Big Ten Preview: Michigan Wolverines

Megan Husslein
Thu, 28 Sep 2023 02:41:59 +0000
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Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh congratulates Michigan Wolverines running back Blake Corum (2) on a touchdown as Michigan hosts Rutgers at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.
Credit: Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com via TNS

What’s happened so far in 2023?

The Michigan Wolverines (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) have eased into the season with three nonconference wins against East Carolina, Bowling Green and the University of Las Vegas, Nevada. They started Big Ten play with a 31-7 win against Rutgers. Their offense is almost identical to last year’s, with junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back duo junior Donovan Edwards and senior Blake Corum and four offensive linemen all returning. Against Rutgers, McCarthy threw for 214 yards and rushed for 51 yards, while Corum ran for 97 yards. Their defense has allowed only 23 points in the Big Ten, which is the lowest in the conference.

Key offensive player:

McCarthy became Michigan’s full-time starter in week two last season and has completely turned the team around. He finished the season with 2,719 passing yards and 22 touchdowns with a 64.6 completion percentage. The dual-threat quarterback also ran for 306 yards and five touchdowns as he led the Wolverines to an undefeated regular season. McCarthy is now one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, as he was named to the watchlist for the Davey O’Brien Award, which is given annually to the best collegiate quarterback. So far this season, he has 915 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. He seems to be having a bit of a slow start matching up to last year’s performance, considering his three interceptions against Bowling Green, but is still posting solid numbers every week.

Key defensive player:

Junior linebacker Junior Colson has been the leader of the defense so far in 2023. His 22 tackles are the most on the team. Colson was named to the Butkus Award watch list. He also led the team last year with 101 tackles and could be a possible first-round draft pick following this season.

Weaknesses:

A pivotal unit for Michigan will be itstheir pass rush.? Last season, itthey ranked 32nd in the country with a 34.9-percent pressure rate and 33rd with 2.64 sacks per game. The Wolverines only combined for two sacks against Ohio State and Texas Christian, their two toughest opponents. In 2023, they’ve notched eight sacks — the ninth in the Big Ten.