The good and the bad from Michigan football's 21-16 win over Purdue

In a game where the Wolverines had a hard time capitalizing on opportunities, it was Marshall who provided stability to help push the team to the finish line.

Zack Marshall quietly emerging in passing game

On a night where the Wolverines didn't have a ton going in their aerial attack, tight end Zack Marshall was able to make some plays and led the team with three receptions for 58 yards.

Although No. 1 tight end Marlin Klein has returned from injury, the depth of the tight end room has shown out with various players at the position stepping up over the past few games.

This element of the Michigan passing game will be vital for true freshman QB Bryce Underwood as he continues to grow through his college career.

The Bad

Bryce Underwood is officially struggling

Last week, Underwood had various plays against Michigan State where he didn't quite see the field well enough and missed open receivers.

Against Purdue, against one of the nation's worst pass defenses statistically, the true freshman was both missing open receivers due to inaccurate passes, or just outright not seeing them while in the pocket.

Of course, the entire offense works in unison. The offensive line needs to provide consistent pass protection, the play calling has to put players in the best position to succeed, receivers have to get open and Underwood has to make good decisions and accurate throws—so it's unfair to place all of the blame on Underwood for the offense being inefficient on Saturday night.

At the same time, there is no doubt he has been in a slump since the Washington game, and it will be something he has to work through as the Wolverines enter the final stretch of the season.

There's just no way Michigan should only be scoring 21 points while averaging nearly seven yards per play. Yet, that was the case, thanks in big part to Underwood turning the ball over twice inside the Purdue 20-yard line via an interception and a fumble.

Injuries continue to pile up

The upcoming bye week couldn't be coming at a better time for Michigan just from a health standpoint alone. As mentioned, Michigan was without Haynes on the offensive side of the ball, and in the second half, receiver Donavan McCulley left the game due to injury.

On defense, linebackers Jimmy Rolder and Cole Sullivan were out, and safety Rod Moore continues to recover from a setback to his knee.

In the long run, Michigan may look at this season as a blessing in a sense with all of the young players who have been able to gain valuable experience with all of the players who have missed with injury. However, in the short terms, the massive amount of key players out isn't helping the Wolverines be as dominant as they could be on each side of the ball.

Michigan's Nov. 15 game at Northwestern is unlikely to be easy, so Sherrone Moore will certainly be hoping to get as many players back as possible by the time that game comes around.