That was closer than it should have been. Maryland has scared me for years, because they’ve had offensive playmakers. This goes back to the days of NFL veteran receiver D.J. Moore, but also a variety of running backs like Ty Johnson and Anthony McFarland, Jr. Now the Terps have a stable of good receivers and a couple solid running backs in speedster Roman Hemby and 235 lb. Antwain Littleton II, who I learned during the game had been a 295 lb. recruit. But the defense is catching up to the offense with size and speed in the secondary. They’re turning into a formidable opponent.
Hit the jump for more.
You asked for J.J. McCarthy, and this is what you got. There’s absolutely no question that McCarthy outplayed Cade McNamara to start the season, but people have been beating the drum for McCarthy for a long time. Every player comes with warts – Denard Robinson couldn’t throw effectively against good defenses, Tom Brady and John Navarre couldn’t run, Chad Henne only threw fastballs, etc. – but McCarthy is young and fairly inexperienced. He has all the physical traits you want (good size, strong arm, speed) and some of the mental traits, but what he lacks is an internal clock and consistency. He sat in the pocket way too long several times, and he runs around in circles way too often trying to make something happen. That’s going to lead to turnovers, sacks, and maybe even injury. He also tried to cut back in when he was running on the sideline and could have taken a big, dangerous shot.
That being said, the announcers were a little bit weird. I don’t really buy into the whole media bias thing, or “the announcers are rooting for the other team!” stuff. Does it happen? Sometimes, I’m sure. Announcers are human. But most of them are trying to be fair. The dialogue was odd, though. Which QB performance would you rather have?
- 20/30, 207 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 4 carries for 20 yards
- 18/26, 220 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 5 carries for 5 yards
The guy who threw 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions was Taulia Tagovailoa. If you watched the broadcast, he should be in the NFL right now pushing for a starting spot. The guy who completed a higher percentage of his passes and didn’t turn the ball over is the guy with all the question marks, J.J. McCarthy.
All running backs are good as long as they’re named Blake Corum. With Donovan Edwards still nursing a leg injury, Blake Corum was the only functional running back available. And my oh my did he . . . function. He had 30 carries for 243 yards (#7 all-time at Michigan) and 2 touchdowns. I believe five of his carries went for 20+ yards. Freshman C.J. Stokes got in the game for one play, ran for -2 yards, fumbled, and never saw the field again. Redshirt freshman Tavi Dunlap stayed glued to the sideline. Walk-on Isaiah Gash ran for 2 yards on 3rd-and-4. It felt a lot like the game against Penn State in 2021 when Blake Corum wasn’t available: it was ride-or-die with Hassan Haskins, who had 31 carries for 156 yards (Donovan Edwards ran 2 times for 2 yards).
Michigan has no pass rushers. That may be hyperbole, but Michigan has no one who’s in danger of winning right off the snap. We were spoiled by Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, who could provide instant pressure. Michigan has also had Chase Winovich, Josh Uche, or Viper-type guys (Jabrill Peppers, Khaleke Hudson) who could flash into the backfield. Michigan’s sack leaders are nickel corner Mike Sainristil and 292 lb. Mike Morris. Through four games last year, Hutchinson (5.5 sacks) and Ojabo (1.0) had combined for 6.5 sacks. So I guess there’s still time for an Ojabo to appear, but I don’t think it’s coming from any of the current starters. Sainristil can’t blitz all the time, and Morris isn’t going to get any quicker as the season goes along. Maybe Derrick Moore or Eyabi Okie or Braiden McGregor can develop, but on Saturday, Michigan was rushing four and counting on bull rushes to get there.
The offensive play calling was suspect. The play calling obviously wasn’t terrible, considering McCarthy was 18/26 for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns. And considering Blake Corum had 243 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Most teams would be happy with 463 total yards. Michigan had just 40 more yards against Maryland in 2021 but managed to score 25 more points. Joel Klatt made a huge deal of it on the broadcast, but I was already questioning it when Michigan kept lining up under center and running counter with Blake Corum. The offensive coordinator(s) also faked jet sweep a couple times – without actually running jet sweep – and the defense didn’t bite, so a jet sweep pass from Ronnie Bell didn’t work at all. They did mix in some play action late in the game from under center, so maybe that’s what they were setting up. But I don’t think they had a great game plan to keep Maryland guessing. (Before you start yearning for Josh Gattis to come back, his new team at Miami scored 9 points against Texas A&M and then they just got outscored by Middle Tennessee while averaging 4.12 yards per play. To provide some context, 4.12 yards per play for the season would rank #127 in the nation.)
A win is a win. Maryland is an improved football team with some good playmakers. Overall, Michigan did a good job of tamping down some of the big plays downfield and keeping Roman Hemby from breaking out. I expected at least one big run from Hemby, but his longest was 6 yards. The Wolverines are good for at least one close win every year against a team they should beat handily, but that’s the case with every team. Alabama had four one-score victories in 2021 against teams that finished unranked (LSU, Texas A&M, Florida, Auburn). And Michigan’s not on Alabama’s level. But McCarthy, the play calling, and the pass rush are all going to have to improve if Michigan wants to beat Ohio State.
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