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JJ McCarthy leads all Power 5 QBs with insane showing in one key stat through Week 3
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How good is Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy entering Week 4 of the college football season? His adjusted numbers would suggest that he’s better than Heisman front-runners like Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud or Georgia’s Stetson Bennett.
According to Pro Football Focus’ Anthony Treash, McCarthy is the only Power 5 starting quarterback without a negative graded play through the first 3 weeks of the season. Every other Power 5 quarterback has a minimum of 6 negative plays attached to their name.
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McCarthy is expected to be the full-time starter moving forward for the Wolverines after beating out 2021 starter Cade McNamara. In his first start against Hawaii, the 6-foot-3, 198-pound sophomore went 11-of-12 passing for 229 yards and 3 touchdowns. Last week in a 59-0 win over UConn, McCarthy went 15-of-18 for 224 yards and helped the offense score on 5 drives.
Running back Blake Corum was the breakout star against the Huskies, rushing for 5 touchdowns off 12 carries while averaging 5.9 yards per run.
Part of the reason for McCarthy’s positive stat line is due to his limited throws. While he is completing roughly 88% of his passes, he’s also only recorded 34 attempts in 3 games. Keep in mind that as a team, the Wolverines have only recorded 76 pass attempts on the year compared to 116 run plays.
McCarthy will have a chance to boost his numbers on Saturday when the No. 4 Wolverines take on Maryland at home. Kickoff is set for noon E.T.
Cole Thompson is a freelance writer for Saturday Tradition who has covered college football and the NFL for multiple websites. Thompson is currently based in Houston, Texas, and also can be heard daily on SportsMap National Radio's 'Just Sayin It' from 3am-6am.