Michigan Football: Projecting 5 impact players against Hawaii
It’s the first night game at The Big House this season, and safe to say Hawaii isn’t going to know what hit them. In Hawaii’s first two games, they got blown out by Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky by a combined score of 112-27. This game is going to be an offensive showcase for Michigan football, but who are going to be our impact players of the game?
J.J. McCarthy
Last week, J.J. played incredible in just the short time he was in the game. Not only does J.J. have a strong arm, but he is also immensely athletic and will run the ball. We saw a glimpse of that against Colorado State, and he sure will do it against Hawaii as well. This is going to be J.J.’s first start and he is ready to prove that he should be QB1 (although some fans already think he should be.) I fully expect J.J. to run the ball way more than most QBs do, especially against a team like Hawaii. Not only that, but he will air it out to the receivers. He is going to earn that starting spot this weekend.
Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum
For the second week in a row, I am predicting our running backs to make the biggest impact. In Hawaii’s first two games, they allowed 545 rushing yards alone.
Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum are going to have a field day against Hawaii. Last week, Corum ran for 80 yards and Edwards ran for 64. Facing an incredibly weak defense in Hawaii, Michigan football having two elite running backs is vital and will be a huge part of the offense.
The key is to establish the run game early and continue it throughout the game. If they start running the ball early, Hawaii won’t be able to keep up.
Roman Wilson
Last week, we saw how athletic Roman Wilson is. He had a 61-yard touchdown, weaving around any and all Colorado State players. Wilson, a Hawaii native is ready to show off this weekend against his hometown team. Even JJ McCarthy in his weekly press conference hinted at it.
Roman Wilson is going to be Michigan’s leading receiver this weekend. With the combination of his athleticism, as well as JJ McCarthy at quarterback, this duo is going to be lethal.
Mazi Smith
Michigan’s defensive line and pass rush was outstanding last weekend. With seven sacks, and the constant pressure on the QB, CSU could never get anything going. It is going to be even more so this weekend. Mazi Smith is one of the most talked about players on this roster for a reason. Talking about his bench reps, Smith benched 325 pounds… 22 times. Which is unheard of. He is an athletic freak and will be a huge issue this season for the offensive linemen on opposing teams. Hawaii the past 2 games have had their QB sacked a total of 5 times, with a loss of 33 yards. This weekend I fully expect Mazi Smith to have constant pressure on the QB and maybe even have a few sacks.
This game is going to be a fun one, and Michigan fans are excited. (I know I am!) You can watch it Saturday night at 8 on Big Ten Network.