Game balls from Michigan football's blowout win at Rutgers

Michigan football moved to 9-0 on the season with a 52-17 win in Piscataway on Saturday night thanks to 38 unanswered points in the second half. It was a total team effort to pull the Wolverines out of a 17-14 halftime deficit with no shortage of standouts.

Anthony Broome, Clayton Sayfie and Chris Balas select a player each week for Michigan after the game concludes. Here are the players that get the biggest nod from our staff following a Week 10 victory over Rutgers.

Chris Balas: Graduate linebacker Michael Barrett

Michigan turning the tide coming out of the locker room was a team accomplishment, but it would be hard to argue Michael Barrett was not the driving force. He had the first two interceptions of his career on Saturday night, the second of which was a pick-six that busted the game wide open for the Wolverines in the third quarter. Barrett had to wait his turn amid position changes and defensive coordinator transitions, but he has found a home at linebacker and is coming on at the right time for the Michigan defense.

Clayton Sayfie: Sophomore running back Donovan Edwards

Junior running back Blake Corum is rightfully a Heisman contender, but Donovan Edwards adds a more potent, versatile look to Michigan’s backfield. His connection with sophomore QB J.J. McCarthy through the air is still palpable, and he grabbed a 14-yard pass in the end zone in the defining third quarter of Saturday’s game. But we are also seeing him take steps forward as a rusher, matching Corum with 109 yards on the evening (15 attempts, 7.3 yards per carry). His vision is improved and he is becoming a more patient runner between the tackles. Expect a steady dose of him down the stretch this season.

Anthony Broome: Freshman cornerback Will Johnson

There was a strong debate internally to give this one to Corum, but freshman cornerback Will Johnson deserves some extra love for his play on Saturday night. He was already an ascending player, which is expected from a five-star freshman. But he was called into duty tonight for Gemon Green, who was in Piscataway and dressed but did not play. Johnson was outstanding and also grabbed his first career interception in the victory. He will be Michigan’s top cornerback sooner rather than later, likely in 2023. His ball skills are tremendous and it is obvious that he has a wide receiver background. Johnson is not a puppy anymore and will be one of the team’s most important defenders down the stretch.

Michigan football honorable mentions

Sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy: McCarthy’s stat line is unimpressive on paper (13-for-27, 151 yards, 2 TDs), but he was a warrior on Saturday night. With both starting tackles out of the lineup, there were early pressures coming his way and he took a lot of hits. Some of his most impressive throws were dropped or defended well. Not his best game, but he does get credit for sticking in there.

Junior running back Blake Corum: Corum is a known commodity at this point. He had 109 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns on the evening. That increased his total to 16 scores on the season, which puts him well within reach of Hassan Haskins’ single-season school record of 20 rushing TDs from last year. Michigan’s all-time record for total TDs in a season is 26 set back in 1902 by Albert Herrnstein. That might be tough to hit, but it depends on the number of games played the rest of the way.

The freshman wide receivers: Michigan needs better play from its wideouts, period. We are 10 weeks into the season and upperclassmen are not making enough of an impact. As a result, we saw a pair of true freshmen out there in Tyler Morris – who had a major third-down grab in the second half – and Amorion Walker. Interestingly enough, Darrius Clemons was not among them while the starters were still on the field. This is worth monitoring, but it is encouraging to see them on the field when the game was still competitive. Others in the room are on notice.

Senior defensive lineman Mike Morris: Morris is not a secret anymore, as evidenced by his first-round standing on Mel Kiper’s latest NFL Draft board for 2023. Morris had 1.5 sacks on the evening and is up to 7.5 on the season. A double-digit campaign is within reach.