A look around the Internet at what they're saying about Michigan football following the Wolverines' 47-14 win over Western Michigan to kick off the 2021 season …
Chris Balas, TheWolverine: Notes, Quotes & Observations
• [Quarterback Cade] McNamara finished the game 9-of-11 passing for 136 yards and two scores, and while he won’t wow you with his arm strength, he just seems to put the ball in the right place. So many times over the last decade and a half Michigan quarterbacks haven’t had the touch on the deep ball, especially — McNamara put two right on the money to [wideout Ronnie] Bell, giving his receivers chances to make plays.
“I thought he played very efficient seeing the field well, making the right throws, all the right decisions. He moves our team,” [head coach Jim] Harbaugh said. “All the drives he’s been in … he’s about 66 percent. We score points when he’s out there, 14 of 21 [times].
But freshman J.J. McCarthy showed why many believe he might be the next Michigan great on a 69-yard touchdown pass to transfer Daylen Baldwin. He eluded pressure, stepped out of a tackle, kept a play alive and led his receiver open on the other side of the field.
One source told us recently, "this is the guy who is going to get them over the hump and beat Ohio State (one day)." That may or may not be true, but he showed poise and moxie in finishing 6-of-8 passing for 80 yards and a score, and throws a beautiful ball.
“I saw him get out of the pocket. I was hoping he wasn’t going to hold it much longer, then he did … took a hit,” Harbaugh said.
“I don’t ever want to make him a victim of overcoaching. Throwing back, running to your right, throwing to your left … he’s got that in him. He’s got that creativity in him, and I’m not going to coach that out of him. He’s come a long way, going through his reads in a very short time. I thought he was cool in the pocket. You saw him step up in the pocket, climb the pocket, got a couple completions.”
John Borton, TheWolverine.com: Wolverine Watch — A Somber Bell Amid The Joy
In short, Michigan’s opening day proved perfect.
Well … almost perfect.
One Wolverine left the stadium not in triumph, but torn by the vagaries of a game that shifts from crescendo to cruel in a millisecond.
Junior wideout Ronnie Bell stood ready to enjoy the season of his life. Voted captain, Bell toiled for Michigan spurred by fury, last year’s stumbles motivating him to ring somebody else’s bell.
He stood beyond motivated, he insisted. He burned with anger over 2020, and all the slights emanating from it. He and his teammates were going to prove everyone wrong, shut everyone up.
“I demand my respect!” he smoldered.
Bell strode onto the field ready to secure it, like a grizzly snatching a salmon. He plucked a deep ball one-handed from redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara, the scintillating snag waved off by an iffy offensive penalty flag.
The laundry stayed put moments later, when Bell broke away on a 76-yard TD bomb from McNamara. Bell then bolted 31 yards on a punt return, seeming ready to set sail on a special season.
But he went down, and he didn’t get up. When he tried, he went back down. He eventually left Michigan Stadium on the injury cart, looking not angry, but crestfallen.
A knee injury ushered him from sizzling to sidelined in a heartbeat.
“I’m just worried about Ronnie Bell right now,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said. “We’ll get an MRI tonight and find out the severity of the injury … our prayers are with Ronnie right now.”
Everyone will be at full attention next Saturday night when Washington comes to Ann Arbor, and I guarantee it won’t be anything like [the season-opening blowout]. That said, don’t downplay how important this was for Jim Harbaugh and his team. The Broncos are a worthy MAC foe with a fast-paced offense and an experienced quarterback in Kaleb Eleby. A tight game would have been understandable, although concerning for the Wolverines. Instead, they unveiled a deep batch of receivers and backs and a disciplined defense under first-time coordinator Mike Macdonald.
It was a festive day with 109,295 fans in the stands for the first time in two years, but when it was over, it was over.
“We haven’t done a damn thing,” said Aidan Hutchinson, who was all over the field. “We’re all moved on, ready for Washington, ready for the next opportunities.”
That’s what was notable after last season’s debacle. The Wolverines looked ready, not confused, not tentative, not slow-starting. They scored on six of their first seven possessions, popping it open on a 76-yard touchdown pass from Cade McNamara to Ronnie Bell. That was the big break, and it led to a crushing break. Bell, a senior captain, injured his right leg a few minutes later on a 31-yard punt return and was carted to the locker room. Michigan was awaiting MRI results but as Harbaugh said, “You hope for the best and expect the worst.”
That’s sort of how fans viewed Michigan’s games the past year or so, and among other things, that beaten-down culture has to change. There’s no ambiguity about what the Wolverines are trying to do with their revamped coaching staff and amped-up mentality. Minimize mistakes, maximize the ground game, play much, much more physically.
The curiosity surrounding Cade McNamara exceeds the hype, and that should continue for at least another week after he authored a solid, but unspectacular performance Saturday.
McNamara simply did what he was asked to do, distributing to five different players while completing nine of 11 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
McNamara’s supporting role was confirmed in the first quarter, when two of Michigan’s first three third-down plays were runs.
Still, he helped keep Michigan on schedule and occasionally contributed a big play against Western Michigan's overmatched defense.
Case in point: A 76-yard touchdown pass to receiver Ronnie Bell, who defeated single coverage while running a go route. McNamara hit Bell in stride as the Wolverines seized a 17-7 lead in the second quarter.
Soon thereafter, McNamara again retreated into the background before turning the offense over to J.J. McCarthy midway through the third quarter.
McCarthy’s appearance will cause some to question whether McNamara will remain the starter as the season progresses. McCarthy's athletic 69-yard touchdown pass to Daylen Baldwin will certainly tickle the imagination of those who believe the freshman has a higher trajectory. But that seems premature. Michigan needs to prepare for contingencies and McCarthy, the backup, had yet to play a down at the college level so his cameo Saturday was necessary.
David Cobb, CBS Sports: Live Updates, Week One
The loss of leading receiver Ronnie Bell in the first half is going to sting. But if you're a Michigan fan looking for good vibes from an easy opener, it was a good showing from the QBs. Cade McNamara goes a cool 9-of-11 with two TDs, and 5-star true freshman J.J. McCarthy gets a little bit of late run. McCarthy looked really good in garbage time, too, as Jim Harbaugh/Josh Gattis let him throw it around a little bit. Sure, this TD toss was on a broken play, but it shows his arm strength and awareness. Huge game against Washington up next for Michigan.
Brendan Roose, Michigan Daily: After shaky start, pass defense settles in against Western Michigan
At first, it looked as if nothing had changed.
On Western Michigan’s first drive against the Michigan football team on Saturday, it had no trouble picking apart defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald’s “new-look” defense. On the first play, a receiver found himself open on a crossing route but dropped the open pass. Moments later, senior cornerback Gemon Green — the team’s strongest corner in 2020 — got beat over-the-top for a 28-yard gain. As the Wolverines continued to struggle in coverage, the Broncos easily marched down the field and quickly evened the score at seven.
But somewhere en route to Michigan’s 47-14 thumping of Western Michigan, those problems dissipated. As if spurred by the possibility that significant struggles could derail the entire season, the Wolverines’ defensive backs glued themselves to opposing wideouts and paralyzed the Broncos’ initially lively passing game. Those seven points on the first drive ended up as their only non-garbage-time points of the game.
“I thought (Macdonald) did a great job mixing the coverages,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Right before the second half, (he) started going to more of a two-high shell as we were stopping the run and playing more coverage, which made their quarterback hold the ball a little bit longer, and we were able to apply some pressure.”
Those adjustments made an immediate impact. After forfeiting 89 yards and 8-for-12 passing in the first quarter, Michigan held Western Michigan to just one completion for no gain on six attempts in the second quarter. In total, the Wolverines allowed 11 completions for 102 yards in the final three quarters.
Central to that improvement was junior Daxton Hill, who played mostly as a nickel corner after starting as a deep safety last season. Playing closer to the line of scrimmage, Hill was more regularly involved in the pass defense and used his athleticism not just to disrupt passes that went his way, but also to disguise coverages and confuse Broncos quarterback Kaleb Eleby. Even when he looked beat, Hill managed to make plays, such as late in the third quarter when he dove to break up a pass over the middle near midfield.
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