Wolverine Watch: Skene Sees Improvement For U-M Offense

So Michigan football needs to replace only 3,061 of its 3,236 passing yards by its quarterbacks from last year, and only 80 percent of its starting offensive line.

What could possibly go wrong?

The answer is obviously plenty. When you’re greener than Mel Tucker’s .500-or-bust crew at a couple of key positions, it’s impossible to know for sure.

Doug Skene gives it a shot anyway. The former Michigan offensive lineman (1988-92) — proud owner of five more Big Ten championship rings than any Wolverine over the past dozen years — isn’t the fretful type. He’s especially confident when it comes to the second season of offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ show in Ann Arbor.

Skene flat-out insists the Wolverines will improve on offense, despite the exodus up front and behind center.

“I think this offense will be better than it was a year ago,” Skene said. “The experience of those running backs helps immensely. We saw flashes in the development of their blocking ability, to go along with their running ability.

“[Senior wideout] Nico Collins is set up to have an incredible year. He’s going to be challenged, in a lot of ways. [Junior wideout] Ronnie Bell is going to continue to ascend in his performance levels and get better and better. It will be another year when we see the validity and performance of [offensive line coach] Ed Warinner, developing that offensive line.”

A year ago, the running backs faced the trainee dilemma, featuring a pair of freshman-eligible tailbacks. Sophomore Zach Charbonnet and redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins responded by combining for 1,348 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. They welcome back senior Chris Evans to a packed backs room, providing a now-tested trio.

Meanwhile, Bell and Collins combined for 1,487 receiving yards, with Collins hauling in seven touchdown passes. A second year in Gattis’ throw-friendly system should do nothing but help, along with the further development of 2019 rookies Giles Jackson and Mike Sainristil.

So there’s no doubt, many parts are in place. But it all starts up front, right? That’s where Skene likes what he hears, just like fellow former head-banger Jon Jansen, who experienced two Big Ten titles and a national championship.

Both are buying what the coaches are selling, regarding to the offensive line — it might be new, but it’s going to be good.

“We’ve already heard Gattis and [Jim] Harbaugh talk about how they think this offensive line group is more athletic, which is going to allow them to do some other things,” Skene said. “Translation: this group of linemen move better. They can move, they’re faster, they’re quicker. That’s what I hear.

“That bodes really, really well. The more athleticism you have in an offensive line, now you can do more things in more space. I think the offensive line last year did a really nice job, but if you give me more athletic guys, I can throw some more things into my playbook.

“All of this translates into taking pressure off of a new quarterback. I think this offense — in spite of the fact that they did not have spring football — will end up being better than last year’s offense.”

There are plenty of ways to take that pressure off whoever the QB may be,” Skene noted. Redshirt junior Dylan McCaffrey or redshirt sophomore Joe Milton can take pressure off themselves by giving calm, understanding leadership, overcoming and reassuring when mistakes are made.

“That loved leadership, that servant leadership that all the great quarterbacks have, man, that huddle will do absolutely anything they can to set you up to make you look good,” Skene pointed out. “I’ve been part of huddles like that. When you know your guy is back there taking the ball, you’ll do anything to protect him and help him be great.”

The backs, the receivers, the tight ends, all can improve over 2019, and all should get better in Gattis’ system, Skene reasons. The former All-Big Ten lineman even has his clipboard out for some technical assistance, via long-time observation.

“College football should be just pick route city, because no one ever calls illegal pick routes,” Skene offered. “It just doesn’t get called in college football. I would like to see Michigan do more of it. I know some of our competitors do, and they take advantage of the situation.

“It doesn't feel like Michigan does it as much as we could. I’d like to see more of it out of this offense. Just run a blatant pass pick route, because everybody else does, and help these guys out. Then if you get flagged for it, okay, you can adjust off of that.

“We used to go into football games and we would hold the crap out of people until we got warned, or a penalty thrown against us as offensive linemen. Then we backed off of there. But you test the limits. You test the fences, as to what these officials let you get away with.”

Skene insists year two for Gattis exceeds the limits of year one, provided COVID-19 doesn’t run a pick play of its own as fall 2020 approaches.

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