​ANN ARBOR, MI – APRIL 18: Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) throws a pass during the Michigan spring football game on April 18, 2026 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Michigan finished 9-4 in 2025, a season in which there were multiple areas to improve in. For the most part, Michigan’s defense and run game proved impactful and near the top of the country in most statistical categories. The pass game, and the pass defense at times, though, struggled to get going and never really found its footing.With the development of quarterback Bryce Underwood and additions in the secondary, as well as multiple key returning pieces, there are improvements that will likely be made that could help the Wolverines be more successful in 2026.Here are five statistics Michigan must improve in that will help take on a schedule that boasts six teams in the coaches poll preseason top125 and four teams in the top-10.Passing yards per game: 186.8 (104th in 2025) -> 225+Rushing has never been an issue for Michigan. Even during Michigan’s 2023 national championship season, the Wolverines ranked 76th nationally in passing yards at 213.7 yards per game. Last season, Michigan was 11th in rushing yards per game with 210.2, a major improvement from the 157.2 yards per game in 2024. Even looking at the translation from the Utes a season ago, they were second only behind Navy with 265.8 rushing yards per game.All to say, you don’t absolutely need to have an efficient passing game to perform well, but given Underwood’s talent and expectations, he should be one of the premier quarterbacks in college football. Last year, even with Fernando Mendoza, Indiana ranked 64th in passing yards per game with 229.8, but eclipsing that 225 yards per game marker would be a good standard for Underwood and the Michigan offense.Passing yards allowed per game: 211.4 (46th in 2025) -> -200Yards allowed through the air is actually a category Michigan improved upon from 2024 to 2025, going from allowing 216.3 yards per game in 2024 to 211.4 in 2025. But that mark isn’t anywhere near the 157 yards per game Michigan allowed in the national championship season in 2023, and even falls behind both the 2022 and 2021 seasons where Michigan had 191.8 and 204.4, respectively.Similar to the passing offense, the Wolverines haven’t had an issue with the rushing defense, ranking 17th in rush yards allowed per game last season at 112.2, lower than the 90.7 in 2024. Michigan doesn’t need a whole lot of improvement in this category, but it should be able to do this thanks to returning some key pieces in the secondary and adding new pieces from Utah’s defense.Red-zone scoring: 78.85% (103rd in 2025) -> 87%+This one is pretty simple. Michigan was abysmally efficient in the red zone last season, only scoring on 78.85 percent of their trips in 2025. This is even a major decline from