As the Michigan football team went through its normal Monday walkthrough last week, Andrel Anthony noticed he was playing a bigger role than usual. “I definitely realized I was going to have a big part in this game,” the freshman receiver said a week later. “I didn’t know it was going to be that big, but I knew I was going to have a shot, an opportunity, to make a play and capitalize on that.” That’s exactly what he did. Six catches, 155 yards and two touchdowns later, Anthony emerged as a bright spot in the Wolverines’ 37-33 loss to Michigan State on Saturday. The East Lansing native wasted no time making noise in his homecoming. On Michigan’s third play from scrimmage, he caught a crossing route in stride from junior quarterback Cade McNamara — his first career reception — and turned the corner before the Spartans’ secondary could catch up. A few seconds later, he trotted into the end zone to cap off a 93-yard touchdown — the second-longest in program history. “Being able to be put in a position by the coaches and stuff like that, players believing in me, Cade giving me opportunities, stuff like that, it meant the world to me,” Anthony said. “Yeah, I’m a true freshman, but (coaches) really believe in me. That meant a lot to me.” Anthony hauled in another touchdown in the second half, this time from freshman quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh spotted Anthony and McCarthy voluntarily working out on the practice field together, along with freshman running back Donovan Edwards, following the Wolverines’ road trips to Wisconsin and Nebraska. Anthony and Edwards used the time to rep different routes with McCarthy, who practiced high and low throws to their back shoulders. When Anthony saw the ball leave McCarthy’s right hand on Saturday afternoon, he had a flashback to those freshman sessions. “I was like, ‘OK, this is just like after the Wisconsin game when we got back,’ ” Anthony said. “The connection we have already is amazing, and it’s just going to continue to grow.” For Michigan, the timing of Anthony’s emergence is critical. With senior receiver Ronnie Bell out for the season and sophomore receiver Roman Wilson nursing a wrist injury, Anthony filled the void in a big way on Saturday. Bell, in particular, played a significant role in getting Anthony ready for the moment. From the time Anthony stepped foot on campus, the duo studied the playbook together and stayed in the gym for their own lifts after teamwide weight room activities. “He always told me he believes in me, and it meant a lot to me because I looked up to him in high school,” Anthony said. “I was like, ‘Ronnie Bell believes in me?’ ” Since arriving as an early enrollee in January, Anthony has focused on becoming a better playmaker. He was known as a deep threat in high school, but he’s since added nearly 10 pounds of muscle while retaining his speed and explosiveness. The additional strength has helped him make plays on short and intermediate routes while also improving his ability to make contested catches — a major focal point of Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’s coaching. Still, Anthony’s blocking struggles kept him off the field early on this season. Given how much the Wolverines run the ball, wide receiver blocking is at the top of the priority among the team’s receivers. Anthony said coaches got on him about blocking during spring practices and fall camp, which forced him to focus more on that area. A few months later, Anthony feels he’s come into his own. And his teammates see it too. “He’s been having a very good last couple weeks of practice,” junior receiver Mike Sainristil said. “He’s been very detailed. He’s just been practicing very well and understanding that, with guys like Roman not playing and Ronnie hurt, he has to play a higher role and step up in the offense. “That’s just who he is. He finally had the chance to showcase it.” JULIA SCHACHINGER//Daily East Lansing native Andrel Anthony had two touchdowns on Saturday against Michigan State. We’ve said it so many times: This week is the real test. We said it about Washington. And Wisconsin. And Nebraska. And Michigan State. Each week, we unpacked Michi- gan’s win with a footnote that the game wasn’t the test we thought it would be. Until the Wolverines went to East Lansing. The game’s importance had been touted all week. It would be the in-state rivals’ first top 10 matchup since 1964. A win for either team would create a new mea- suring stick for success and cement conference — and even national — championship potential. Through the first half, it looked like coach Jim Harbaugh would clinch the biggest win of his Michigan career. Then, the Wolverines hemor- rhaged a 16-point third quarter lead, and the visions of a championship season got a little dimmer. After the game, Harbaugh sat dejected at the podium with little to say. “That didn’t go the way we wanted (it) to,” he said. Once again, facing its tough- est competition, Michigan failed to deliver. Now, all eyes turn towards Penn State, when we will learn if this team truly is different from the past. Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, Michigan knows how to win. It’s come up in big moments, built up its passing game when its run game is stopped and constructed an efficient two-quarterback system out of a starter that’s largely considered to be just “good enough.” In each consecutive game this season, it’s looked like the Wolver- ines have added another dimension to their offense, staying true to a rush-centered strategy anchored by Corum and Haskins while exploring the other weapons in their arsenal. On Saturday, that dynamic, top 10 team made uncharacteristic mistakes. It wasn’t so much that it was simply bested but that its miscues accumulat- ed. Michigan wasn’t playing at it’s best. Now it’s about how it responds. “This season’s not over,” sixth-year center Andrew Vastardis said after Saturday’s game. “Not even close.” Yes, the season isn’t over. The Wol- verines have four more games left, but two — against the Nittany Lions and Ohio State — will be among their toughest of the season. Theoretically, Michigan could finish with a record of 11-1 with a shot at the College Foot- ball Playoff. Or it could be 8-4 with an appearance at an insignificant bowl game. If history is any indicator, it’ll be closer to the latter. Last season, an initial 49-24 win against No. 21 Min- nesota inflated fans expectations. But after a loss to the Spartans the fol- lowing week, the Wolverines never recovered and ended the season 2-4. The year before, a string of midseason Big Ten wins buoyed their hopes only to be dashed in back-to-back blowouts against Ohio State and Alabama. In 2018, Michigan beat its first eight con- ference opponents, still to lose to the Buckeyes and Florida. Yes, this team can win, but can it recover from a loss? “It’s a learning experience,” Vas- tardis said. Maybe it will be. Players and coaches have continually repeated the mantra that this Michigan team is different. And they’ve backed those assertions. This Michigan team looked different when, facing mediocre preseason expectations, it beat Washington. It looked different when it beat Wisconsin on the road. It looked different when it came out ahead in a fourth quarter dogfight against Nebraska. As the Wolverines rose in the rankings, so did the stakes. Fans that originally would have been satisfied with an 8-4 season are looking, real- istically, at a floor of 9-3. But, if this Michigan team is dif- ferent, it won’t be because of a 7-0 run. It’ll be because it learns how to recover. Managing Sports Editor Lane Kizziah can be reached on Twitter @KizziahLane. SportsWednesday: Is this Michigan team different? LANE KIZZIAH While Michigan State celebrated a game-clinching interception on Saturday, Jim Harbaugh stalked the sidelines. He paced up and down, seemingly unsure what to do after Michigan relinquished a 16-point lead and its chance at a marquee victory. Two days later, the pain of the loss partly subsided, Harbaugh again resembled his passionate, fiery self. “Resolve is to get back to work and get prepared for this next opponent,” the Michigan coach said on Monday. “That’s the way I woke up today. Determined. Attack with the new resolve that it’s a new season. A new day, a new week, a new four-game season. Let’s get at it. “My approach, very similar to a fighter. You get up, referee wipes your gloves and you come back even more determined, with even more resolve to prepare, to work harder, to find a way to finish and to win.” The players appeared to match Harbaugh’s mentality. Monday afternoon, the Wolverines gathered for a players-only meeting inside Schembechler Hall, a decision put forth by the appointed leadership council. According to junior receiver Mike Sainristil, it’s the third such meeting the team has had this season. The intention? “Just being able to re-center our focus as a team,” Sainristil said. Individually, each player spent the past two days decompressing in different ways. Junior defensive end Mike Morris took 48 hours to get the loss out of his system, but has since switched his focus to Indiana. Sainristil watched film on a select number of plays, which prompted a realization: “We have a lot left in us as a team,” Sainristil said. “We’re still trending in the right direction. There’s a lot left on the table for us. There’s big things still to come.” Sainristil and the remaining contingent of Michigan’s veteran players have stressed the importance of setting an example. None of the freshmen have dealt with the aftermath of a loss. The sophomores haven’t been on a team that handles a loss well. As a part of the leadership council, Sainristil has helped to curate the team’s new rallying cry. “We’re still in this,” Sainristil said. “There’s no need to worry. We just have to bounce back and take this past weekend for what it is, go over film and just correct our mistakes. Learn where we can get better.” There are, of course, several tangible areas in which the Wolverines can improve. Even before this weekend, Michigan had plenty of flaws; the Spartans merely magnified them. Harbaugh specifically noted three realms that the Wolverines are focusing on this week. The effort starts with Michigan remedying its shambolic defensive substitutions. Mike Macdonald’s defensive system is predicated on rotations, which is meant to keep players fresh. On Saturday, that plan collapsed in the face of Michigan State’s up-tempo offense, leading to multiple flags and rampant confusion. “Usually we’re off the field very quickly, we do it at a timely pace,” Morris said. “This week, it just didn’t happen. Their pace was too fast. It was just happening way too fast, it just didn’t match up.” On the offensive side of the ball, Harbaugh stressed the need for cleaner run-blocking to ensure that the running backs aren’t hit on the line of scrimmage. Michigan State held the Wolverines to a season- low 146 rushing yards, eliminating Michigan’s true bread and butter. The culmination of those offensive woes is the inability to finish inside the red zone. On Saturday, the Wolverines only mustered a field goal on four separate trips to the red zone, an issue that Harbaugh lamented as “a big one every week.” As the season reaches the home stretch, it’s imperative that the Wolverines build upon those three aspects. Ultimately, Harbaugh is confident that they will progress, rather than wilt, moving forward. “I’ve seen the team for a long time now, the way they respond,” Harbaugh said. “Whether it’s a setback or chatter, I know how they’re going to respond…which is with more resolve, more determined to prepare and get ready for our next ballgame.” Michigan’s plan to move forward after crushing loss to Michigan State True freshman Andrel Anthony shines in return to East Lansing JARED GREENSPAN Daily Sports Editor DANIEL DASH Daily Sports Editor JULIA SCHACHINGER/Daily After its loss to Michigan State, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has a few specific areas he looks to improve in. JULIA SCHACHINGER/Daily The Michigan football team could still salvage its season after Saturday’s loss against Michigan State if it learns from its mistakes. The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Cade McNamara started off with a bang. On Michigan’s first third down of the game, the junior quarterback completed a pass to freshman receiv- er Andrel Anthony for 93 yards and the Wolverines’ first touchdown — the first of the freshman’s career. Although the Wolverines ulti- mately fell to Michigan State, 33-37, McNamara had the best game of his own career by almost any measure. Going 28-for-44 for 383 yards, he topped his career best in passing attempts, pass- es completed and total yards. He completed over 125 more yards than his previous sea- son high against Nebraska, when the passing game really emerged. McNamara’s presence has grown on the field throughout the season, evidenced not only by his growing stat sheet but also how comfortable he looks in the pocket. Even beyond the highlight-reel touchdowns, he advanced Michigan with throws an earlier iteration of this offense never would have been able to complete. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh utilized freshman quarterback J.J. McCarthy as well, despite McNa- mara’s strong performance for the majority of the game. The fresh- man tallied three completed passes on four attempts for 23 yards and a touchdown. Collectively, the duo’s 406 passing yards bested the Spar- tans’ 196. Still, the quarterback duo exhib- ited some uncharacteristic errors that ultimately gave Michigan State the upper hand. “We were confident we could move the ball,” McNamara said. “It was a combination of good pass pro today — we just came up short and that’s on me. I didn’t execute good enough for us to win this one.” Perhaps the most blatant example came from McCarthy in the fourth quarter. With 7:12 minutes on the clock and Michigan up by three, McCarthy was brought back onto the field. At 1st-and-10, McCarthy and sophomore running back Blake Corum fumbled the exchange, and the ball was recovered by Spartan defensive end Jacob Panasiuk. The ensuing drive resulted in a Michi- gan State touchdown and ultimately handed the Spartans the game. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh caught a lot of flak for the choice of McCarthy over McNamara after the game. When asked about the play, he simply remarked that “it did not go smoothly” and that McNamara was “working through some stuff” at the time. Even if the misstep was the final nail in the Wolverines’ coffin, it was hardly the only one. McCarthy had fumbled in the previous possession as well, although it didn’t result in a turnover. In Michigan’s last-ditch attempt at a comeback, McNamara didn’t fare much better. Down by four with 1:15 minutes left and the ball at the 33-yard line, McNamara returned to the field. After a roughing the passer call gave the Wolverines 15 free yards, he threw a pass that was intercepted by Michigan State corner Charles Brantley, extin- guishing Michigan’s last hope of a comeback. Combined, McCarthy and McNamara went 16-for-22 for 252 yards in the first half and 15-for-26 for 154 yards in the second. Neither could execute in the red zone, as evidenced by Michigan’s four field goals. And, for that, McNamara feels responsible. “I think we had a couple plays, there was a few plays that stand out, there’s not many,” McNamara said. “I think I needed to do better. I just can’t do that at the end of the game. I’ve gotta check it down or some- thing.” Though he couldn’t finish the job on Saturday, what was once a glaring weakness of this offense — its pass- ing game — has transitioned into a strength. When called upon, McNa- mara moved the ball through the air to keep the Wolverines in the game and to the precipice of beating a top 10 team. He just couldn’t finish the game. Despite career game from McNamara, quarterbacks still struggle LANE KIZZIAH Managing Sports Editor Wednesday, November 3, 2021 — 11 JULIA SCHACHINGER/Daily In future weeks, the Wolverines will once again demand that McNamara prove himself.