Michigan Co-OC dishes on playcalling dynamic so far and how J.J. McCarthy changes the plan

Michigan football is still working out its offensive identity as it finishes up non-conference play, but it has set a high bar to this point. Michigan has scored 107 points in the first two weeks of games co-coordinated by offensive line coach Sherrone Moore and quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss.

The two have been given the full license to run the offense without interference from head coach Jim Harbaugh. There are always kinks to work out, but Moore believes that Michigan is off to a wonderful start.

“It’s been good,” Moore told the media on Wednesday afternoon. “Again, playcalling has been smooth, playcalling has been great. I feel like it’s been in a rhythm. Obviously, when you put up the points we have, it’s gone pretty well. We always think there are things to improve. The pre-snap penalties, it’s really about the players. Just their focus and their details. They came out in that game, they had an hour rain delay and they could’ve been excited and unfocused, could’ve come out with juice and energy. They came out with the same focus as if we kicked off at 8. Just watching them progress has been really good. Playcalling has been smooth.”

Watch a portion of Moore’s press conference below

Moore and Weiss are responsible for calling plays, but still coaching their respective position groups. It has added a different layer to gameday responsibilities at Michigan.

“Obviously, when you’re not a play caller, you suggest plays, you have a thought process of what you would like to get called,” Moore said. “You’re suggesting to the play caller, I would like to get this one on this series because you’re not saying it during the series, there’s more focus on your position. When you’re calling plays, you’re watching everything. There’s less of me watching the offensive line when I’m calling plays, it’s less of me watching positions. It’s more watching everything. In between series and drives, it’s communicating with the staff. Trying to figure out what we want the next series to look like. Figuring out the rhythm and making it happen. The communication with the players is you try to be as detailed but it’s just a little different when you’re calling plays.”

How J.J. McCarthy’s big arm affects the Michigan game plan

Michigan would pick and choose its spots to take shots down the field under Cade McNamara, but things could change with sophomore J.J. McCarthy at quarterback. His arm is a big play waiting to happen. One would think that inherently means Michigan opens up the offense, but Moore and the Wolverines are still content taking what the defense gives them.

“It’s predicated on the game plan,” he said. “Those shots [against Hawai’i] were a little different versus the team we were playing last week. They played a lot deeper so there were fewer opportunities to do that, so that’s why I think that took place. This team is just aggressive and they played a lot closer to the ball. We’re going to try and take advantage of what people do. Whether they play deep or whether they play close, manipulate ways to where we want to get the ball, not where they want us to get the ball.”

It had long been said that McCarthy’s talent was a plus, but he would not truly supplant McNamara until he made the appropriate reads and did the little things well. Moore is seeing that from his young quarterback.

“He’s been really good,” Moore said. “Really both of them have. J.J. had a really good game but he’s done a really good job. Saw him study the playbook, study the game plan. Understanding and having confidence in what you’re seeing and what you’re studying. He’s done a great job, he’s going through his reads and he’ll continue to progress.”

Embracing analytics

Michigan has embraced analytics in its game planning and decision-making, which is a trait that Weiss added to the staff when he was hired last winter. Moore said that the Wolverine staff does use them, but they also try to find the balance of numbers versus feel when it comes to what call to employ.

“I think it’s a little bit of both,” he said. “There is an analytics part to it but there’s also the emotional feel and the player. This is a player-driven game, you try to get the players in the best position and put our players in the best position to win. Really, it’s about both. We’ll use analytics during games, we’ll use it during game planning and we’ll use it, obviously, during the game in certain situations. The biggest thing, especially if you’re calling plays, is the rhythm of the game and making sure the best players get the ball.”

Michigan’s next challenge comes in the form of the UConn Huskies in a game set for 12 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon from Ann Arbor. The game is set to be broadcast via ABC.