By the numbers: The J.J. McCarthy-Roman Wilson connection

Michigan Wolverines football junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy has put together two masterful performances in wins over East Carolina (30-3) and UNLV (35-7), but he’s flown under the radar nationally while playing just six of eight quarters and not putting up gaudy passing yard totals (though they’re nothing to scoff at) in a pair of blowouts. McCarthy ranks ninth on On3’s ranking of the top quarterbacks in the country, for example.

McCarthy has been extremely efficient, though, leading the nation with an 87.3 completion percentage (48-of-55), his elite accuracy on display.

“J.J. McCarthy, well … it’s really ridiculous,” Big Ten Network analyst and former longtime coach Dave Wannstedt said on B1G Today. “I mean, the guy, what, [87.3]-percent completion rate? How do you do that? I had quarterbacks in the NFL and we couldn’t do that against air with no defense.”

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According to CBS Sports, McCarthy has the fourth-highest completion percentage through two games in NCAA Division I history. His 66.5 completion percentage leads Michigan all time (290-for-436), and his mark of 88 against UNLV checks in second in program history.

McCarthy connected on 15 straight passes in Michigan’s opener against ECU and 12 consecutive throws versus UNLV. The latter came on his first 12 attempts of the game, a record by a Michigan quarterback to begin a contest under ninth-year head coach Jim Harbaugh. McCarthy broke his own record, set when he went 8-for-8 to open last season’s 31-10 win over Indiana, the first time the 6-foot-3, 202-pounder threw for 300-plus yards.

Twelve different Michigan receivers have been targeted thus far, none more than senior wideout Roman Wilson (13). He has 10 receptions — 5 of which have gone for touchdowns, including a 47-yard long on a play-action pass from McCarthy last week. The two have developed quite the connection, and Wilson called the way McCarthy is placing the football “perfect.”

“I’m not saying he’s arrived, but I mean, man, look at him,” Wilson said with a smile of McCarthy, who leads the country’s quarterbacks with a 94.4 overall PFF grade (minimum 5 passes).

Wilson has been the main beneficiary, though he deserves credit, too. The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler called Wilson “one of the most underrated NFL prospects in this year’s senior class” and said he “has shown off NFL-level speed and route-running skills that allow him to get open and create.”

Wilson is one of four receivers in the country with 5 or more touchdown receptions. Only Vanderbilt’s Will Sheppard has more with 6.

Several other Michigan receivers have been heavily involved, though, too. Graduate Cornelius Johnson, the team’s leader in career receiving yards (1,523), has 10 grabs for 153 yards. Sophomore tight end Colston Loveland (6 for 63 yards) and junior running back Donovan Edwards (9 for 59) have also been productive.

And one who was limited in the opener has entered the picture, as well — sophomore Tyler Morris, a former high school teammate of McCarthy at La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy. All 3 of his catches in Michigan’s second game moved the chains on third down, including one in which Morris flattened out his route and found a soft spot in the UNLV zone as McCarthy scrambled, showing the pair’s strong chemistry that goes back many years.

By the numbers: Key figures ahead of Michigan vs. Bowling Green

0 Points allowed by the Michigan defense in the first three quarters of each of its two outings. Reserves have given up 10 points — 3 to ECU and 7 to Bowling Green. The Maize and Blue are tied for second nationally with 5 points per game allowed. They’re one of nine teams in the country to have allowed just 1 touchdown (every team has given up at least 1).

1 Forced fumble for the Michigan defense, by sophomore defensive tackle Mason Graham against UNLV (it was recovered by the Rebels). The Wolverines have said jarring the ball loose is an emphasis this season, after ranking dead last with only 2 forced fumbles a year ago.

3 Bowling Green staff members are former Michigan players — head coach Scot Loeffler, co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Steve Morrison, and passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Erik ‘Soup’ Campbell. Head football sports performance coach Kevin Tolbert was Michigan’s head strength and conditioning coach from 2015-17.

153 Rushing yards on 25 carries through two weeks for Michigan senior running back Blake Corum, who says that while he’s healthy he doesn’t feel he’s fully returned to his level from 2022, before he suffered a knee injury. However, after two contests last season, Corum rushed 22 times for a similar amount, 164 yards. He has more rushing touchdowns in the same time frame this year compared to last, 4 to 2.

203 Yards thrown by Bowling Green quarterback Connor Bazelak for Indiana against Michigan last season. He completed 25 of 49 passes with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Bazelak faced pressure on 41.8 percent of his 55 dropbacks, per PFF. He threw the ball away 8 times and was sacked on 7 occasions.

246 Rushing yards on 49 attempts (5 yards per carry) for Liberty in a 34-24 win over Bowling Green. According to Sports Info Solutions, the Falcons stacked the box with seven or more defenders on 18 of those rushes, and in those cases Liberty still averaged 5.3 yards per attempt, totaling 95 yards. Liberty ran 3 times for 0 yards with eight or more defenders in the box.