SPENCER RAINES
Daily Sports Editor
Michigan outlasts Maryland in first
taste of adversity
F
or weeks, the discourse
around
the
Michigan
football team has been
about
its soft non-conference
schedule.
Three
consecutive
opponents posed little to no threat
to even test the Wolverines. Many
wondered what they would look
like when they finally faced a
“real” opponent that could actually
contend for the victory.
Against
Maryland,
Michigan
certainly received that challenge.
The fourth-ranked Wolverines
(4-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) wobbled
but eventually righted themselves
to beat the Terrapins (3-1, 0-1),
34-27, in their Big Ten opener.
“I mean, you learn more as you
go, right,” Michigan coach Jim
Harbaugh said. “Every single game,
every single test, you learn more
about your team (and) you’ll learn
more about yourself as a player.”
On Saturday, Michigan learned
how to win a tight game. It learned
how to get back up after getting
knocked to the ground. And, though
it was ugly at times, it learned
those lessons while remaining
undefeated.
Outside of the opening seconds
when Maryland muffed the kickoff
and Michigan scored immediately,
the Terrapins controlled the first
half. They handled the Wolverines’
defensive line, play after play.
And led by quarterback Taulia
Tagovailoa,
Maryland’s
offense
consistently
stayed
ahead
of
schedule on its drives, racking up
good chunks of yardage on first
down leading to short second and
third down situations.
Finally, Michigan’s defense was
tested, and throughout the entire
game, it showed cracks.
“When situations like that come
up where the defense just really has
to step up, stick in there and just stay
together, our message was just keep
fighting,” senior defensive back
Mike Sainristil said. “Keep making
plays don’t give them anything.”
But the Wolverines’ defense let
Maryland march down the field
in chunks, certainly exposed to
the harsh realities of conference
play. In the second quarter, after a
floundering offensive possession,
the Wolverines once again let
Maryland easily get into field goal
range and secure three points. For
the first time all season, Michigan
trailed, 13-10.
In the waning seconds of the first
half, the Wolverines responded with
a 33-yard fourth-down touchdown
scamper from junior running back
Blake Corum to retake the lead. But
they were still bleeding.
The Terrapins landed punches in
the first half and knocked Michigan
onto its heals but they couldn’t
overcome a few key plays: The
opening muff and an interception
by senior cornerback DJ Turner
that appeared to hit the ground, to
name a pair.
Whether it was because of the
jump in competition or because of
simply playing poorly, Michigan
looked out of sync nearly the entire
game. Sophomore quarterback J.J.
McCarthy looked human for the
first time this season, fumbling
twice and missing on the majority
of his deep balls.
After the game, McCarthy was
still smiling, but he recognized
his struggles and put much of the
onus on him. There were a myriad
of throws he “wanted back” and
he deemed Saturday not his “best
performance,” but then he pivoted.
“That was a good team out
there,” McCarthy said. “Maryland’s
got a great defense, they got a great
offense and I’m just happy with
the way we responded when some
adversity creeped in.”
SPORTSWEDNESDAY
JEREMY WEINE/Daily
KATE HUA/Daily | Design by Lys Goldman
A
three-point
deficit
may
not seem like the most adverse
situation, but for a Michigan team
that outscored its opponents 166-
17 through its first three games,
it was certainly more than it had
experienced.
Of course in the end they
responded. As the Wolverines had
seemingly for the entire game,
they did just enough to stay ahead
and keep control. Junior defensive
back R.J. Moten bobbled and then
caught a practically game-sealing
interception, and Corum placed
an exclamation point on the game
just moments later, finishing off
his herculean day — 30 carries and
243 rushing yards — with a 47-yard
touchdown.
But the Wolverines were forced
to play in a contentious second half,
one where the game’s outcome was
still unknown well into the fourth
quarter.
Michigan did not look like the
world-killers that the first three
weeks of the season had painted
itself as. But it survived its first test
of the season, albeit not with flying
colors.
Perhaps the next time the
Wolverines face adversity, they’ll
show that they learned a thing or
two.
TORTOISE
the
SCAR
E
and the
MICHIGAN 34
MARYLAND 27
JEREMY WEINE/Daily
JEREMY WEINE/Daily | Design by Lys Goldman