What They're Saying: Michigan Football 63, Northern Illinois 10
A look around the internet at what they're saying after Michigan football's 63-10 blowout of Northern Illinois to cap a perfect non-conference slate.
Chris Balas, TheWolverine.com: Notes, Quotes & Observations
Again … don’t get giddy. There will be bigger tests, especially for the interior line against teams that will try to run it down their throats. But these guys play extremely well together, and it’s clear to [Jim] Harbaugh why that is.
“Talk about the morale of the players … you noticed it,” he said. “Guys were [saying], ‘get [walk-on Luke] Buckman in,’ or ‘get Jesse [Madden, another walk-on] in,’ one after the other. They really were excited to see their teammates get into the game.
“But I also see a really good morale amongst the coaching staff. The offensive staff is working great together and humming; same with the defensive staff. It’s really working well. There’s great camaraderie and great morale on both sides of the ball. Whether it’s coach to coach, player to coach, coach to player, it’s super encouraging.”
It takes talent, too, and there seems to be some top-end stuff, especially in the younger classes. The young talent on offense, in particular, really bodes well for the future.
Frosh quarterback J.J. McCarthy (4 for 6, 42 yards) throws a great — great — ball. Second-year freshman Corum looks like he could be Michigan’s best back since Mike Hart suited up from 2004-07, and he’s got his coach’s feet. His vision, patience and burst behind a line that’s playing really well together makes you wonder a few things – one, how much is a product of an improved line, and (fair or not) what might the backs have looked like the last few years if Hart had been coaching them?
Offensive lines, of course, get blamed for a lot when the running game doesn’t work, but there’s been some evidence that the holes might have been there — the backs just weren't finding them.
That’s not a problem anymore. The entire group looks much more patient, and the line has been better than anyone could have hoped through three games.
John Borton, TheWolverine.com: Wolverine Watch — More Ready Than Anyone Imagined
An NIU team that began the season winning at Georgia Tech became not-so-Husky road kill in The Big House. Its quarterback found out firsthand, these are not last year’s Wolverines.
Rocky Lombardi waltzed into Michigan Stadium a year ago with Michigan State, hurling throw after throw over the heads of a non-adjusting defense. He strode away with 323 yards passing, three touchdowns and a shocker of a win for his former team.
That was then. This is ow.
Lombardi looked as effective as current-day Vince Lombardi against Michigan’s reconfigured defense. He threw for all of 46 yards and one touchdown, that one long after the game — for all practical purposes — was in the books.
While the Wolverines were piling up a 35-3 halftime lead, Lombardi produced 20 passing yards, an 0-for-7 effort on third-down conversions and almost as many three-and-outs as completions.
Well, that’s NIU, not Michigan State, right? Right — a 2021 NIU team that upset the Yellow Jackets on the road, and a 2020 MSU crew that somehow wound up even worse last year (2-5) than Michigan (2-4).
Yes, the Wolverines still have plenty to prove, against the best teams in the Big Ten. But they’ve already proved something significant. All the lucky if they’re .500 gloom and doom carrying on for months leading up to the season amounted to as much hot air as you’d encounter on a hike through Death Valley.
Obviously, the road to success for this Michigan team starts with an offensive line that certainly seems capable of paving even good teams. But to beat the better ones, they’ll also need the kind of explosiveness we saw Saturday, both on the ground and through the air.
Sophomore tailback Blake Corum looks every bit the “shining star” Harbaugh was marveling at Saturday after another impressive day: 13 carries, 125 yards, three scores. [Cornelius] Johnson, meanwhile, looked like a viable No. 1 receiving target, which is imperative after the season-ending injury Ronnie Bell suffered in the opener. But we also saw more of highly-touted freshman Donovan Edwards on Saturday, and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis gave us a better glimpse of what’s possible with a burner like A.J. Henning, who added a much-needed jolt to the return game but also turned heads on offense with a reverse for 26 yards and a jet sweep that picked up 24 more.
“We have some serious playmakers on this team,” McNamara said, and he’s not wrong.
Michigan had just 10 plays of 30-plus yards on offense a year ago, albeit it in only six games with a COVID-shortened season. But through three games this season they’ve already matched that double-digit total. And the Wolverines have had eight plays of 50 yards or more, including three more Saturday, when they finished with 13 explosive plays in all — nine rushing, four passing.
Again, U-M has much to prove as it enters Big Ten play against Rutgers next week, followed by trips to Wisconsin and Nebraska. Ask almost anyone on the team and they will say as much.
Yet the progression — and potential ascension — isn't just about the passing game. Obviously, McNamara will have to convert high-leverage third downs in order for the Wolverines to beat the better teams on the schedule.
But those high-leverage moments will be a lot more manageable behind this offensive line and in conjunction with the defense. That unit, by the way, held one of the better backs in the country to 34 yards on 12 carries, and closeted Rocky Lombardi all afternoon, the same quarterback who lit up the Wolverines last season for Michigan State.
So, yeah, the defense is looking more promising by week. The offensive line continues to mash and gouge. The receivers show speed, especially Johnson and A.J. Henning, who looked slippery as the punt returner.
It’s relative, of course. Just remember that Michigan hasn’t made these kinds of games seem like a formality, lately.
If Week 1 was about getting a win by any means necessary and Week 2 was about formulating the ideal plan to beat a quality opponent, then Week 3 felt like it was designed to simulate how McNamara will play against the Big Ten. With approximately twice as many rushes as passes during McNamara's two quarters against NIU, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis flashed a realistic blueprint of how Michigan’s offense should function.
Everything starts with the run, and once again tailback Blake Corum exploded for 125 yards and three scores as a devastating change of pace behind the bruising Hassan Haskins. From there, Gattis sprinkled in a variety of throws and trick plays equal parts safe and productive — calls that never asked McNamara or the receivers to do too much while maintaining a chance at significant yardage if executed properly.
So McNamara threw a quick pass down the line of scrimmage to Baldwin that allowed the wideout to turn what was essentially a lateral into a 14-yard gain. He tapped a jet sweep-style push pass to receiver A.J. Henning that generated 24 yards. He fired two deep shots to Johnson when McNamara knew he had single coverage. He took one chance — on the seam pass to All — but placed the ball in a perfect location.
Anything Gattis could do to minimize risk, scheme his undermanned receivers open and maximize the yardage for McNamara worked to perfection against Northern Illinois. Can it work against better competition in the Big Ten?
That’s another question McNamara will have to answer.
Shehan Jeyarajah, CBS Sports: College football winners, losers, overreactions for Week 3
It's time to take Michigan schools seriously. … Michigan has also looked remarkably consistent on both sides of the ball. While the Wolverines haven't played anyone of particular note, they've taken care of business -- something that didn't always used to be the case under coach Jim Harbaugh. It certainly helped that Western Michigan, one of the Wolverines' previous opponents, upset Pitt on Saturday. Heck, even Northern Illinois' win over Georgia Tech in the opener earned some credibility after the Yellow Jackets took Clemson to the brink.
Will the Big Ten championship run through the state of Michigan? Probably not. Regardless, both teams have done enough through three weeks that they deserve to be taken seriously. Their battle on Oct. 30 will be one of the best fights for the Paul Bunyan Trophy in years.
Paul Myerburg, USA Today: College football winners and losers from Week 3
Michigan's first three games have painted the Wolverines as a legitimate contender for the Big Ten championship and the New Year's Six. UM wrapped up non-conference play with a 63-10 win against Northern Illinois keyed by another powerful performance on the ground. Four players gained at least 40 yards, three scored at least twice and the offense at large went for 373 yards and eight touchdowns on 48 carries. That gives the Wolverines 1,056 rushing yards and 15 scores through three games.
ESPN.com: College Football Power Rankings after Week 3
17. Michigan Wolverines (3-0)
The Wolverines defense was stifling against Northern Illinois, only allowing 18 pass yards and 90 rush yards in the first half. Michigan led 35-3 after the first two quarters, and the offense looked much more balanced with quarterback Cade McNamara throwing 191 yards on eight completions in the first half. The Wolverines finished with 373 yards on the ground and eight touchdowns in the 63-10 win. The ground game has been impressive through the first three games with 1,076 rush yards on the season. -- Tom VanHaaren
Chip Patterson, CBS Sports: Tomorrow's Top 25 Today
20. Michigan (25 last week): There's only but so much adjustment you can do for opponent when the final margin is 53 points like it was against Northern Illinois. Michigan is thumping its foes right now, winning at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and looking like a worthy challenger in a stacked division that could have four top 25 teams heading into Week 4.
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