ANNA FUDER/Daily
ROLL
ROLL
OVER
OVER
NICHOLAS STOLL
Managing Sports Editor
Huskies go belly-up in
59-0 drubbing, completing
Michigan’s easy
non-conference schedule
T
he Michigan football team
took care of business.
In a 59-0 rout of UConn
(1-3 overall), the fourth-ranked
Wolverines (3-0) secured their
third win of the season, closing
out their non-conference slate on
a high note. It was a outcome that
was never really in doubt — the
Huskies assuming the role they
were cast in as Michigan’s third-
straight low-caliber opponent.
“We’re
always
competing
with
ourselves,”
sophomore
quarterback
J.J.
McCarthy
said. “And no matter who we’re
playing, or when we’re playing,
we’re always just gonna go out
there and try to be the best
version of ourselves every single
week.”
From the opening kickoff,
the Wolverines made the gap in
talent evident. In just four plays,
Michigan went 72 yards and put
its first touchdown on the board
— a handoff to junior running
back Blake Corum, his first of
five scores on the day. Michigan’s
defensive
start
was
just
as
commanding, squashing UConn’s
first drive for a three-and-out
where
the
Huskies
incurred
negative yardage.
But like most Jim Harbaugh-
coached teams, an evident skill
difference means very little in
terms of intensity. The Michigan
coach and his team didn’t take
their foot off the gas, allowing
McCarthy to cook under center in
his first start as undisputed QB1.
And the McCarthy-led offense
was efficient. It notched 231 yards
with McCarthy at quarterback in
the first half, 172 of which came
in the air on an impressive 10-for-
13 efficiency, and tallied four
touchdowns.
The
Wolverines
were forced to punt just twice in
the first two quarters, with two
other drives ending in field goal
attempts for senior kicker Jake
Moody.
Still, McCarthy and the offense
wasn’t satisfied with anything
less than perfection.
“I feel like the efficiency was
definitely there,” McCarthy said.
“But we had that one drive, I
think it’s the second drive of the
game, where we went three and
out. That one was on me, so that
one kind of haunts me, but you
know, I thought we played pretty
well in the first half.”
A large part of Michigan’s
offensive
success
can
be
attributed to its defensive and
special teams’ performance, too.
The offense had consistently
stellar field position, gifted by
the other two facets of the game,
which allowed it to score quickly
and often.
The Wolverines’ defense held
the Huskies to a lowly 64 yards
in the first half and just 110 on
the game. Like an anaconda,
Michigan squeezed the life out of
the Huskies’ offense, a testament
to the difference between the two
programs heading into the game.
The Wolverines also recovered
a fumble and blocked a punt to
flip the field in their favor — not
to mention a 61-yard punt return
touchdown by junior receiver A.J.
Henning — exercising their will
on UConn’s floundering squad.
Just before the half, a 38-0
beatdown allowed Michigan to
give its starters some rest and
give others a chance to see the
field.
As
senior
quarterback
Cade
McNamara
assumed
position under center, the Big
House
provided
a
standing
ovation — a sharp contrast to
the boos he heard just last week.
But McNamara’s day didn’t end
on a positive note, as he exited
the game with an injury that
Harbaugh said is going to sideline
him “for a few weeks.”
“Not going to be a season
ending thing, I don’t think, but
he’ll miss some time,’ Harbaugh
affirmed.
At the other end of the break,
the
already-domineering
Wolverines
made
one
final
statement before the starters
were truly done for the day.
Michigan
trotted
out
its
offensive
A-team
one
last
time, as if to bury any shred of
doubt that the Huskies were a
worthy opponent. In an 11-play,
83-yard drive, McCarthy led the
Wolverines down the field to
punch in yet another touchdown.
It was the fifth time Corum found
the endzone on the day, tying a
program record last reached by
running back Hassan Haskins a
season ago against Ohio State.
“I feel like we look good, but
we haven’t faced any adversity,”
Corum said. “I really don’t know
how good we’re going to be. I feel
it. I feel like we’re gonna be great,
but I can’t tell you. But I’ll tell you
(this): By the look of things, sky’s
the limit for this offense.”
Not much changed as the game
entered its formative stages; the
backups piled on and UConn
continued to struggle. Michigan
proved that it can beat bad teams,
but not much else.
And with a non-conference
schedule like the Wolverines
booked this year, there was
nothing else to prove in non-
conference competition.
“You
can
only
play
your
schedule,” Corum said. “We
treat every game like it’s a
championship game. … We’re
just playing the schedule. We’re
having fun, we’re out there
ballin’. It’s been great, but Big Ten
is on the way — I’m excited.”
SPORTSWEDNESDAY
MICHIGAN 59 | UCONN 0
ANNA FUDER/Daily
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