It hasn't been a perfect day for Michigan football, but they still lead, visiting Nebraska 17-3 at halftime.
The J.J. McCarthy-led offense was slow out of the gate, but a solid defensive start gave them ample time to adjust without falling behind and building a three-possession lead.
Michigan's Heisman-contending RB Blake Corum showed no signs of slowing down his monstrous junior campaign. The Wolverines' offensive superstar scored his 30th career TD while running for 103 yards in the first half.
Defensively, U-M held the Huskers to 103 yards, including 56 yards pass & 47 rushing. If you don't count QB scrambles, the Huskers have 14 rushing yards.
Here are three reactions to the Big Ten matchup at halftime.
Michigan is trying its best to incorporate the deep ball, but it might be time to look elsewhere
McCarthy continues to miss on deep balls -- but whether it's his fault remains in question.
McCarthy threw deep balls to Andrel Anthony, Cornelius Johnson, and Ronnie Bell in the first half. The throw to Anthony had too much on it, while Johnson's went threw his hands, though it was no easy catch. And Bell couldn't get any separation despite good ball placement from McCarthy.
Michigan continues to have no deep passing game despite a QB whose arm talent is unquestionably capable of it. McCarthy's had deep accuracy issues throughout the season, but it may be time to try something new.
Jim Harbaugh recruited one of his best wide receiver classes in 2022. Two of them -- Amorion Walker & Darrius Clemons -- happen to be 6-foot-3-plus with blazing speed.
Against a bad Nebraska team, why not see what you have?
Because, through 9.5 games, the current group hasn't proven to be effective downfield.
Nebraska offense is a one-man show, and now he's hurt
Without starting QB Casey Thompson, who's out due to an elbow injury, Chubba Purdy got the nod under center for the Huskers.
Despite consistent pressure & good coverage, Purdy found a way to use his legs down the stretch in the second half. Nebraska's offense didn't have a rusher with more than 11 yards besides Purdy.
As the offense's only effective weapon so far, Purdy tried extending a play & ended up taking a hard hit from U-M S Rod Moore.
Purdy exited and didn't return.
Without Purdy, Nebraska will have to rely on third-string QB Logan Smothers to keep them in it.
Michigan displays miserable clock management as the half expires
Michigan had the final possession of the half and, with under a minute left & all three timeouts, ran eight plays before using its first timeout.
As you could probably guess, Harbaugh settled for a Jake Moody 30-yard field goal as the half ended.
Rather than trying to find the end zone and take a 21-3 lead into the half, it's a 17-3 lead for the Wolverines, who will receive the second-half kickoff.
---
Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards
Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer
Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @BrandonJustice_, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @DavisMoseley, @lucasreimink
Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify
Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube
Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram
