College football openers are a little like circus high-wire acts. They’re a whole lot more comfortable — albeit less thrilling — with a net.
Middle Tennessee State became the fiber that prevented any full plummet, dutifully bowing out with check in hand following a 40-21 loss. The Blue Raiders raided nothing but Michigan’s more-than-ample coffers, leaving the nation’s No. 7 team unscathed.
What more could anyone ask?
Well, plenty, if you want to get picky. Michigan turnovers set up a pair of MTSU touchdowns, and the Wolverines left a host of scoring opportunities outside the end zone. Defensively, U-M fell victim to throwback passes and didn’t limit the damage on sudden-change situations.
That’s what openers are all about. Michigan gets to tuck a 19-point win under its belt, and its coaches get to use the film as an ego-puncture to get more out of their team.
At a glance, the early impression minuses jump out. They included …
• A pair of short-field MTSU touchdowns, one following a fumble on their first play from scrimmage by senior quarterback Shea Patterson, another after a muffed punt by senior return man Lavert Hill.
• Hill also, agonizingly, let a sure pick-six tumble right through his fingers. He’s made infinitely tougher interceptions, but it was just one of those nights.
• A big-play TD against Michigan’s backups down the stretch, featuring shoddy tackling.
• A new offense finding its way, including a head-scratching sequence in the second half featuring revolving-door quarterbacks: Patterson at QB, redshirt sophomore Dylan McCaffrey splitting out at receiver, then the two reversing roles.
Doubling the chances of losing a top quarterback on any given play seems a little risky. Them running the football as much as they did — especially in a game well in hand — obviously makes new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis a firm believer in their durability.
