Who is Alex Orji? Michigan football makes QB change, benches Davis Warren
Michigan football's coaches apparently saw enough Saturday to make a quarterback change.
After senior Davis Warren threw his third interception of the afternoon late in the third quarter against Arkansas State, the Wolverines made the switch to backup Alex Orji, who took over on the next series. Michigan won, 28-18.
Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore spoke postgame on the field with Big Ten Network about the change.
"Davis was playing good, you can't have those turnovers," Moore said. "So Orji went in there and did a good job, missed the one throw (long pass to Fredrick Moore) but thought he controlled the offense pretty well, so, we'll go from there."
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Michigan hosts No. 11 USC next Saturday in the Wolverines' Big Ten Conference opener.
Warren beat out Orji in a quarterback battle that lasted from spring into the final week of fall camp. In the days before the season opener vs. Fresno State, head coach Sherrone Moore told Warren he'd won the job.
Warren completed 15 of 25 passes for 118 yards, one touchdown and one interception, but Moore chalked it up to first-start jitters and said there were plenty of things to like. The concerns continued last week, when U-M was walloped by Texas, 31-12.
In that game, Michigan was forced to pass early, which didn't help Warren, but he didn't help the offense enough either. In his second career start, Warren completed 22 of 33 passes for 204 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions as U-M lost at home for the first time since 2020.
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The Wolverines had little trouble moving the ball on the ground vs. Arkansas State on Saturday, with more than 250 yards. But Warren threw interceptions in each of the first three quarters, with each seemingly more baffling than the one prior.
On the first interception, there appeared to be a miscommunication with running back Donovan Edwards on a play-action pass. He took the fake handoff on the wrong side of Warren and then missed a blocking assignment. Warren was forced to throw off his back foot, and made a questionable decision on a dump-off which was intercepted.
Near the half, Warren tried to throw an out-route to Semaj Morgan, but his elbow was bumped as he threw it and the ball went directly to a defensive back. The final interception came in the third, when he again tried to find Morgan, but this time overthrew the pass into the waiting arms of the safety.
On the season, Warren is 48-for-72 for 444 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Who is Alex Orji? Michigan makes QB change, benches Davis Warren
