Graham Mertz in Ann Arbor, expected to be available as Badgers' QB

After a star-making performance in his starting debut, redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz (above) may be eligible to play this week after sitting out of game action for 21 days after a positive COVID-19 test. Mertz had to clear physical tests this week before he could practice and coach Paul Chryst said Mertz’s status will be determined by how he looks in practice.

If Mertz can play, expecting another near-perfect showing from him is a bit ridiculous, but after seeing what Michigan has allowed opposing quarterbacks the past two weeks, nothing is out of the question. Michigan allowed over 300 yards and three touchdowns apiece to Michigan State’s Rocky Lombardi and Indiana’s Michael Penix Jr. If Mertz can get back in a rhythm with his receivers after a hiatus, the passing attack could be in line for a big game.

The Michigan offense in its second year with coordinator Josh Gattis has been subject to quarterback Joe Milton’s (above) performance — as he goes, the Wolverines go. Milton — a 6-foot-5, 243-pounder out of Pahokee, Fla. — has been inconsistent at best. He’ll flash tremendous arm strength and touch one possession, then miss an open target on another.

He’s averaging 289.7 yards per game and his average completion goes for 13.4 yards, but he’s completing just 60.8% of his throws in an offense designed for efficient QB play.

UW’s special teams were a major question mark heading into the opener, but the unit was up to the task. Punter Andy Vujnovich had an up-and-down day, highlighted by a 60-yard punt in his first attempt. He finished with an average punt of 46 yards. Kicker Collin Larsh (above) made all six of his PAT attempts and added a short field goal late in the game. The coverage teams, revamped after some roster turnover, allowed one kickoff return of 20 yards, but stymied everything else short.

However, if the kicking spots are affected by the virus outbreak among the team, the reserves are true freshmen Gavin Meyers and Jack Van Dyke.

UW had seemingly a perfect game plan for the Illini on both sides of the ball. Mertz picked apart Illinois’ Cover 2 defense and exploited the defense’s aggressiveness in the red zone to get Jake Ferguson wide open for two touchdowns. UW’s defense didn’t allow a point, and let up a total of 218 yards. The Badgers were again stingy on third downs, allowing Illinois to convert just 2 of 10 chances.

Paul Chryst and his assistants will need to scheme players open against Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown’s man-coverage-heavy approach.

This game will be defined by how the Badgers respond to their COVID-19 situation. If Mertz is available, he’ll need to apply the same focus and attention to detail that he showed in throttling Illinois. If it’s anyone else under center, the offensive line and rushing threats will need to take a step forward from Week 1 to get the offense moving.

This could be a pull-out-all-the-stops game for Michigan, because their schedule the rest of the way is tougher than it once appeared. Rutgers, Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State follow the Badgers on Michigan’s slate. Rutgers and Maryland are proving to be tough outs already this season, Penn State is in dire straits and Ohio State is still Ohio State.

It’s difficult to make a prediction not knowing who the Badgers will put on the field Saturday. However, the Wolverines haven’t shown much to inspire optimism against top-tier opponents in the Big Ten this season. UW is one of those top-tier teams with a healthy roster, so we’ll see what kind of patchwork the Badgers have to do on their starting lineup due to the COVID-19 outbreak.