Best and worst from Michigan football's win over Hawai'i
Michigan Wolverines football beat down Hawai’i 56-10 late Saturday night after lightning delayed kickoff at The Big House. Here are the best and worst from the game.
Best quarterback
If it wasn’t clear in a limited sample size last week, sophomore J.J. McCarthy is Michigan’s best quarterback at the moment, and head coach Jim Harbaugh announced he’ll be the starter going forward.
McCarthy left little doubt, with a “near-flawless” performance that included 11 completions on 12 attempts (the 1 incompletion was a drop by graduate wideout Ronnie Bell) with 3 touchdowns and 1 rush for 16 yards. He was in total control of the game, antagonizing a weak Rainbow Warriors’ defense right from the jump.
Michigan senior Cade McNamara, on the other hand, struggled, once again looking tight. He didn’t get any help from his offensive line — which was sometimes the backup crew — but he wasn’t good. He connected on 4 of his 6 passes for 26 yards with an interception on a poorly thrown ball intended for sophomore Andrel Anthony.
This competition is over for the time being. McNamara is a captain and a fighter, and we’d never count him fully out, but McCarthy seized the opportunity he was given and earned the job — flat out.
Throw of the night
McCarthy had some beautiful throws Saturday night, perhaps none better than his 17-yard strike to senior wide receiver Cornelius Johnson in the end zone.
And it was because of what led up to it. McCarthy had all day — fantastic protection by the Michigan offensive line — before he stepped up to his left and delivered the ball on a rope to Johnson. His awareness, arm strength and accuracy were on display.
Best performance from a Hawaiian
The Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors fought hard, and until the end, so give them credit. But there was one from Honolulu that stood out above the rest, and he was wearing a winged helmet.
Michigan got junior wide receiver Roman Wilson involved early and often. On the Wolverines’ second offensive play from scrimmage, McCarthy found a wide-open Wilson for a 42-yard score. Wilson cooked his defender, who was in 1-on-1 coverage, and entered the end zone with ease.
That was Wilson’s only catch of the day, but he also ran 21 yards for a touchdown on an end-around later in the first quarter to put Michigan ahead 21-0.
Cross your fingers
Michigan sophomore running back Donovan Edwards had a nice first half — which included 3 rushes for 26 yards and a score and 1 catch for 33 yards while lined up as a wideout. He was hobbled at the end of the half, though, entered the medical tent and was not seen in the second half.
Michigan’s head coach didn’t update Edwards’ status after the game, saying that he plans to check on it and that he didn’t have an announcement to make. The extent of Edwards’ injury is unknown, but it is worth noting that, at times, including last week, Harbaugh has been quick to point out when a player’s ailment is minor.
Gashing the Hawai’i defense
Michigan’s longest run was a 38-yarder by none other than junior walk-on running back Isaiah Gash, and it went for a score. Gash hit the hole and went, looking impressive on the play.
That was one of many big plays for the Michigan offense Saturday night. One week after having just three plays of 20-plus yards, the Wolverines registered 11 such gainers versus Hawai’i.
Quick strikes
The only two things Michigan lost Saturday night were 1) time to celebrate thanks to the lightning delay and 2) the time of possession battle.
It’s hard to believe the Rainbow Warriors possessed the ball for longer than Michigan, but the Wolverines’ offense worked quickly. Four of Michigan’s 8 touchdown scoring drives were actually longer than Hawai’i’s longest three-and-out, which was 2 minutes and 16 seconds (it punted after 3 plays eight times). The Maize and Blue’s longest drive was 3:28, and they had just 3 drives of 3-plus minutes.
Michigan was also extremely successful in a fast nature on sets of downs, too, with a 10.2 yards per play average on first down. The Wolverines got to third down just six times, converting twice.
Folks often obsess about a team’s third-down efficiency, but the best way to have a prolific offense is to not get to third down at all. For example, Ohio State’s top-ranked scoring offense in 2021 attempted the 11th-fewest third downs in the country.
Best freshman
Michigan had a few freshmen who shined Saturday night — defensive tackle Mason Graham being among them — but we’ll give the nod to running back CJ Stokes. He continues to outperform his 3-star ranking, and it’s a testament to running backs coach Mike Hart‘s recruiting evaluations.
Stokes finished with 8 rushes for 61 yards and a score, his first career touchdown.
Walk-on connection
Michigan sophomore quarterback Davis Warren hit classmate and tight end Max Bredeson for a 56-yard chunk play, the Wolverines’ longest gain of the day. Warren, a Leukemia survivor, threw a dime to Bredeson, who shedded tacklers and was smooth in running after the catch. The Wolverines scored on the next play.
