The Michigan Wolverines defeated Maryland 34-27. This was Michigan’s first real test of the season and it showed. Maryland gave Michigan run for their money. Here are 3 takeaways from Michigan’s victory over Maryland.
Blake Corum Shines, JJ McCarthy Struggles
Blake Corum was magnificent today. He rushed for a career high 243 yards on 30 carries. The best run of the day came at the end of the first half. As Michigan was just trying to set up for a field goal, Corum used his vision to bounce the play outside. With everyone defending inside, he used his speed to score right before this half. This gave Michigan the lead instead of being tied going into the half. Then he shut the door on any comeback with his 47 yard 4th quarter run. JJ McCarthy on the other hand had some struggles. His stat line won’t show it but he was just off all day. He missed open receivers on deep shots. He made wrong reads on read-option plays. McCarthy just looked like he was having an off day. He didn’t have a bad day just an off day.
Michigan Defense Creates Timely Turnovers
The Michigan defense showed some cracks today. The pass rush didn’t always get home giving Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa time to survey the field and make plays. The Terps had a couple of strong drives that led to touchdowns. Tagovailoa’s speed and mobility gave the Wolverines some trouble. However, the defense created two timely turnovers. The first was in a spot in the game where Maryland had a chance to gain momentum. An interception by D.J. Turner gave the Wolverines the ball back and halted the momentum. The second interception came as the Terps were looking to tie up the game late in the 4th quarter. R.J. Moten picked off Tagovailoa and a couple of plays later, Corum slammed the door shut on his touchdown run. It wasn’t perfect but there was a lot of good today from the Michigan defense.
The Wolverines Never Looked Shaken
This is the biggest of the takeaways from Michigan’s victory over Maryland. We’ve all seen it in college football. The underdog comes in, plays hard and is in the game late. The huge favorite starts to believe and make big plays and the favorite plays tense. This did not happen to the Wolverines. Michigan never looked shaken. Even though McCarthy was struggling, he kept throwing down field. Michigan stayed aggressive on defense and ended up forcing big turnovers. The first three wins of the season were great. However, if you are a Michigan fan, this is a win to be more excited about. There are things to work on, but the Wolverines proved they can get punched in the mouth and remain standing.
A lot went great for the Wolverines today. There is a lot to work on but it was a good team win. Of all the takeaways from Michigan’s victory over Maryland the fact that Michigan felt in control throughout the game is a huge positive. Next week, the Wolverines get their first road test against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Hopefully they can keep the good momentum going.
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