The Calm Before the Storm

Michigan's last game before their first test against Penn State

Michigan entered this week having not played for 2 weeks, and being under loads of scrutiny for their sign-stealing scandal. 

It was important that they came out strong to keep up their momentum. They did that very well. Purdue started with the ball, and immediately went 3 and out to give Michigan the ball back. Michigan’s first drive was flawless. Kalel Mullings had a big first down run, and Roman Wilson had a big catch. However, the biggest play was a Donovan Edwards deep ball that got Michigan to the 2 yard line. The first drive was capped off with a Blake Corum TD.

The Michigan defense continued their dominance, forcing a second 3 and out. Michigan then drove down the field with ease, and Blake Corum punched it in again. 

Purdue got the ball back, and immediately threw an interception to Will Johnson. At this point, it looked like pure Michigan domination. However, things started to go slightly downhill after this. Michigan was unable to capitalize off this turnover and had to settle for a field goal. 

They only scored 3 points for the entire rest of the half, and even allowed Purdue to kick 2 field goals. Michigan was outscored 6-3 in the 2nd quarter. 

One particularly bad moment was on a 4th down in their own side of the field, with about 2 minutes left in the half. At this point, Michigan was winning by 17 and had no reason to take risks. They decided to go for it anyway, and they were stopped. 

Because of the scandal, I think Michigan felt they had something to prove. Therefore, they over-ambitiously went for a meaningless 4th down conversion. This behavior won’t result in any struggles against a team like Purdue. However, in the next 3 weeks, it might be better for the Michigan staff to play it safer. 

Coming out of the half, Michigan got off to a slow start. The punted twice on their first 2 possessions. Then, Freshman WR Semaj Morgan took a jet sweep 44 yards to the house. His playmaking ability this season has been really promising. I predict that he’ll be utilized more in bigger games like Penn State and Ohio State. 

From here, Michigan took complete control of the game, and scored twice more. 

Overall, I would give the Wolverines an 8/10. They won by 4 scores and didn’t face any real threat. JJ McCarthy had a pretty good game. He passed for 335 yards, and made some beautiful throws. However, he had some bad incompletions that I hadn’t been seeing prior to this game. Multiple times, I felt that he threw the ball too hard or behind his target. 

I’m also concerned that so far, McCarthy hasn’t really played a full 4 quarters of football. Because of their weak schedule, every game has been over by the 4th quarter, and McCarthy was pulled. Against teams like Penn State and Ohio State, this will not be possible. This week, the coaching staff must prepare him for a full 60 minutes of football.

Donovan Edwards had his biggest game of the season, and it was because of his receiving ability and not his running. His 37 yard reception was really his only explosive play of the year. If I was in charge, I would continue to utilize him in the receiving game. He adds an extra threat to the defense if he can play both positions.

Michigan has their biggest test of the season coming up. I will be in Happy Valley at the game, and hopefully I can provide an in-person experience.