Offense Notes: Michigan Effectively Opens Up Passing Game In Wisconsin Win

When the nation's top rushing defense faces off with the country's No. 5 ground offense, who wins?

Well, the Wolverines gained just 2.5 yards per carry, with their longest running being an eight-yard gain. The Badgers certainly got the better end of the run-game matchup, but the Maize and Blue were able to come out on top, 38-17, because of an element that has long been questioned this season — redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara's ability to execute and win the game through the air against a high-level defense.

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Michigan had thrown just 16.3 times per game entering Saturday's contest, the fourth-lowest mark in the country, but McNamara proved he's capable of making big throws in critical spots, finishing 17-of-28 passing (61 percent) for 197 yards and two scores — and doing so without the help of a dominant rushing attack.

Despite the lack of success on the ground, the Wolverines didn't abandon the run altogether. They still rushed 44 times compared to 30 passes, had just one negative rush and totaled 112 yards on the ground.

U-M was timely through the air, though, with six of their nine third-down conversions coming by way of McNamara's arm. One of those was a 13-yard touchdown toss to sophomore wideout Cornelius Johnson to go up 29-10 with 9:34 remaining before the two hooked up on the two-point conversion, effectively sealing the victory.

“I knew going into this game it would be difficult to run the ball," McNamara said. "I accepted the challenge, and we got the [win]. Next.”

"We really believe in our quarterbacks," head coach Jim Harbaugh added. "We believe in our receivers and our tight ends. We believe we can throw the ball well; we believe we can run the ball well, so we’re going to do both. [There are] two ways to travel."

The signal-caller has now thrown 152 passes without an interception, continuing his clean play with few mistakes. The offensive line helped keep him off the turf, yielding no sacks despite Wisconsin averaging 3.3 per game coming in (tied for 22nd nationally). McNamara has not been sacked this season, and the Wolverines have allowed just one all year.

“My decision-making is something I take a lot of pride in," he said. "Going into this game, especially when you’re playing better teams, any momentum another team can get can be the difference in that game. Me taking care of the ball is my contribution to the team, in terms of us playing complementary football."

Michigan tinkered a bit in the second half, with freshman J.J. McCarthy beginning the third quarter and rotating in at times. He mostly ran read-option runs, keeping two of them for six yards, before he had a one-yard touchdown run on a quarterback sneak, the first rushing score of his career. But it was McNamara who was called upon to get it done in the pass game, and he passed the test with flying colors.

McNamara couldn't have made big-time throws without the help of his receivers, and after a few crucial drops early in the game, one in particular stepped up. Second-year freshman Roman Wilson registered game and career highs in catches (six) and receiving yards (81), and matched the longest catch of his career, 38 yards, for the second straight week.

Three of Wilson's grabs went for first downs, with one on a fourth down and another on a third down, helping keep the Wolverines' drives alive.

“It was a good game for me. It builds my confidence, and gives me a good idea of the things I’m going to expect leading on further into the season," Wilson noted afterwards. "It gets me more comfortable with the situations we’re in.”

Michigan had just 10 passing plays of 20 yards or more coming into the game, but was able to hit on three in this one, including the aforementioned 38-yarder to Wilson and a 34-yard touchdown hauled in by Johnson on a flea-flicker.

“The flea-flicker is something we’ve been practicing throughout camp," Johnson said after the game. "It was just something we had to bring out of our bag. We had to dig into our tool kit, and take out the right tool for the right moment. That one, we were able to execute.”

The third 20-plus-yard passing play was a dime by McCarthy to redshirt junior Daylen Baldwin for a 56-yard touchdown late in the game while Michigan began to pour it on.

• This game marked Michigan's first win at Wisconsin since 2001, snapping a five-game losing streak at Camp Randall.

• U-M's 38 points matched its total from a 38-13 victory over the Badgers in 2018. Prior to that game, the Wolverines hadn't scored 38 points or more against Wisconsin since a 41-3 win in 1990.

• U-M has now scored 38-plus points in eight Big Ten games since Josh Gattis took over as offensive coordinator before the 2019 campaign.

• U-M is 5-0 for the first time since 2016, when it won its first nine outings.

• Entering Saturday, the Wolverines were the only team in the country to not have turned the ball over. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alan Bowman registered the first turnover of the season, throwing an interception late in the game.

• U-M's 112 rushing yards matched the amount it posted last week against Rutgers and is tied for the lowest total of the year. The Wolverines have rushed for more than 100 yards in all five contests.

• The Wolverines went for four fourth downs and came up successful three times.

"I really felt like from the time we got here to the stadium early this morning, just walking around, talking to all the players, there was a vibe that they weren’t going to be denied," Harbaugh said. "Was going to give them every chance to attack. Wanted to bring that to life."

• U-M did not go three-and-out in this game. Its only drive consisting of three plays ended in a made field goal.

• McCarthy's touchdown pass to Baldwin marked the second time the two have connected for a score, and they were both big plays, with the first being a 69-yarder Sept. 4 against Western Michigan.

• U-M combined to run for 87 yards in its two straight losses to Wisconsin in 2019 and 2020. The Wolverines surpassed that total today, racking up 112 rushing yards.

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