2022 uconn

9/17/2022 – Michigan 59, UConn 0 – 3-0

After the opener someone complained in the comments that this bit above the fold was a utilitarian bit of text that didn't tell anyone how to feel. This is a completely fair criticism and also the work of an utter lunatic. It puts the emotional prose on the internet or it gets the hose again, sort of thing.

I don't know what emotion to communicate here in the aftermath of a third straight beatdown of Baby Seal U. It was generally pleasant to be out and about in the stadium on a not-too-hot day, watching helpless oompa-loompas grasp fruitlessly at our valiant warrior-poets. All conclusions, thoughts, feelings, and idle thoughts are polluted by the quality of opposition, with a few limited exceptions. It was… fine. Any attempt at a grand conclusion is a stretch.

But, lo: it is demanded. So I will stretch.

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If there's anything to take from this game going forward it's that we might be on the verge of Denard, But Also Brady. Michigan dumped more wide receiver screens on UConn than they did for the entirety of the Josh Gattis "speed in space" era if you ignore that one Penn State game, and one in particular jumped out. It this one from just before the half:

I have to assume this is a bust since there's no reaction from the boundary corner when Bell goes in motion and then the LB to the field just tears at the QB. But!

I've seen this mania before. That is eight guys in the box or environs, two guys worried about the quarterback, and acres of open space where the ball is actually going. We saw it when Denard Robinson was at full power.

Denard-esque quarterbacks had a moment induced by the introduction of the zone read in college football but have receded to the background as defenses adjusted. These days you need to have both halves if you're going to make it work, and if you have to sacrifice one it's the legs. Very few quarterbacks have enough of both to see real defenses set themselves on fire like this. One of them happens to play for the Baltimore Ravens, where Matt Weiss came from. Another one hung out with Jim Harbaugh at Stanford.

I am heartened to see the easy yards taken, and the easy yards become easier because the opposition is overreacting to something else you put on tape. Michigan is iterating, and it puts something else to deal with on the opposition's platter weekly. I already pushed all my chips in last week about JJ McCarthy being another level of quarterback than any we've seen under Jim Harbaugh. This week I am pushing a smaller stack in on a different table about Michigan's ability to take advantage of the surfeit of weapons they've assembled. We approached a 50/50 split between run and pass on first down in this game, and as we go along here confidence in McCarthy should only grow.

Now, onto opponents who are at least flopping around as you try to whack them between the eyes.

AWARDS

Known Friends and Trusted Agents Of The Week

guess who's back [Patrick Barron]

you're the man now, dog

#1 Ronnie Bell. Eight targets, seven receptions, and the eighth was almost the catch of the year (decade?). In addition to that was a key component of Michigan's blizzard of WR screens. Is clearly the #1 receiver, which says something after a year layoff and re-emergence into a crowded WR room.

#2 JJ McCarthy. 15/18, 214 yards, one chunk run, opened up space for WR screens. Even grading on a UConn curve that's worthy of landing here.

#3 Kris Jenkins. Had one blowout suffered but racked up five tackles as a DT in limited snaps. Got off blocks and showed some explosion.

Honorable mention: Blake Corum did score five touchdowns, but almost all were one yard and this isn't fantasy football. This is KFaTAotW! AJ Henning had four catches and one notable punt return but coulda shoulda done better on his carry. Caden Kolesar took a punt off someone's foot. Junior Colson was everywhere on defense. Gemon Green had a PBU and was ruthless on opposition screens.

KFaTAotW Standings.

(points: #1: 8, #2: 5, #3: 3, HMs one each. Ties result in somewhat arbitrary assignments.)

13: JJ McCarthy (#1 Hawaii, #2 UConn)
11: Blake Corum (#2 CSU, #2 Hawaii, HM UConn)
10: Mazi Smith (#1 CSU, T3 Hawaii), Ronnie Bell (HM CSU, HM Hawaii, #1 UConn)
4: Junior Colson (#3 CSU, HM UConn)
3: Kris Jenkins (#3 UConn)
2: Mike Morris (T3 Hawaii), Kris Jenkins (T3 Hawaii), Roman Wilson (HM CSU, HM Hawaii)
1: Braiden McGregor (HM CSU), Eyabi Anoma (HM CSU), Derrick Moore (HM CSU), Jaylen Harrell (HM CSU), Rod Moore (HM CSU), Makari Paige (HM Hawaii), Rayshaun Benny (HM Hawaii), Mason Graham (HM Hawaii), Cornelius Johnson (HM Hawaii), Donovan Edwards (HM Hawaii), AJ Henning (HM UConn), Gemon Green (HM UConn), Caden Kolesar (HM UConn).

Who's Got It Better Than Us(?) Of The Week

AJ Henning goes Houdini.

It was coming. Now it is here. I think he's going to get another one this year.

Honorable mention: Various Blake Corum touchdowns. Caden Kolesar returns a punt to sender. McCarthy throws a rope to Luke Schoonmaker on the move.

?MARCUS HALL EPIC DOUBLE BIRD OF THE WEEK.

JJ McCarthy is tackled for loss on third and three, preventing Michigan from scoring touchdowns on all drives.

Honorable mention: Blizzard of TV timeouts at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Review does not overturn the Ronnie Bell non-catch on grounds of radness. Blocking goes AWOL on consecutive run plays.

Essentials

WHAT	Michigan (2-0) vs UConn (1-2)
WHERE	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI
WHEN	Noon Eastern
THE LINE	M –47.5
TELEVISION	Somehow ABC
TICKETS	From $38.
WEATHER	Partly cloudy, low 80s, 0% chance of rain 10 mph wind

Overview

Last week Seth asserted this because Hawai'i was ranked 128th in SP+:

There are bad teams. There are atrocious teams. There are Rutgers teams that belie the whole concept of Power 5. Then there's about 15 feet of crap. And then there's Hawai'i.

UConn is 126th, so just ditto everything from last week. This is the worst nonconference schedule in Michigan history. For what it's worth, UConn is 1-2 with a 31-20 loss to Utah State and a 48-14 loss to Syracuse; a 28-3 win over FCS Central Connecticut State is the win. Vegas projects Michigan to win by seven touchdowns.

Sponsor note. Hoeg Law is the MGoBlog of law firms that will do business stuff for you: a guy with a big job at the business factory who decided to start his own small firm to focus on smaller companies. If you need contract advice, incorporation documents, or want to do funding right he's the guy to call.

Please do not mention the Star Wars. Results will be unpredictable and depressing. If Star Wars comes up try to change the subject to something like Michigan… uh… baseball? Hockey and basketball recruiting?

Bleargh. Michigan canceled a home and home with UCLA for this:

The University of Michigan Athletic Department announced Thursday (Jan. 30) the addition of the University of Connecticut to the non-conference football schedule in 2022. The Wolverines and Huskies will meet on the gridiron during the third week of the season, Sept. 17, 2022, at Michigan Stadium.

That completes a nonconference schedule of Colorado State, Hawaii, and UConn. The home schedule adds Maryland, PSU, Nebraska, Illinois, and Indiana. I really don't understand why Michigan had to cancel UCLA when they already had 7 home games. Not a great look for Warde Manuel.

Welcome to the revolution. John Gasaway on timeouts:

We already have media timeouts and multiple reviews in crunch time. That’s enough. There should be zero timeouts.

Prepare your team. Let’s see who wins.

— John Gasaway (@JohnGasaway) January 29, 2020

That's even more draconian than my proposal, which would allow timeouts if a coach shears off one of his digits and hands it to a ref. (Or, in more extreme cases, delegates an assistant to do so.) Hopefully he moderates his views slightly going forward.

[After THE JUMP: Kobe King takes are bad]