Wolverine TV podcast: Borton and Crawford discuss the quarterback battle, more
TheWolverine.com’s John Borton and guest Tom Crawford go more in-depth on the Michigan quarterback battle, the team’s current recruiting situation and Jordan Poole’s play for the Golden State Warriors.
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The quarterback battle
Last week, we touched on the state of the quarterback position in Ann Arbor:
Naturally, Michigan fans have planted their flag on each guy and dug their heels in heading into the season. McNamara enters the ring as a defending Big Ten champion that checks off most of the boxes, sans generational talent and eye-popping production. But he does everything else well enough and executes the offense as instructed. McCarthy brings a live arm and true dual-threat capabilities. He was too good to sit on the bench last year, so Michigan found a role for them. At a minimum, one would expect that dynamic to continue as long as both are healthy.
A loud portion of the fanbase wants to see McCarthy supplant McNamara and it is easy to see why. Given the glimpse of his skill-set last year mixed with the assumption he takes a step forward, his presence raises the ceiling of the offense. At his absolute best, he could add a Lamar Jackson-esque influence to a team that already takes its cues from the Baltimore Ravens.
But he has to take the job from McNamara and clearly be the better guy. Not just on one snap where he ropes the ball 60 yards down the field across his body. It has to be consistent. He has to take care of the football – and himself, too, frankly – and have a poise about him. That is the bar Harbaugh and the staff has set for him. On the flip side, U-M must weigh whether McCarthy’s improvisational skills and a few mistakes are worth it in a trade-off for more explosive quarterback play.
Jordan Poole’s party continues
The Michigan alum’s breakout season with the Warriors continues to roll along in the NBA Finals. His play in Game 5 (14 points in 14 minutes, 4-of-8 shooting) helped his team take a 3-2 lead in the series. A third-quarter buzzer-beater headlined his output.
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“As for the shots, end of shot clock or ends of quarters, I always want those and my teammates look for me on those,” Poole said. “The sliders kind of go up as the clock goes down. Continue to be aggressive and look for my shot and just be the moment, I guess.”
For the series, Poole is averaging 12.8 points, 1.8 assists and 1.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from long range. He scored 14 points with six made shots on 13 attempts in a Game 4 win, and put up 10 points (4-of-8 from the field) in a Game 3 setback.
