5 things we learned in Michigan Football win over Rutgers
Michigan football improved its record to 9-0 and while the first half wasn’t stellar vs Rutgers the Wolverines closed strong, and here’s what we learned.
Every time that Michigan football has been tested this season, it has responded the way a championship team would be expected to and the same thing happened on Saturday night.
It’s true that Michigan football created some of its own adversity. A blocked punt returned for a touchdown and two missed field goals were uncharacteristic as the special teams have been flawless this season.
J.J. McCarthy missed a wide-open Andrel Anthony for what should have been a walk-in touchdown that would have quieted the Rutgers crowd right down.
Instead, Rutgers made it a game. Gavin Wimsatt puts some throws on the money and Michigan football went into halftime trailing for the first time this season.
What happened in the second half, showed why this team just might win another championship. The Wolverines outscored Rutgers 31-0 and never looked back.
Greg Schiano said in an interview that teams don’t get medals for one good half and he was foreshadowing because Michigan football owned the second half and here are five things we learned.
J.J. McCarthy rises to the occasion
It’s been frustrating to watch McCarty at times this season because you know he’s close to reaching that elite level. He still hasn’t hit a deep shot in a Big Ten game and the misses are getting painful. It’s almost like the yips.
The first half wasn’t a good one for McCarthy. He got beat up and missed some throws. It was his lowest completion percentage as a starter (under 50 percent). However, he got things going and tossed two touchdowns in the second half.
On Michigan’s first drive, he threw two darts to Donovan Edwards — one up the sideline and one in the end zone. The Wolverines didn’t trail again.
McCarthy also threw another beautiful ball to Luke Schoonmaker who wasn’t able to hang on in the end zone. His TD pass to Cornelius Johnson was good too. But just as McCarthy needs to hit the deep ball, his receivers need to make more plays.
The guys aren’t winning enough 50/50 balls. But I would like to see the staff give McCarthy more room to cut it loose. After his second-half performance, there is no reason the staff should be running the ball on third and five all the time.
Yes, it has worked. But you have a five-star QB and it’s time to call plays like it.