Offense notes: Michigan not fazed by slow start, 'rolled' in 52-7 win over Indiana

Michigan Wolverines football had gone three-and-out on offense only 10 times entering Saturday, including three in fourth quarters with reserve players in the game. The Maize and Blue began with two three-and-outs against Indiana Saturday, though, going without a first down until there was less than a minute to play in the opening quarter.

The response was impressive. Michigan scored 21 points in the second stanza and 52 unanswered points after falling behind 7-0. The next seven drives after the two three-and-outs resulted in points. With the 52-7 victory, the Wolverines have won seven consecutive games by 24 or more points for the first time since 1976.

“The message this week, big time, was just, ‘relentless,'” Michigan junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy said. “Obviously, the first two drives didn’t go the way we wanted to, but that’s football. Sometimes, we just don’t have the right hand for the right situation, and they did. I was just really happy with the way we responded and rolled after those two drives.”

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Michigan came out throwing, with 4 pass plays (2 went for sacks) and 2 designed runs on its first six plays. The Wolverines stuck with the aerial attack even amidst wet and windy conditions in Ann Arbor. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and Co. trusted McCarthy on 4th and goal from the 2, when he fired a strike to senior wideout Roman Wilson to break the tie and go up 14-7 late in the second quarter. They also went to the throw game in close in the third quarter, with McCarthy hitting freshman wide receiver Semaj Morgan, who made some nifty moves, to score a 7-yard touchdown.

“It’s perfect when you’ve got a quarterback like that,” Harbaugh noted. “Some people ask me fourth and two, tie ball game on the 2-yard line, what goes into that decision? I know the ball’s going to be in No. 9’s hands. Or in [sophomore tight end Colston Loveland‘s] hands, or Roman’s. But mainly I know No. 9 is going to make it right. Just a great confidence that the odds are in our favor. Tremendous job by him responding. Entire team. I think at one point, I looked at the scoreboard and they had 137 or 139 yards to our minus-8, then we respond with a touchdown drive. Tremendous.”

Michigan went 7-for-7 in the red zone, including 6 touchdowns — 3 rushing, 3 passing. The Wolverines scored touchdowns on 66.2 percent of their trips to the red area last season, and finishing drives better was an emphasis coming into the year. This season, they’ve punched in 27 touchdowns on 34 red-zone attempts (79.4 percent), noticeable improvement.

“It feels good to be out there knowing that we can run the ball and when we get in the red zone we can throw the ball, too,” Wilson said.

McCarthy continued to use his legs to buy extra time for himself in the pocket. He needed to on quite a few occasions Saturday, with the protection breaking down. He took 4 sacks after Michigan had been sacked only 3 times in the previous six games. Harbaugh chalked that up to the law of averages catching up to the Wolverines.

Either way, the off-script plays continue to be their friend, and that was apparent on a dazzling 54-yard touchdown from McCarthy to Loveland. Scrambling out to his right, McCarthy directed Loveland to go deep. One defender was in between them, and he chose to rush McCarthy instead of stay on the tight end. McCarthy made him pay.

“I told him to go up the field so he had to pick his poison, and he picked the wrong one,” the Michigan signal-caller said.

McCarthy put together another efficient game, completing 14 of his 17 passes for 222 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had a 22-yard scramble and totaled 50 rushing yards on 6 carries when taking out his 4 sacks.

Sophomore wideout Tyler Morris broke out with 4 catches for 54 yards, including one on a key 3rd and 6. Loveland totaled 3 grabs for 80 yards.

First olive plops out for Donovan Edwards, Benjamin Hall flashes

Late in the second quarter, Michigan junior running back Donovan Edwards had the chance to punch in a touchdown after getting the Wolverines down to the 2-yard line, but he came up a yard short on the goal-line run. Senior Blake Corum was coming in to replace him, but he waved him off, insisting on staying in the game. Michigan ended up using a timeout, and it was Corum who notched his second touchdown of the day and 12th rushing score of the season.

“That was his competitive fighter nature. He wanted to finish it off,” Harbaugh said.

Edwards was still without a touchdown on the season, until he was the one inserted into the game at the goal line. He scored from 2 yards out early in the fourth quarter, and his teammates were elated.

‘I was so happy,” McCarthy said.

“Coach Harbaugh’s got this analogy about his olive jar. Once the first olive comes out, then the rest of them just start flooding out like crazy. It was only time for that man to get in the end zone. That’s my brother for life, and it was just great to see the joy on his face after crossing that line.”

“They just all start plopping out,” Harbaugh explained. “That’s what I said to Don, ‘Hey, you’re in.'”

Edwards now has 11 rushing touchdowns for his career.

Corum continues to be Michigan’s primary short-yardage back. He finished with 13 carries for 52 yards and the pair of scores, and hit the 3,000-yard rushing mark for his career on his fourth carry of the game, a 12-yard gain. He passed position coach Mike Hart (41) and support staffer Denard Robinson (42) in career rushing touchdowns, sitting third in the Michigan record book with 43.

U-M was without senior Kalel Mullings (undisclosed injury), who’s come on in recent weeks, which gave freshman Benjamin Hall the opportunity to get some playing time late in the game. Hall wound up Michigan’s leading rusher, with 58 yards on 9 carries, including an explosive 19-yard gain.

“The leg drive, the strength,” Harbaugh said what stands out about Hall.

Miscellaneous Michigan football offense notes

• Michigan didn’t turn the ball over for the fifth time in seven games. The Wolverines only have 5 giveaways on the season, 4 of which came in a 31-6 win over Bowling Green.

• The Wolverines have scored 45 or more points in three straight games (Nebraska, Minnesota) and 52 points in two consecutive outings (Minnesota). They have scored 30-plus points in 10 consecutive games, extending the longest such streak in Michigan Football history.

• Michigan’s 21-point second quarter tied its season best (21 in the third quarter at Minnesota).

• Michigan is now 19-1 with McCarthy as its starting quarterback.

• McCarthy ranks 11th in U-M history with 4,467 career passing yards.

• Graduate quarterback Jack Tuttle threw his first touchdown pass as a Michigan Wolverine — a 4-yarder to freshman wideout Karmello English in the fourth quarter, marking his first career score — against his former team. Tuttle threw 5 touchdown passes in four seasons at Indiana. Tuttle and senior tight end AJ Barner were both Hoosier captains last season. Barner hauled in 1 catch for 18 yards and had a key block on a long punt return.