Michigan is 8-1 against the Terrapins after they started playing each other in 1985. The Terps eventually joined the Big Ten in 2014, winning that first game against the Brady Hoke-led Wolverines before losing five in a row.
- Giles Jackson 97-yard kickoff return TD (2019)
- A.J. Henning 81-yard kickoff return TD (2021)
- David Long 80-yard interception return (2017)
- Cade McNamara 77-yard TD pass to Donovan Edwards (2021)
- Jehu Chesson 66-yard TD run (2015)
- Tony Boles 64-yard TD run (1989)
- Wilton Speight 56-yard pass to Chris Evans (2016)
- Ty Isaac 53-yard TD run (2016)
- Joe Kerridge 52-yard run (2014)
- Shea Patterson 51-yard pass to Nico Collins (2018)
- Shea Patterson 51-yard pass to Nico Collins (2019)
Hit the jump for some videos.
.@UMichFootball kicked off their day on the right foot.
— Stadium (@Stadium) November 2, 2019
97 yards for Giles Jackson 💨💨 pic.twitter.com/CZWwtUouGI
Maryland just scored.
— Due# (@JDue51) November 21, 2021
Michigan has a pre-planned play for the pooch kick and they execute it *to perfection*. Michael Barret sells the run, then throws a dime to Henning who out races the field.
Well scouted. Well run. pic.twitter.com/9rWnKgKa6U
David Long with the pick and 80 yard return.
— Due# (@JDue51) November 11, 2017
Could have 100 but someone was tired no looky for a blocky. pic.twitter.com/jsqyDlNxHW
The last time Maryland was on the schedule, Donovan Edwards broke out as a pass-catcher. 👀#TouchdownTuesday x @DEdwards__ pic.twitter.com/Dk8PS2HMFc
— Michigan On BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) September 20, 2022
I can't remember ONE play against Maryland. All faded. I remember Edwards going Ham 3 years ago. I remember they had some success last year moving the ball and for a half it looked like UM was in trouble. I do remember one play our safety picking off a pass to seal the game. He has since transferred, as that was his peak.
ReplyDeleteMaryland is like the McDonalds of football. Forgettable, not very good, disposable.
I wouldn't be surprised to see us struggle, or just win in the most boring way. Lots going on, must have been on Cloud9 after Happy Valley, and The Game is next ... all the markings of a trap game, but won't go as far as let down
ReplyDeleteThe counter-argument is that the players on this team are now motivated to show that the sh*t-show that is swirling all around the program is not a reflection of the character and will of the players, and the best way to demonstrate that is to go out and convincingly beat Maryland, leaving no doubt that superior players on the field was the difference.
DeleteI'm hoping the leaders of the team -- McCarthy, Corum, Jenkins, Sainristil -- really step in to the gap here and put the team morale and confidence on their backs and carry them through the next several weeks. I think they can.
Well that wasn't a very satisfying win and contributed to a rough week for us fans. Oh well. A win is a win and we're clear to OSU. Sherrone Moore is absolutely right to put the past into the past and focus on Saturday.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of takes out there but I hope they are subsiding. Whatever issues we saw against Maryland should probably be viewed in the context similar to the 2022 Illinois game. Michigan didn't bring their A-game schematically nor did the players play to their capabilities. Maybe coaches and players are looking ahead, maybe not. Doesn't matter. Every championship team has some bad days.
Offense -- speaking of bad days, JJ had an off day for sure. Obviously the shuffling of the OL didn't help matters. I thought they managed OK. Moore is getting criticized for being too predictable but protecting a close lead worked out. And again, remember Illinois where we also called a very vanilla gameplan with Harbaugh on the sideline.
Defense - this one is more concerning to me because Maryland is the first real passing attack we've seen. Sorry UNLV, no disrespect but you're UNLV. Taulia wasn't great between the 2 picks and a safety, but their run game was completely shut down and they still had 4 long scoring drives in the game. That feels like a lot for a one-dimensional unit. But the emphasis there goes on FEELS.
It probably shouldn't given the 4 turnovers (counting the safety) and the prior knowledge that Maryland can pass it pretty well. They were pressured consistently (mostly from the interior) and made lots of mistakes. They strung together some drives but 20+ yard plays were few.
The big development in personnel was Jaden McBurrows. McBurrows was a DNP against Penn State. So I dunno - feels like the coaching staff is still just throwing stuff at the wall in the secondary. Maybe there is a plan and maybe they are going to figure out QJo, Sabb, McBurrows rotating in based on feels. I don't love it - the poor recruiting at corner in the last several years feels like an issue.
Loose player thoughts:
Shout out to Tommy Doman. You never want to be too happy with your punter but this kid can play.
Kenneth Grant is a star. The depth and rotation at DT is out of this world to the point that we are going to lose Jenkins and Goode this offseason and still be ecstatic about the Benny/Grant/Graham rotation in 2024. Epic.
Donovan is Donovan. Another game where he's rotating for a substantial number of snaps with Blake the Great and producing on par (per carry) with the best Michigan RB of our lifetimes. It's not thunder and lightning but Donvan is a 3rd down back AND a 3rd series back. Trust the coaches. The 2 back sets were active again but even though Donovan didn't produce much in the air he has noticeable "gravity".
Wilson - we missed him. The passing game just doesn't feel as dangerous without #1 out there. Never know with concussions and the shades were momentarily alarming, but he seemed loose and happy on the sideline so I'll assume he's back for OSU.
Good things happen when Samaj gets the ball.
Henderson - Moore said he'll be back and I hope that's real. I like Trente but feel better when he's the 6th man.
Sainristil - another big game. What a player.
Nobody likes hearing this but just like with Illinois last year we would have probably been better off sitting some of our best players yesterday. A worst case scenario - loss in the game - still leaves every season goal (conference title, playoff invite, national title) completely in tact. OSU matters. Maryland does not.
DeleteUnlike last year, the backdoor invite to the playoff is EXCEPTIONALLY unlikely for Michigan for a variety of reasons (including recent playoff history, the Harbaugh suspensions, and the stupid soft schedule). This game mattered yesterday, but it doesn't today or any other day. Beat OSU and we're in. Lose and we're not. It's that simple.
You can argue playoff seeding I suppose but the playoff committee's whims are arbitrary and we just saw the #1 seed get a worse matchup than the #2 seed last year.
Michigan could have sat JJ, let him heal up, and arguably been better off. I know they would have been better off if they sat Blake Corum for Illinois last year. This year we maybe lost Hinton, could have lost Wilson, and could have further damaged JJ. I don't know if it's worth it when we might still have beaten Maryland with Orji at QB.
I don't love it, but with the expanded playoff these kind of scenarios are going to be more common in CFB. Nobody blinks when NFL, NBA, and MLB teams sit star players, because the regular season doesn't matter very much in those leagues. CFB is different. Or was - it's changing quickly.
One more random thought. OL next year will lose Nugent, Henderson, Keegan, and Zinter. Hinton is widely expected to be back for his 5th year but Jones and Barnhart could also be back if they use their COVID years and return for year 6 super grad seasons. I don't know that the NFL is drafting either player just yet.
DeleteThey'll have the portal available to them, but NIL could see them return to keep the OL humming along at an elite level also. Flip Barnhart back inside to OG and you've got a pretty impressive and veteran looking OL on paper
Hinton - El Hadi - Crippen - Barnhart - Jones
My bad - Nugent is in the same situation as Barnhart and Jones. If they take 2019 as a red-shirt and 2020 as COVID they are junior-eligibility players that can return. That would probably push guys like Crippen and Persi to explore options though.
DeleteSeason is almost over. This is my take for the whole season:
ReplyDeleteThe good:
1) Defensive Tackles are definitely a strength
2) Corum is still great, almost an automatic short yardage back.
3) Interior OL is excellent.
The bad:
1) Tackles cannot handle speed rushers (Also injuries!)
2) CB is good not great after Will Johnson.
3) DE still cannot generate sacks.
3 questions for Saturday:
1) Which JJ will show up on Saturday?
2) Can Will Johnson cover Marvin Harrison one on one?
3) Can the coaches outscheme without stealing signs?
1. I expect McCarthy to be better on Saturday than he was last Saturday. I think Maryland was a tough game to get up for, and not everyone was playing their best, especially after the first 1.5 quarters.
Delete2. No. Marvin Harrison, Jr. is the best player in college football, IMO. Nobody in the country can cover him one-on-one. I think the question is whether Michigan puts Will Johnson on him and helps with a safety . . . or whether Michigan does the Bill Belichick thing of putting the #2 CB and a safety over Harrison and letting Johnson take away OSU's #2 WR.
3. I don't know. That's one of the big questions of this whole thing. I don't think stealing signs in person is as big of a deal as it's being made out to be...but what we don't really know at this point is if Michigan has ANY sign-stealing guy. Let's say Stalions had 70% of other teams' signs, and the average school has 50% of the other teams' signs. What if Michigan isn't stealing signs AT ALL at this point so they have 0% of other teams' signs?