Michigan Football Breakdown with Borges & English - Week 1

In this week's episode, Al Borges returns to the breakdown series, and we welcome former Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English to the team (Vance Bedford will still make occasional guest appearances this season). The crew tackles a surprising opener in which Michigan survived Western Michigan with a controversial, last-second Hail Mary, but the Wolverines left their opener with far more questions than answers—and little time to find them before a massive showdown with Oklahoma. On this week’s Michigan Football Breakdown, The Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb joins former Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges and former defensive coordinator Ron English for a detailed film review of the good, bad, and ugly from Michigan’s dramatic escape. Borges breaks down an offense that sputtered after an impressive opening drive, from third-down failures and problems handling defensive line movement to an inconsistent rushing attack and costly turnovers. At the center of the discussion is Bryce Underwood, as Borges analyzes the quarterback’s reads, fundamentals, and decision-making, while the trio debates Kyle Whittingham’s pointed declaration that Underwood remains the starter “right now”—and what it means for the length of his leash against Oklahoma. English takes the defense, explaining what he liked about a unit that surrendered only field goals despite playing 71 snaps, but also what must improve after Western sustained several long drives. That includes better communication and execution, more physical tackling, and doing a better job disguising coverages and tightening up pre-snap rotations so Oklahoma can’t easily identify. He then tackles what the Wolverines must do to defend Oklahoma’s dangerous quarterback, John Mateer. The crew lays out the most important fixes ahead of Week 2—and why the matchup with the Sooners could quickly become a season-shaping test for Underwood and the Wolverines.