Michigan 63, Northern Illinois 10
Well, that was a beatdown. Michigan scored 63 points and gained 606 yards of offense, while allowing just 208 yards on defense. Northern Illinois was never really in the game and by halftime, many of us following the game on Twitter started using this GIF:
Michigan has maintained that their identity is running the football. After last week's paving of Washington, that seemed to be an apt assessment. That continued today, in spectacular fashion. Michigan's first drive saw long runs by both Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins before Cade McNamara punched it in on the ground. Their second drive saw an AJ Henning end around carry and a saucy Haskins jump cut bring Michigan down to the goal line, and this time it was Corum who punched it in from one yard out. On the next drive it was Haskins who scored it on the goal line. And then it was him again on the next drive. Michigan scored TD's on their first nine drives of the game.
The Wolverines were able to do whatever they wanted on the ground, as was predicted in this week's FFFF. The offensive line brutalized NIU's defensive front and opened holes you could drive Mack trucks through. And then when you add in the lightning bolt speed of Michigan's backs, big plays were another consistent story. Corum took one 51 yards to the house to begin the second half, and Donovan Edwards took one 58 yards to the end zone a little while after that.
Just enough for the TD [Campredon]
Another big play came through the air. Michigan didn't ask Cade McNamara to do much, attempting only 11 passes before being lifted at halftime, but he made the most of his chances. After narrowly missing a deep bomb TD to an open Cornelius Johnson early in the game, he didn't miss his second chance, hitting it right on the dime for 87 yards and a score. He attempted four deep shots in total, two to a wide open Cornelius Johnson (one missed, one successful) and two to a covered Daylen Baldwin, both of which should have been DPI (only one of which was called). McNamara looked much sharper than last week, and pressure was non-existent.
Defensively, Michigan forced a 3 & out to begin the game but then allowed a 10 play, 72 yard drive that ended with Thomas Hammock opting to kick a cowardly FG on the three yard line to make it 7-3. Those first two drives looked shaky for Michigan's defensive front in run defense. The screws were quickly tightened up. NIU's next seven drives ended without points, six on punts and one on an INT, which deflected into the waiting arms of Gemon Green. Brad Hawkins had a shot at an INT of his own early in the game. Of those next seven drives, five ended without gaining a first down.
Not much room for the Huskies today [Campredon]
Rocky Lombardi did not look particularly good, but NIU rarely threw the ball down the field. Lombardi's lone highlight came on a 45-yard QB keeper that totally fooled Michigan's defense. But it's worth noting that Lombardi was fooling Michigan's second and third string defenders with that one. NIU finished with 208 total yards, but 140 of those came on two drives. The remaining 10 drives gained 68 yards combined. And 100 of those total yards came on the final three drives, when Michigan was rolling defenses with players that I, a person who is paid to write about Michigan football, have never heard of. This was a total domination.
On special teams, Michigan did not attempt a FG, opting to go for a fourth down attempt rather than a 50+ yard field goal later in the game. Brad Robbins did not attempt a punt, either. Michigan used AJ Henning as their new punt returner and that's a decision that appears likely to last another week. Henning let a punt bounce and roll when he shouldn't have, but when he caught it, Henning showed off his electrifying speed and made things happen in a way that Kolesar did not last week.
The only other notable storyline in this game was Michigan's use of a laundry list of reserves. JJ McCarthy took over at halftime with the rest of the first string offense. He went 4/6 for 42 yards. The rest of the second string offense came on shortly after, including a backup offensive line of Karsen Barnhart, Chuck Filiaga, Greg Crippen, Reece Atteberry, and Trente Jones (left to right). Donovan Edwards had 8 carries for 86 yards and two scores. Christian Dixon had one catch for seven yards. On defense, such names as Makari Paige, Michael Barrett, Rod Moore, Taylor Upshaw, George Johnson III, and Caden Kolesar got extensive time, before even more obscure walk-ons took the field in the fourth quarter.
It's tough to say what can definitively be taken away from a game like this, but what is clear is that Michigan is manhandling its tune-up opponents this season, which is never a bad sign. The Wolverines get a slightly more difficult test in Rutgers next week, but it's still a couple weeks until Wisconsin and the meat of the schedule kicks in.
There is no content after the jump.
September 18th, 2021 at 4:21 PM ^
The first two games we doubled the point spread, and this time, despite the 27.5 spread, we came just short (53 pts vs. 55), and only because of the NIU garbage time TD against no-name defenders.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:13 PM ^
It was actually because Jones's holding penalty negated a touchdown and Michigan didn't score on that possession. Still, it was a great performance, all-around.
September 19th, 2021 at 12:03 PM ^
I thought maybe the hold was what sprung the back, though. I know that ain't good English.
September 20th, 2021 at 7:01 AM ^
Another mostly phantom call goes against Michigan.
Otherwise, by all appearances, Michigan's RB room is even deeper than we thought. Dunlap and Gash looked like they could start and not miss a beat.
September 18th, 2021 at 4:28 PM ^
I actually have no clue how to gauge what is necessary to be a Heisman candidate at RB, but is Corum a legit Heisman candidate if he keeps this up? That long touchdown run where I thought he was almost certainly going to get tackled on the sideline then somehow got the edge was insane
September 18th, 2021 at 4:59 PM ^
If he runs the same way against wisc, msu, PSU and OSU he’d be a Heisman candidate….
September 18th, 2021 at 5:50 PM ^
If he does what you just said, and Michigan wins out he will win the Heisman.
September 18th, 2021 at 10:10 PM ^
He’s excellent. But you have to be really phenomenal to win the Heisman as an RB, and usually have a down year in the QB position. To win in a carry-sharing situation like this Corum would need to produce a Reggie Bush-caliber season.
He’s terrific through three games, but it’s no insult to him to say that he’s not quite hitting the level Bush did in 2005.
A really superb season could net a Doak Walker and a politeness invite to the ceremony, something like Chris Perry in 2003. But we’re a long way from thinking about that.
September 19th, 2021 at 12:01 AM ^
It was really something that they put him back in to get that 3rd TD of the game, seemingly taking one away from Edwards. Edwards did still get 2 anyway.
September 18th, 2021 at 4:35 PM ^
This team is legit folks…
We can hang with anyone in the Big Ten
Go Blue!
September 18th, 2021 at 4:39 PM ^
Nothing but superlatives for this performance. Also, I feel better about the passing game. Cade looked calm and in control, and JJ looked fine as well.
Say what you will, but this was great fun to watch.
September 18th, 2021 at 5:31 PM ^
It bears repeating; it was great fun to watch! Hardly any penalties, hardly any plays for zero or negative yards. Any 'holes' the offense found themselves in were fixed lickety split. I couldn't have done better on X-box...
September 19th, 2021 at 12:40 AM ^
And ZERO Turnovers (for the third consecutive game) ?
September 18th, 2021 at 8:40 PM ^
There's somewhat prominent Michigan Twitter accounts saying that JJ deserves to start at this point but I just don't see how you can think JJ has outplayed Cade at this point
September 19th, 2021 at 12:45 AM ^
It’s a Henne vs Brady situation. Identical really if Cade’s season plays out with many more solid game management and quietly excellent performances.
McCarthy and Henne clearly have/had superior arm talent. It’s fun watching JJ throw that ball man it really pops.
September 20th, 2021 at 7:05 AM ^
Henson*
September 18th, 2021 at 4:42 PM ^
Having trust in the OL and knowing that we'll get yards on the ground is such a confidence boost for not just the offense but the entire team. I mean, three games and 330+ rushing yards in all three. That is absolutely remarkable.
September 18th, 2021 at 4:46 PM ^
These early games are playing out perfectly! The team is gaining confidence, establishing a physical, punishing identity, playing smart & relatively penalty free ball. They'll be ready for the better teams on the schedule... & they'll win against the better teams on the schedule too! Go Blue!
September 18th, 2021 at 4:48 PM ^
So happy for the many parents of the back-ups / walk-ons that were probably in attendance and got to see their kid play. Too bad about Leon's TD!
September 18th, 2021 at 5:35 PM ^
As the play developed and he ran around the end, it seemed like he was expecting the DE to be there; he made a move in anticipation it seemed. Well, now we know why he wasn't there, lol.
September 18th, 2021 at 5:02 PM ^
Michigan overwhelmingly beat the point spread which means, they played better than expected. They bought the passion back they had from the Washington night game. That bodes well.
For me, the next game will be more of a test to the Rutgers defense than a test to the Michigan offense. We have all week to hash that out. Go Blue!
September 18th, 2021 at 5:15 PM ^
Things have gone very well so far...however we've played three terrible teams.
September 18th, 2021 at 5:18 PM ^
This is completely fair. However, this year, more than perhaps ever before, hyped power programs have been struggling with supposed body bag opponents. Ohio State being in a rock fight with 0-2 Tulsa as I type is the perfect example. So annihilating weak opponents, and looking good doing so, still counts for something
September 18th, 2021 at 8:28 PM ^
This. Completely hamblasting overmatched opponents is something we haven’t seen in a long time here.
September 18th, 2021 at 5:26 PM ^
WMU is not "terrible" by objective measures.
September 18th, 2021 at 6:36 PM ^
Gtech and Pitt arent so sure.
September 19th, 2021 at 7:15 AM ^
The terrible team we just beat, beat GT on the road and that GT team came within a yard and a two pt conversion of taking Clemson to OT. The first terrible team we beat this year just beat Pitt on the road.
September 18th, 2021 at 5:16 PM ^
I started feeling bad for NIU, but then remembered they scored 30+ points and almost had a comeback win last week. Reminds you to keep playing. We were cheering for 70 but coaches emptied the bench which I liked for the fact of getting lots of guys playing time. Bring on the B1G opponents and Go Blue!
September 18th, 2021 at 5:25 PM ^
I know Gattis has talked about an "increased commitment" to the running game, but ... honestly, I didn't think the problem was a strategic one in previous years. Instead, I thought we simply weren't good enough. But I've been really surprised by how this offensive line has performed so far this year. Yes, against some weak teams (though, honestly, Washington's defense is legit -- or it was except against us), but ... damn, those are nice, big holes, like I haven't seen in several years.
It's a mixed bag, honestly. I worry that against better teams this "commitment" to a running game will lead us to stick with it even when it's not working, but ... we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. At the moment, full props to the offensive coaching staff, and to those young men in the trenches blowing those holes open.
Fun!
September 18th, 2021 at 7:23 PM ^
This is one of my nagging concerns as well -- but that worry is for another week. An A+ performance this week, and one to be savored.
September 19th, 2021 at 10:08 AM ^
The thing is...how do you know its really 'not working' if you are not willing to stick with it and test the boundaries?
More than anything though the team needs an identity..something they feel really committed and strong in along with answers for when teams adjust. The passing game looks like it is strong enough to punish teams that over commit to stopping the run..but you've got to make them over commit by sticking with it even at times when it might not be working as well as it has.
I still trust that Harbaugh is a strategic force and as long as injuries don't derail the season will have this team ready for what is to come.
September 18th, 2021 at 5:47 PM ^
Just like last week.
"The paving will continue until MGoMorale improves"
Jim Harbaugh
September 18th, 2021 at 6:29 PM ^
Wonder how many times Michigan has scored a TD it's first 9 possessions ? This against a team that already beat Georgia Tech on the road. Played 5 QB's too. Awesome team win.
September 18th, 2021 at 11:29 PM ^
NIU beat GaTech on the road then GaTech took Clemson to the wire at Clemson. Clemson is likely not the same Clemson as the past 5 years but they are still an elite program with a crushing defense. NIU is probably not that bad of a team. WMU beat Pitt on the road today. Washington drubbed Ark St 52-3 today showing both offensive and defensive games. Maybe Michigan is some pretty darned good?
September 19th, 2021 at 9:27 PM ^
I counted 6 qbs. McNamara, McCarthy, Villari, Bowman, #17 and #18.
September 18th, 2021 at 6:48 PM ^
Vastardis is the only one I can think of.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:01 PM ^
You manhandle the cupcakes
its what you do
gaind confidence and lots of people get to play
the team looks really good
its doable this year
the Buckeyes are doable
September 18th, 2021 at 7:07 PM ^
The team looked damn good today. Very enjoyable. Let’s keep it up!
September 18th, 2021 at 8:02 PM ^
It is clear to me that Macdonald is an upgrade from Don Brown. A big one. In every game when the opposition puts together that one drive where you start to think we might be in for a battle, he seems to quickly download what they did and shuts it down. Thank you Jon Harbaugh for bailing your little brother out by sending him your savant.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:42 PM ^
I agree, I feel like this scheme takes more advantage of the talent we have and also the disguised coverages are a thing of beauty
September 18th, 2021 at 11:53 PM ^
Brown was really good at downloading and shutting down teams like this. Frighteningly good. Here's one four-game stretch:
Against #15 Wisconsin: 13 points allowed
Against #24 Michigan State (road game): 7 points allowed
Against #14 Penn State: 7 points allowed
Against unranked Rutgers: 7 points allowed
That was waaay back in... 2018. Michigan's defense was crushing, ranked #1 for long stretches of multiple seasons under Brown. Then they gave up 20 to Indiana in a win... and you remember what happened the week after that.
We've just shut down two MAC teams and a Pac 12 team that scored a single touchdown against a midlevel 1-AA team. Let's not count our chickens before they're hatched. The idea that Brown never produced something like these performances is simply inaccurate, and given the personnel we have, expecting Michigan not to allow significant points in some games this year would not be realistic.
September 19th, 2021 at 12:58 AM ^
Think the poster you’re replying to was referencing McDoald’s ability to make quick and excellent in-game adjustments.
You’re a great poster here; what’s your take on that? Was Brown someone that had a history of making great in-game adjustments in certain games? I honestly can’t recall (I obviously remember the frustrating games where his man schemes got burned over and over and there was no answer)
September 19th, 2021 at 1:39 AM ^
Brown made lots of adjustments; I believe the term "download" was used about him in his heyday, too. A team would waltz down the field early... and then that would be it for basically the whole game. This happened a lot.
Brown put good players into position to succeed. He confused QBs and OCs. He put teams into impossible situations.
And he had change-ups to throw at teams, such as zone. People forget that one of the long Haskins TDs in 2018 was a downfield throw against zone defense, which Michigan ran not well at all. His problem wasn't a complete refusal to run zone, but an inability to coach an effective one.
It's not that it was a total shock. When Brown was hired Seth did a rundown on his defenses in prior years and mentioned, among other things, that his defenses put a lot of pressure on his defensive backs. When our DB recruiting tailed off (Brown's other weakness: recruiting) he was left with few effective alternatives to putting Vincent Gray on an island and hoping for the best, and as a result he's at Arizona now.
The real weaknesses in a defensive scheme usually take a few games to ferret out. Then you find out if the DC has more stuff up his sleeve, or if the players can win tossup matchups. When you can't, bad things happen. A lot of the bad things that happened with Brown were combinations of matchup problems with counters to the matchup problems that were exploitable.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:03 PM ^
I like the Simpsons gif but it made me think of Cool Hand Luke when Dragline is beating the piss out of Luke. At first everyone was cheering and couldn't get enough. At the end, they'd seen enough and walked away saying "someone should stop this thing."
September 19th, 2021 at 7:17 AM ^
+1 for the Cool Hand Luke reference. Great film!
September 18th, 2021 at 8:37 PM ^
It is nice to see the backups getting extended reps. It seems over the last several years this hasn't been the case.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:40 PM ^
We look as good as possible through 3.
Still question marks that make me leery. The biggest 2 being how does this team respond to adversity? Can we play from behind in the 2nd half and win?
Previous years say, nope. This year feels different though We’ll see.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:43 PM ^
OR, and I know this sound crazy but stay with me here, let's just never get behind!!!
September 18th, 2021 at 8:48 PM ^
Love it.
September 20th, 2021 at 7:25 AM ^
This has indeed been a problem...a stunning issue during the Harbaugh era-the lack of resiliency. Indications are that the new (coaching) staff members are forging a stronger character in this regard. And they have these young men competing like hell-a different level than we have seen for a very long time.
Comments