We dive deep into the individual matchups of Michigan's 42-21 blowout win over Maryland on Saturday.
Key Moment of the Game:
Michigan led 10-7 with just 16 seconds left in the first half, before junior quarterback Shea Patterson took the snap from Maryland's 22-yard line and instantly scanned the field for an open receiver.
He scrambled to his left and side-armed a pass to freshman wideout Ronnie Bell, who appeared to be on the verge of getting lit up by senior safety Darnell Savage.
Savage completely whiffed, though, and instead flew into redshirt junior cornerback Marcus Lewis, causing both players to fall down and Bell to freely stumble into the end zone.
The score gave the Wolverines a 10-point lead and some breathing room, and the Terrapins never really threatened again from that point on.
Three Things That Worked:
1. The defense
This is seemingly the story every week, but Michigan's defense was dominant once again. It held Maryland to 220 yards of offense, including 42 in the first half.
2. Patterson's effectiveness
The junior quarterback continues to impress as he threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns, with the former being the most he has compiled in a Michigan uniform. Patterson is now completing 68.8 percent of his passes on the year, and may just be the MVP of the entire team.
3. Momentum
Michigan's winning streak has reached five games, and the Wolverines are playing with plenty of confidence heading into arguably their most important stretch of the year — Wisconsin, at Michigan State and Penn State. U-M will have a chance to prove itself as a legit Big Ten and perhaps even College Football Playoff contender over the next four weeks.
