Inside Details As Michigan’s Sherrone Moore Addresses Possible Changes After Texas Debacle

Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore indicated personnel changes could be a possibility after the Wolverines’ 31-12 home loss to Texas.

Before Saturday, the Michigan football team hadn’t experienced a home loss since November 28, 2020, and they hadn’t lost in the regular season for nearly two years. However, that all changed with a decisive 31-12 defeat at home against Texas, marking the first loss for new head coach Sherrone Moore.

Moore previously served as Jim Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the past three seasons, along with a stint as interim and acting head coach. He stepped into the full head coaching role in the offseason when Harbaugh left to take the head coaching position with the Los Angeles Chargers. While Moore’s first game in charge ended in a 30-10 victory over Fresno State, his second game was significantly more challenging.

Sherrone Moore comments after Michigan loses 31-12 to Texas

Instead of facing Fresno State, a solid Mountain West team now led by an interim coach following Jeff Tedford’s resignation due to health issues, Michigan encountered the tough challenge of playing Texas. Like the Wolverines, the Longhorns reached the College Football Playoff last season, losing in the semifinals to Washington, which fell to Michigan in the national championship.

However, there was a noticeable difference between the Texas and Michigan teams compared to last year, which was clearly evident on Saturday. Despite playing at home in front of over 110,000 fans, Michigan was outmatched by Texas throughout the game. The Longhorns built a substantial 24-3 halftime lead and finished with a 31-12 victory, highlighted by three takeaways and a standout performance from quarterback Quinn Ewers, who threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns.

After the defeat, when asked about potential changes to his roster—which features several new players following Harbaugh’s exit—Moore suggested that adjustments could be considered after further evaluation.

“I don’t want to react impulsively and just say anything,” Moore said [h/t ESPN]. “I’ll review the game, assess what’s necessary, and figure out how to position the right people for success.”

In previous years, a loss like this could have effectively eliminated Michigan from College Football Playoff contention. Fortunately, this season introduces a new format allowing 12 teams to qualify for the CFP, which means that as long as Michigan wins out or possibly loses just one more game, they should still rank in the top 12 by the season’s end.

The Wolverines have an opportunity to recover next week against Arkansas State, before starting Big Ten play against USC. Michigan will host the Trojans, their rival Michigan State, and Oregon this season, while they’ll need to travel for their national championship rematch with Washington and the regular-season finale against Ohio State.