It's Monday morning, which means we've had over 40 hours to better process what we saw from Michigan Wolverines football in a 63-10 win over Northern Illinois Saturday afternoon and watch the film, before turning the page to Rutgers, U-M's first Big Ten opponent of the year.

In this edition of Monday Morning Quarterback, we examine the top aspects of Michigan's win, areas that weren't as up to par and break down position-by-position battles.

RELATED: Snap Counts, PFF Grades, Takeaways From Michigan's Win Over NIU

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This game was never really in doubt. We'll peg a moment that occurred before the game even began as the most key — the coin toss. Tails didn't fail, and Northern Illinois won the toss, before choosing to receive — not defer its choice to the second half.

The decision didn't pay off, with the Huskies going three-and-out to begin the game and Michigan's offense scoring on the ensuing possession. To begin the second half, already up 35-3, the Wolverines scored on their first drive to make it 42-3.

No, the decision didn't cost the Huskies the game — no one thing did in such a lopsided affair — but it didn't help its already thin chances.

Way more than three things worked for Michigan in this one, but here is the trio that stood out the most...

1. Blake Corum And The Ground Game

Second-year freshman running back Blake Corum, the nation's leader in rushing scores with seven, scored three touchdowns for the second straight week (13 carries for 125 yards) and rushed for over 100 yards for the third consecutive outing.

The Wolverines' rushing attack as a whole continues to roll. The Maize and Blue lead the nation in rushing yards per game (350.3), and the Huskies didn't provide much resistance Saturday, allowing 373 yards on the ground.

2. Pass Coverage

NIU redshirt junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi was limited to 9-of-17 passing for 44 yards and no touchdowns with one interception, thanks in large part to the tight coverage by the Michigan defensive backs and linebackers. Michigan posted a PFF coverage grade of 79.1, the team's highest mark through three weeks.

Redshirt sophomore cornerback Gemon Green notched the Wolverines' first interception of the season on a tipped ball in the third quarter,

3. Balanced Offense

Head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed that Michigan had a goal heading into the game — to both run and pass for over 200 yards.

Mission accomplished.

One week after passing it just 15 times for 44 yards, the Wolverines opened up the offense a bit, taking some deep shots down the field, culminating in an 87-yard connection between redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara and sophomore wideout Cornelius Johnson.

Having a solid passing attack is a prerequisite for beating the better teams on the schedule (Wisconsin, Penn State, Ohio State), and while it's not perfect yet, the Wolverines took a step forward against NIU.

1. Completely Shutting Down NIU's Run Game

NIU rushed for 162 yards on 36 carries (4.5 yards per rush). While 45 of those came on one Lombardi run, the Wolverines could've been better against the Huskies' rushing attack, considering the competition level.

On a positive note, NIU second-year freshman running back Harrison Waylee was held to just 34 yards on 12 carries, after coming in ranked third nationally in rushing yards per game (161.5).

2. Second Drive For The Defense

This ties along with the previous section in that Michigan allowed the Huskies to march 71 yards down the field on their second drive of the game. Fifty one of NIU's yards on the possession came on the ground. Michigan's defensive line got pushed back on multiple of those plays, one of the few negatives for the game.

Ultimately, the Maize and Blue tightened up in the red zone and forced the Huskies to settle for a field goal.

3. Pass Rush

We still have no clue how junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson wasn't credited with a sack when he stopped Lombardi for a half-yard loss early in the third quarter (see clip below) ... But technically, Michigan didn't notch a sack or quarterback hurry in this game, after registering five of the former and 11 of the latter in the first two games combined.

The Maize and Blue could've put some more pressure on Lombardi, especially considering the NIU's offensive line ranked 110th in pass blocking entering Saturday, per PFF.

Michigan's Offensive Line vs. NIU's Front Seven

The Wolverines' offensive line once again put on a stellar display, creating big holes for Corum Haskins and others to run through — and 373 rushing yards speaks for itself. In pass protection, Michigan yielded two quarterback hurries and no sacks, and routinely gave McNamara and freshman signal-caller J.J. McCarthy plenty of time to throw.

NIU's Offensive Line vs. Michigan's Front Seven

We mentioned some of the 'struggles' against the rush above, and we'd describe Michigan's front seven as productive but not overly disruptive in this game. Zero tackles for loss or sacks stands out, but they largely did their job.

Michigan's Pass Catchers vs. NIU's Secondary

The Wolverines were able to hit some intermediate routes early in the game, before firing some deep balls a bit later and hitting on the aforementioned one from McNamara to Johnson. The Wolverines totaled 233 yards through the air on 12 receptions (19.4 yards per catch). The wideouts, running backs and tight ends were all involved in the pass game, and seven different receivers caught the 12 completions — a good balance.

NIU's Pass Catchers vs. Michigan's Secondary

Michigan's secondary was lights out, yielding just 44 yards through the air and picking off one ball. There was virtually zero separation between the receivers and defensive backs, and the Wolverines notched three pass breakups.

Quarterbacks

McNamara and McCarthy outshined Lombardi by a wide margin, with the Wolverine duo combining to go 12-of-17 for 233 yards and one score, while Lombardi completed 9 of 17 throws for just 44 yards with one interception. Lombardi also rushed for 72 yards on seven carries.

Running Backs

Michigan had three different running backs — Corum, Haskins and freshman Donovan Edwards — who enjoyed multi-touchdown games. The Wolverines were able to churn out 7.8 yards per carry and have their way with the NIU defense. Meanwhile, Waylee and Co. were shut down. The Huskie running backs combined for 90 yards on 28 carries (3.2 yards per rush).

Special Teams

In his debut at the position, Michigan second-year freshman A.J. Henning impressed at punt returner, returning five for 76 yards, and Wolverine junior kicker Jake Moody booted seven touchbacks on kickoffs. NIU redshirt sophomore punter John Richardson was called upon seven times, averaging 48.3 yards per punt with a long of 55 and no pins inside the 20-yard line.

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