There Is NO Quarterback Controversy At Michigan
Michigan fans everywhere were excited for tonight because they were finally going to get to see sophomore quarterback JJ McCarthy in extended action. And the kid did not disappoint.
McCarthy finished the night 11-for-12 for 229 yards and three touchdowns. He probably could've ran for 100 yards if he wanted to, but it wasn't necessary. Instead, he finished with one carry for 16 yards.
Obviously looking at the stat line, McCarthy was pretty much flawless, but it was how he went about it. His first throw of the night was on the money to Roman Wilson for a 42-yard score. Later on in the first half, he hit Donovan Edwards on one of the prettiest, most on-time throws a quarterback can make for a 33-yard gain. Then, the coup de grace, was an absolute laser while running forward and to his left to the front corner of the end zone, which resulted in a touchdown to Cornelius Johnson from 17 yards out. It was literally a throw that half of the quarterbacks in the NFL can't make.
Tonight was JJ's audition and he flat out stole the show. There is NO quarterback controversy in Ann Arbor.
Ronnie Bell had another uncharacteristic drop, but he also led Michigan with six catches for 74 yards and a score. Johnson and Wilson also had scores and eight other Wolverines had at least one grab on the night.
On the ground, another somewhat mediocre night considering the opponent. There wasn't much resistance necessarily, as U-M ran for 7.9 yards per carry, but no ball carrier went over 100 yards. However, Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards and CJ Stokes all scored a touchdown as did Wilson on a reverse. Unfortunately, Edwards got dinged up and didn't play in the second half.
On defense, Michigan's pass rush didn't produce like they did last week, but that was because Hawaii did not hold onto the ball at all. They obviously saw the film last week and they made a concerted effort to get rid of it quick. In doing that, Michigan didn't get many hits on the QB, finishing with just one sack, but it also resulted in abbreviated route combinations and a rough day through the air for Joey Yellen. The junior quarterback finished 13-of-36 for just 113 yards on the day, most of which were picked up in garbage time.
If you're looking at the game from a 10,000-foot view, there just isn't much to specifically pull. McCarthy was incredible, Michigan was way too fast and talented for Hawaii and the game was pretty much over as soon as U-M scored on its first two-play touchdown drive. The only things the coaches can really point to are the late scores. You see it all the time in blowouts, but the staff still won't like it and neither will the backup defenders.
At the end of the day, the biggest takeaways are that Michigan is 2-0 and the JJ McCarthy Era is officially upon us moving forward.
