Oregon Ducks must slow down one key weapon to derail Michigan's passing attack
Michigan hasn't had a ton of success on offense this season, but they have one playmaker that is worthy of a ton of attention.Tight end Colston Loveland, who is expected by many to be the first tight end selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, is a certified weapon. He's the motor for the Michigan passing […]
Michigan hasn't had a ton of success on offense this season, but they have one playmaker that is worthy of a ton of attention.
Tight end Colston Loveland, who is expected by many to be the first tight end selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, is a certified weapon. He's the motor for the Michigan passing attack, and is arguably the most important playmaker for Oregon to slow down.
"Versatile. They use him in a lot of different ways," Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning said when asked about Loveland. "He's the guy that you have to know where he's on the field at all times. They move him all over the place. He can split out wide and be one of the best wide outs on the field, and then line up in the backfield, or line up at tight end and be the best of that position. So he's a really talented player that they're going to find ways to use. He's an important piece of their offense."
Loveland is basically the entire passing attack for Michigan. As a team, Michigan averages only 130.5 passing yards per game, which ranks 130th in the country. The offense has been anemic for much of the season, wanting instead of beat teams by playing defense and running the ball.
When they do throw it, though, it's basically all Loveland. The tight end has 42 receptions on 60 targets for 411 receiving yards. His 60 targets is more targets than Michigan's top-3 wide receivers have combined.
I can do you one better. His 411 receiving yards are more than the total receiving yards registered by every single wide receiver on the roster combined this season. Loveland is the guy. In the passing game, he's it.
As stated earlier, Michigan wants to play elite defense and run the ball. Their running backs are tough to tackle, but even while running the ball 59.92% of the time (16th-most), the team is averaging only 172.6 rushing yards per game (50th-most). 172 rushing yards is a lot, but it's not a lot when your team seemingly can't throw.
Oregon will likely commit to stopping the run while daring Michigan to throw it. If they can slow down Loveland, they'll be in good shape for this big road matchup.
Follow along all year for more Oregon Ducks coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on X @JonHelmkamp, as well as follow our main page @AtoZSportsNFL for all the latest news.
