Michigan starting quarterback Wilton Speight was thought to be out for the remainder of the regular season with a broken collarbone, according to M Go Blog. The report says Speight could return for a Michigan bowl game, depending on “the exact nature of the issue,” but doesn’t speak to a possible Big Ten Championship game on Dec. 3.
Wilton Speight injury: Michigan starting QB warming up despite being reportedly out
Either way, he has an interesting backup, and this offense is still being overseen by one of the country’s most proven QB coaches.
Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
But before the game against Indiana, Harbaugh said that while John O’korn will start against the Boilermakers, Speight isn’t done for the year and it seems he’s actually getting healthier.
The Wolverines are 9-1 and still control their Playoff destiny, with games against Indiana and at Ohio State left in the regular season.
Speight was injured, apparently, during the No. 3 Wolverines’ loss at Iowa on Saturday night. But everything, at the time, seemed reasonably OK:
Speight’s came to his left shoulder and, after throwing on the sideline during a defensive series, returned to the game for the final drive. But it clearly was bothering him.
Though Speight didn’t complete the final-series third-down conversion pass to Amara Darboh, U-M coach Jim Harbaugh felt it wasn’t because of the shoulder.
“It might have (bothered) a little bit,” Harbaugh said. “I thought he threw a good ball there to Amara on the last one.”
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday Speight could be a game-time decision for Saturday’s game against Indiana.
And Saturday, this happened:
Michigan doesn’t release a weekly two-deep depth chart, but the Wolverines’ backup quarterbacks are seniors John O’Korn and Shane Morris. Based on the preseason QB battle and the backup snaps so far this season, it’s fair to expect O’Korn to be the next man in line, if this is just a bluff.
Any Speight absence would be bad news for Michigan.
He’s developed a lot this season, moving up to No. 3 in the Big Ten in passer rating, and he’d been masterful in the weeks leading up to Saturday’s upset loss at Kinnick Stadium.
O’Korn would at least have a strong support system. Michigan has a couple of elite receivers and one of the best tight ends in the country, Jake Butt. The running game is sound, and the offensive line has usually done well in pass protection for Speight. (Michigan’s Adjusted Sack Rate is 20th-best in the country.)
But recent history hasn’t been great to O’Korn. He transferred from Houston after losing that job to Greg Ward Jr., a former wide receiver. As a sophomore, he threw eight picks in less than half a season’s worth of action, but as a freshman in 2013, he threw for 3,117 yards and 28 touchdowns, with 10 picks. He’s also a bit more mobile than Speight is.
Michigan had good success last year with Iowa transfer Jake Rudock under center, but O’Korn hasn’t gotten traction yet.
On the bright side, Michigan’s got a top-flight quarterbacks coach helming this ship.
Harbaugh has a long, brilliant track record of QB-whispering, and pretty much every quarterback who’s seen extended action under Harbaugh has done well. If there’s anyone to get the most out of O’Korn, if need be, Michigan’s got the right coaches to do it.
The offensive scheme will not change, the pass-run ratio will not, it will be the same scheme, with plenty of weapons at O’Korns disposal to utilize.
What will need to happen in short order is pass protection improving. Michigan’s offensive line was beat in both pass and run blocking against Iowa. There weren’t many holes to be found running, and little time to be had passing the football. O’Korn is going to need time to operate. It can’t be expected of him to execute at a high level if the pass protection is breaking down instantly.
Although he may have received plenty of practice reps, the speed of a live game is different, and it will take him time to adjust. The adjustment time could be a quarter, it could take games.
See More:
