Michigan stock report after Week 6: Wolverines look like real deal after dominating 52-10 win

Michigan continues to look like the real deal through 5 games.

Jim Harbaugh’s team remains among the few juggernauts in college football as the season nears the halfway point, having mowed down every team it has faced. Sure, the toughest tests remain ahead, with No. 6. Penn State and No. 4 Ohio State coming soon, but at this point in the year, there’s no reason to believe Michigan hasn’t earned the No. 2 ahead of its name in the rankings.

Saturday night’s dominating performance was the latest example.

The Wolverines traveled to Minnesota (3-3) as 3-score favorites and delivered in a major way with a 52-10 win. Michigan’s defense had Minnesota rattled all night and JJ McCarthy beat the Gophers through the air when needed while adding 17 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. The Wolverines leaned heavily on the run, but used creative packages and calls to find success play after play.

This team has established a clear identity. Harbaugh leans on dominating, crippling defense from an ultra-talented group and uses a dynamic running attack augmented with a quarterback who now plays like a proven veteran. The 9th-year head coach doesn’t ask the players to do a ton of complicated things, he just emphasizes doing the small things perfectly.

Here’s the stock report for Michigan after Week 6:

Player of the Game: The entire defense

This isn’t some over-the-top exaggeration. It’s impossible to pick a single player who stood out amongst the incredible performance from the entire unit against the Gophers. Sophomore defensive tackle Mason Graham led the charge with 6 tackles, 2 of them for losses, including a sack. The constant pressure forced Gophers QB Athan Kaliakmanis to finish 5-of-15 for just 52 yards, 1 TD and 2 pick-6s. Minnesota was held to 3.1 yards per play, converted just 3 of 13 third downs and finished with barely over 200 yards. While the offense did its job, the defense set the tone, was responsible for 2 scores and took the game over from the opening whistle.

Biggest Surprise: Blake Corum usage

This really isn’t all that stunning for anyone who has watched Michigan this season. The Wolverines have proven they don’t lean heavily on any single player to carry them on a given night in 2023. Corum is one of the Wolverines’ most dynamic offensive weapons and finished Saturday with a season-low 9 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown. Clearly Corum made the most of his opportunities, but it was still a bit stunning to see him get such limited action.

But Michigan has proven it can win in multiple ways offensively, and found a clear formula of passing in key situations as McCarthy finished 14-of-20 for 219 yards and touchdown.  The Wolverines didn’t feed Corum as much, but didn’t need to, beating Minnesota with deception and smart play-calling. McCarthy found the end zone twice as a runner, so it’s fair to assume Corum may have been used as as decoy to open up room for others. But it felt like an unusually quiet night for the dynamic back.

Developing trend: Big Ten winning streak

Excluding the Big Ten Championship last season, the Wolverines have won 17 straight in-conference games, 2 short of their school record set in 1990-92. Only Ohio State has done better, with the league’s top 3 such streaks, including a 30-gamer from 2012-15.

If the Wolverines simply take care of business against Indiana, Michigan State and Purdue, they will break their record before traveling to Penn State in Week 11. And they’re certainly capable of running the table for a 2nd straight year and carrying the streak into 2024.

Key Stat: 52 passing yards

It’s almost hard to think a team was held to 52 yards through the air, but that’s exactly what happened on Saturday. Minnesota couldn’t function as a passing offense. It was yet another great performance from Michigan’s secondary.

Looking ahead

Next week, Michigan will host an Indiana team that has 2 wins — over Indiana State and Akron — and stands last in the Big Ten East. They say anything can happen on any given day, but it’s hard to see a far inferior team coming into the Big House and giving this team any major trouble if the Wolverines continue to approach each opponent determined to not just win, but show the world they deserve to be one of the top teams in the nation.

Sean Labar