3 keys for Michigan football to beat Maryland without Jim Harbaugh

Air it out

There has been a lot of talk about J.J. McCarthy and his eight pass attempts last week against Penn State.

Some have tried to say that Michigan football doesn’t trust McCarthy which is preposterous. McCarthy is one of the most accurate passers in the country and an obvious first-round pick.

Penn State has a really good pass rush and a strong secondary. It made sense to pound the rock and when it comes to the Nittany Lions — it’s not new.

Michigan football barely threw the ball in the second half last season against Penn State. Going back to 2018, when the Wolverines had a really solid team — Michigan barely ran in that game too. On the first drive, the Wolverines marched right down the field behind Karan Higdon.

All that to say, I don’t see Michigan hesitating to throw the ball this week. Maryland has a solid pass rush and is fourth in the Big Ten in sacks. But Maryland is susceptible against the pass and it would be great to see McCarthy have a big game prior to “The Game.”