State frankly and Fresno State again those group group of five teams it's just like they get some athletes on their team and that's where I'm a little more worried if you will is what the secondary looks like but I think at the end of the day it's really hard to build a fiveman offensive line that can compete with the likes of a Michigan or a Georgia or Ohio State so I think that we won't necessarily get a great answer for defensive line depth frankly until Texas I'm honestly looking a lot more at what this secondary looks like because you saw what when Fresno State was putting pressure on teams they were doing a really really good job getting the ball out of their hands quickly Mikey ke really good at that I mean very decisive they're wide receivers than him a lot of them are back and I think that's where Michigan gets tested the most is how quick this secondary can kind of come together and be a little bit more glued like it was last year where they were never blowing a sign yeah and I think another thing you talk about Fresno State they want to get the football out quick to their Playmakers in space how does Michigan look tackling like I think we took for granted how good rod Moore was a tackler in space or how good Mikey Mikey sandst didn't miss tackles in space ever right so Zeke Barry coming in expected to play that nickel role how well does Zeke Barry tackle in space that's another thing you're looking for and I think communication good are they passing off the routes in the way they used to do it last year it's like all those things I think again they're gonna get tested quickly like that is the one place I think Fresno State matches up I don't want to say well necessarily but if Michigan's not on their p's and q's are they're not the same or not close maybe to the same unit they were last year Fresno State can move the ball on michig yeah and I think this is why I love this match where this again is not a Hawaii coming in like Fresno State is a legitimate good football team that is going to give you some really good looks and if you're not prepared you are it's I wouldn't say GNA be a long night on Saturday night but Fresno State's gonna test you if missig to make you sweat a little bit Yeah 100% absolutely I think the last thing I'm looking for on defense is Jon bam the amount of hype around this kid from the transfer portal is it's been growing and growing fast and we think that he's a perfect fit in wink Martell's defense how do we use J Shawn Barm obviously primarily you know play the off ball linebacker role but does he walk up to the line of scrimmage does he come off the edge are we Blitz him in the aamb Gap what does wink marale want to do are you gonna see a little bit more of an aggressive defense from wink marale again I I don't think wink Martell's going to be empty in the clip by any means against Fresno State but you are going to get a sense of how wink marale wants to go about calling football games how aggressive he wants to be what does it look like on third down D it's going to be a fascinating home open we're going to hop on right after talk about what we saw I'll kick it to you first Michigan 21 and a half Point favorites a lot of moving pieces how we feeling about it I don't frankly love I mean it feels like a lot of points against Fresno State I mean I would I think Michigan's got that ability to smother him a little bit I just think where Michigan's at and they I mean we thought this last year Washington can be a tough match but I I mean Michigan Smothers teams that's what they've been doing for the past couple years so I I'm not comfortable taking michig as a Michigan fan maybe a little bit biased but I don't love it because I do think Fresno State can move the ball I think they can get first downs at least shorten the game a little bit in a sense because they're not very explosive Mikey Keane doesn't have a huge arm but they do do a good job of kind of chewing yards of yeah I would probably take mission to cover the points too especially if you see them go to that two quarterback set where they're going to play Davis Warren and ask him to do stuff in the second half and not really sit it down park the bus in the fourth quarter but yeah I think I'm with you I could see Michigan winning a 17-point football game where it's pretty comfortable you're not necessarily sweating but it might not be 21 and a half UNLV looked I don't I mean Fresno State's a very similar game and I mean UNLV obviously Michigan beat him up pretty good and I don't necessarily expect Michigan to have any trouble with Fresno State but UNLV is good enough like they were good enough to move the ball just like I think Fresno State when they get a drive going and they can push the pace a little bit they can they can move the ball yeah it's going to be a really fun one as excited as I've been for a Michigan opener in quite a long time we'll wrap it up there again appreciate you guys rocking with the boys would love to hear specifically from the Michigan fans like how are we feeling about the quarterback situation what do we want it to look like again we'll dive deeper into it Wednesday afternoon appreciate you guys rocking with it if yall do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel appreciate you guys and we'll talk to y'all later