5 things we learned from Michigan Football win over Colorado State

Michigan football cruised to a 51-7 win over Colorado State on Saturday and here are five things we learned about the Wolverines. 

In Michigan football’s return to the field for the 2022 season, the Wolverines looked exactly as we expected them to in a 44-point win over Colorado State.

The defense was dominant. Michigan football allowed just 219 total yards and finished with seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and an interception. All in all, it was a solid debut for defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

Michigan’s defense also scored the same amount of points as Colorado State — seven. That was thanks to a DJ Turner fumble return for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Offensively, Michigan football finished with 440 yards and scored 44 points but the red-zone field goals are surely going to bug some people and Cade McNamara wasn’t sharp.

J.J. McCarthy created a spark and scored on a 20-yard touchdown run. He’ll get his chance to start next week against Hawaii and the QB is our first topic of conversation.

J.J. McCarthy needs to be QB1

This Michigan football team is definitely capable of repeating as Big Ten champs. I wrote recently that the Wolverines could win the league again and after watching the opener, it’s clear that’s true.

Michigan is loaded on the defensive side of the ball and Jim Harbaugh might be right about it being even better than last year. The running game looks stellar, even if it was a little sluggish at times on Saturday, and the talent at WR/RB is obvious.

So is the talent at quarterback, when J.J. McCarthy is in the game.

I love Cade McNamara. He’s a champion. He’s a warrior and he’s a competitor. But he’s not the best quarterback on this team anymore and that seemed clear on Saturday.

McNamara bounced his first two passes and threw a red-zone interception that was dropped and therefore overturned. He was 1-of-4 in the red zone and the only drive that Michigan football was able to score a touchdown in the red zone was when it ran every time.

Settling for three field goals was worrisome and it wouldn’t have happened with McCarthy. He just has that ability to make plays that McNamara simply doesn’t. It’s with his feet but also his arm.

There was talk about how Cade improved during the offseason but he didn’t show it on Saturday. Outside of the 61-yard touchdown to Roman Wilson, which was a short pass, he was 8-for-17 for 75 yards which is an average of 4.4 yards per attempt.

I don’t need to tell you that’s terrible. Cade was also quite bristly about the QB competition in his post-game press conference calling it “unusual” and Harbaugh’s decision to start McCarthy “unexpected.”

He’s right on both counts. It’s unusual and unexpected but you normally don’t have a talent like McCarthy trying to dethrone a QB that is fresh off leading the team to a Big Ten title.

It’s a tough dynamic but Jim Harbaugh said the decision would be made when it comes clear and my prediction is that it becomes clear on Saturday against Hawaii.