Ad Disclosure
Michigan football entered Saturday’s home opener without the head coach who has been responsible for making the Wolverines the No.2 team in the country, but they didn’t miss a beat, knocking off East Carolina 30-3.
Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter picked up his first victory as a college head coach as he was filling in for Jim Harbaugh, who is serving a 3-game suspension for alleged recruiting violations from 2020. Offensive coordinator/line coach Sherrone Moore was also absent, serving a 1-game suspension.
Even without Harbaugh leading the squad, Michigan handled its business on Saturday as it should have. Here is the stock report for the Wolverines after Week 1:
Player of the Week: QB JJ McCarthy
Michigan’s starting quarterback was absolutely fantastic and showed the college football world why his name should be in the Heisman discussion this year. He had complete command of the offense, and it’s clear he’s reached a new level of confidence in his second season as the Wolverines’ starting signal caller.
It was nearly a perfect day for McCarrthy, who finished completing 26 of his 30 attempts for 280 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. It was his best career passing game at home. and his completion percentage of 86.7 % ranks second highest in Michigan history, behind Elvis Grbac, who finished 20-of-22 (90.9 %) against Notre Dame in 1991.
McCarthy saw the field clearly, made great decisions and spread the ball around, connecting with 8 pass-catchers on the day.
Most impactful newcomer: CB Josh Wallace
UMass graduate transfer Josh Wallace made his Michigan debut, filling in as CB1 with Will Johnson sidelined due to injury. It’s clear why Harbaugh and the Wolverines’ recruiting staff targeted the former 3-year captain at UMass , who played in all 12 games in the 2022 season, recording 41 tackles (32 solo, 9 assisted), 3.0 TFL, a fumble recovery, 2 interceptions and 8 pass breakups.
Wallace nearly had an interception in the second half. He blanketed the receiver, turned on a dime to face the quarterback, and snagged the ball as it bounced off the wide receiver’s hands for what was originally called as a turnover on the field. The Michigan offense took the field, but the officials stopped the game and overturned the call because the receiver made contact with the ball while he was out of bounds before Wallace snatched.
”I thought Josh did a great job,” Minter said after the game. “I was confident in him, and he stepped up to the challenge.”
Biggest surprise: Roman Wilson ready to shine as WR1
There were rumblings about the emergence of WR Roman Wilson in the offseason, but on Saturday the Hawaii native showed he’s not only worthy of the No. 1 jersey he’s wearing in 2023, but he’s taken a big step forward in mastering his craft. Wilson finished the day with 6 catches, 78 yards and 3 touchdowns.
He had 4 receiving touchdowns all of last season, and while he’s flashed throughout his career in Ann Arbor, there’s a noticeable chemistry between Wilson and McCarthy. That duo is poised to do big things this season.
Trend to watch: Michigan’s home winning streak
Saturday’s victory added to a home winning streak that has reached 16 games dating to 2021. It is the longest home winning streak under head coach Jim Harbaugh and the program’s best since home win streaks of 16 games (2002-05) and 21 games (1997-2000) under former head coach Lloyd Carr.
Biggest concern: The running game?
This doesn’t feel like a major issue, but the Wolverines are expected to have one of the top running back duos in the country this season in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. Corum finished the 2022 campaign rushing for 1,463 yards and 18 scores on the ground. He also finished the year with a 96.2 grade from PFF — the best ever. This is why PFF ranked Corum the best returning RB for 2023.
Edwards complemented Corum perfectly last season and stepped up in a major way when the Michigan starter suffered a season-ending injury late in the year.
He finished the 2022 season rushing for 991 yards and 7 scores on the ground. Edwards also had 200 yards and 2 scores receiving.
While the Michigan duo didn’t have a bad day by any means, many believed they would gash an outmatched opponent like East Carolina on the ground. Instead, the Wolverines finished with 122 rushing yards compared to their 280 yards through the air. Corum had 10 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown, while Edwards struggled to find a groove with just 37 yards on 12 carries.
This isn’t the kind of performance that should cause major concern, it just felt like a modest outing from arguably the top running back duo in the country.
Michigan overall outlook
Without their head coach on the sidelines, the No. 2 team in the nation took care of business and beat an inferior opponent with ease. The great play from McCarthy should leave Michigan fans optimistic for what this team can achieve in 2023. The defense was almost perfect, and would have pitched a shutout if it weren’t for a field goal in the final seconds.
According to Fan Duel, the Wolverines are already a 5-touchdown favorite (-38.5) over UNLV at home next Saturday. It’s important for Michigan to take care of business and make the small adjustments necessary with these inferior opponents early this season. In late September, the Big Ten slate starts against Rutgers, and that’s when games begin to mean more. As of mow, the Wolverines appear to be worthy of the No. 2 spot in all of college football.