It's Monday morning, which means we've had over 40 hours to watch the film and better process what we saw from Michigan Wolverines football (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) in a 38-17 win at Wisconsin.
We take a look at the top aspects of the Maize and Blue's win, areas they can clean up and break down position-by-position battles in this edition of "Monday Morning Quarterback."
RELATED: Michigan Wolverines Football Post-Game Podcast: Van Bergen And Borton
Key Moment Of The Game
Despite being down 13-10, Wisconsin had the momentum coming out of the halftime locker room after a late-first-half touchdown brought it within three points. The Badgers received the kickoff and had a chance to tie or take their first lead of the afternoon.
On 3rd and 9 with the ball on the Badger 26 yard line, Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald dialed up sophomore safety Daxton Hill on a blitz from the right side of the formation. Hill came through at full speed, wasn't picked up and slammed his shoulder into the ribs of junior quarterback Graham Mertz, who had completed 8 of his last 10 passes for one touchdown at that point. Mertz left the contest with a chest injury and did not return.
The momentum swung back into Michigan's favor from that point on, with the offense scoring on its first possession of the half, and the Wolverines were able to cruise to victory and jump around in celebration.
Three Things That Worked
1. Defense Wreaking Havoc
Michigan's defense had been steady through four games — not elite in any one category but top five nationally in points allowed per game because of its ability to get timely third-down and red zone stops.
Against Wisconsin, the Wolverines were flat-out explosive, posting a season-high six sacks, recovering a fumble, notching an interception and forcing seven three-and-outs.
Wisconsin converted on just three of its 14 third-down opportunities, gained only 3.8 yards per play overall and were held to just 43 rushing yards, the program's lowest total since 2015.
This was a dominant performance by the Maize and Blue defense.
2. Cade McNamara Taking The Game Into His Own Hands
All eyes were on McNamara entering this game. He had a rough second half against Rutgers and some other stretches of inconsistent play in the first four games, but he was aided by a great running game and didn't have to go out and win the game by himself. Against the Badgers' No. 1-ranked rushing defense that allowed just 23 yards per game in its first three, though, whether or not McNamara could make enough plays was going to be critical in determining the outcome.
Sure enough, it was, and he stepped up in a big way during his sixth career start, completing 17 of 28 pass attempts for 197 yards and two touchdowns, with six of his completions being third-down conversions.
While he wasn't sacked, McNamara faced some pressure in the pocket (almost going down once or twice) and was able to come up with big throws, completing 6 of 10 passes for 88 yards and one score when pressured, per PFF.
3. Fearlessness, Perseverance And Energy
There's so much to like about Michigan's performance Saturday, but this area can be credited for a lot of the fantastic play we saw. The Wolverines won as underdogs for the first time under head coach Jim Harbaugh, beating a (seemingly) quality opponent on the road in a tough environment that they haven't won at since 2001.
With a lot stacked against them coming in, the Maize and Blue "didn't flinch," Harbaugh said, and "weren't going to be denied." Even when momentum swung the Badgers' way, Michigan always had an answer. When Wisconsin played 'Jump Around' at the end of the third quarter, the Wolverines sang louder and leaped higher than any other group inside Camp Randall. Don't think the team's mentality, which seems different from the last couple years, didn't helped them advance to 5-0.
Three Things That Didn't Work
1. Popping Big Runs
Michigan has 30 runs of 10 or more yards this season. None of them came against Wisconsin.
It was tough sledding for the Wolverines' run game, which averaged 2.5 yards per carry and totaled 112 yards on 44 attempts. It was enough to keep the Wisconsin defense honest, but not enough to completely break the game open earlier.
2. The Squib Kick
After making a field goal to go up 10-3 with 27 seconds left in the first half, Michigan attempted a squib kick, which was mishandled and nearly turned over by Wisconsin, before it recovered at its own 37 yard line. While a 12-yard difference between where the Badgers would've taken over after a touchback doesn't sound like a lot, it completely changed their thinking, allowing them to be more aggressive. Mertz completed a 36-this yard pass to sophomore wideout Chimere Dike, then found Dike again for an 18-yard score with seven seconds to go. A head-scratching decision.
3. Dropped Passes
The Wolverines' passing attack was largely effective (see above), but it got off to a clunky start due to some drops. PFF only credited the receivers with three drops (still too many) — two by redshirt junior Daylen Baldwin and one by sophomore Cornelius Johnson — but we counted a few more contested ones that they should've come up with.
Position-By-Position Battles
Michigan's Offensive Line vs. Wisconsin's Front Seven
Michigan's offensive line allowed some pressure, recording a 68.8 PFF pass-rushing grade, but did not yield a sack against a strong Wisconsin defensive front. The Badgers were stout against the run, allowing 2.5 yards per carry, but only had one tackle behind the line of scrimmage.
Wisconsin's Offensive Line vs. Michigan's Front Seven
This is far from Wisconsin's best offensive lines over the last three decades, but it was still impressive the way the Wolverines pushed the Badgers around up front, notching seven tackles for loss, including six sacks. Per PFF, Wisconsin was pressured on 18 of its 30 drop backs. The most impressive thing the Maize and Blue did was blow up the Badger run game, which totaled 43 yards on the day.
Michigan's Pass-Catchers vs. Wisconsin's Secondary
Michigan's drops didn't tell the full story, with the receivers stepping up and making some nice catches. Wisconsin had some solid plays down field as well, totaling five pass breakups, but the Wolverine wideouts got enough separation to gain some chunk yardage on multiple occasions.
Wisconsin's Pass-Catchers vs. Michigan's Secondary
Dike made the two big catches at the end of the first half, and they were able to gain over 15 yards per reception and over seven yards per attempt — both numbers are not bad. Michigan's secondary was helped greatly by the successful pass rush, but also made two pass breakups and one interception by Hill.
Quarterbacks
McNamara made big plays as noted above, and freshman J.J. McCarthy got 10 snaps, running three times for seven yards and a 4th and goal quarterback sneak for a touchdown. Mertz completed 8 of 15 passes for 115 yards and one score before being knocked out of the game, and his replacement, junior Chase Wolf, connected on 3 of 8 attempts for 52 yards and one touchdown with one pick.
Running Backs
Neither team's running backs stood out, with Michigan redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins and second-year freshman Blake Corum combining for 93 yards on 34 attempts (2.7 yards per carry), while Wisconsin's heavily-rotated backs averaged 2.4 yards per attempt.
Special Teams
Michigan's special teams were an underrated aspect of the game. Not only did junior Jake Moody nail three field goals — a 26-yarder, 47-yarder and 48-yarder — but redshirt junior punter Brad Robbins pinned the Badgers inside their own 20 yard line three different times and redshirt freshman linebacker Joey Velazquez was able to recover a muffed punt, which served as the game's first turnover. Second-year freshman punt returner A.J. Henning also ripped off a 19-yard return.
Wisconsin senior Collin Larsch made his one field goal attempt from 34 yards out, and senior Andy Vujnovich punted eight times, averaging 44.9 yards per attempt, with a long of 55 yards and three pins inside the 20. The Badgers had no return yardage.
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