Michigan Wolverines football disposed of Minnesota, 49-24, on Saturday night to begin the season with a bang.
Here's a look around the internet at what they're saying about the Maize and Blue kicking off the season with a big victory:
RELATED: Best And Worst From Michigan Football's Blowout Of Minnesota
Chris Balas, The Wolverine: Michigan 49, Minnesota 24: Notes, Quotes & Observations
A Big 12 track meet.
That’s what Michigan’s 49-24 win over Minnesota looked like in the first half, and — as always — there were a few eye openers and unexpected, pleasant surprises (and disappointments) in the opener.
Nobody, however, should complain about a 49-24 victory, on the road against a ranked team. They’ve been few and far between in the Jim Harbaugh era, but there was a sense that this team might be different. They talked about the lack of egos, the togetherness …
And, of course, they all talked about Joe Milton and his big arm.
It was Milton’s decision making, though, and his poise that was on display in this one, and it was stunning in its presentation. Many thought he’d wind up and hit the deep ball, ask a few of his speedy receivers to get behind the defense and chuck it. The game plan, though, was much more intricate and detailed, designed to make the redshirt sophomore quarterback comfortable and develop a rhythm.
It couldn’t have gone much better.
“Joe was great,” Harbaugh said of his signal-caller. “First time starting, on the road against a really good team, a top-25, ranked team, big Saturday night stage, the whole shebang … he was cool as a cucumber.
“I’ll tell you what — he handled everything with aplomb. His accuracy in the passing game, real command of the offense, and he ran with the football with authority and had great ball security. He just really, really played an outstanding game.”
Bob Wojnowski, The Detroit News: Milton shows he’s more than ready as Wolverines pummel Gophers
No one is sure what to expect in this pandemic season, and this was the first chance to see what the Wolverines have. The Big Ten already is shaken up, with Indiana stunning Penn State 36-35 in overtime. Michigan hosts Michigan State next week after the Spartans lost at home to Rutgers.
“I’m really proud of our team, I believe in them, I respect them, and I trust them,” Harbaugh said. “I just wanted them to go out there and let it rip, and they did that.”
The backs and receivers were so plentiful, it was hard for any individual to dominate. That was by design. Milton actually had the most carries (eight for 52 yards) and Ronnie Bell had the most receptions (four for 74). True freshmen Blake Corum, A.J. Henning and Roman Wilson all got involved.
“It feels great for me because I don’t have to do too much,” Milton said. “I got a lot of playmakers. Get those guys the ball because that’s what they’re there for.”
Milton has a smooth confidence he doesn’t feel the need to hide. His leadership qualities have been touted as a major reason he won the job, and precipitated the departure of Dylan McCaffrey.
“I did well, I executed the plays that were called,” Milton said. “I really didn’t have too much hiccups. I was comfortable in the pocket, the O-line did great. … I didn’t panic, and for a first start, I wasn’t scared. My touch was pretty outstanding; I was pretty impressed with myself.”
That’s been the question — could he take a little zip off his sizzling throws for better accuracy? — and he was probably tired of hearing it. It’s his biggest improvement, according to the coaches.
Michigan might be Ohio State's main competition
At least in the Big Ten East. It's the first weekend of the Big Ten season, so I don't want to get carried away with long-term takeaways, but Michigan was the only other team in the division to look impressive today. Penn State lost to Indiana, and while that's huge for Indiana, it feels more like the Hoosiers got away with one than anything. Then there were embarrassing losses by both Michigan State and Maryland. Of course, I suppose you can say Rutgers looks like a threat after the way it beat Michigan State, but that feels like an amazing stretch.
Michigan, on the other hand, looked just as impressive as Ohio State. This isn't to say that Michigan is better than Ohio State — spoiler alert: nobody in the Big Ten is better than Ohio State — but early returns indicate that their rivalry game might be the most important one on the Big Ten schedule this season.
People inside the program have insisted Milton — a Florida native who has improved daily since enrolling early in 2018 — was ready to lead [Josh] Gattis’ offense. He was confident enough. Comfortable enough. Good enough. At times, it sounded like a bunch of people trying to convince themselves all of this was accurate. Other times, they sounded absolutely sure of it. Looking back, it was probably more of the latter.
The first play of the game made Milton nervous. Everything after that was just football and, for Milton, a long time coming. He got emotional once, tearing up in the locker room just before taking the field — for the first time — as the true leader of Michigan’s program. Above all, he executed. And for Harbaugh’s Wolverines, this could change an awful lot.
Milton’s ability to be used within all facets of the run game while presenting a mobile passing option that’s fluid underneath and potentially lethal over the top was on display Saturday night. The first-time starter threw for 225 yards and a touchdown with a 68 percent completion rate and accounted for an additional 52 yards (plus another score) on the ground. Everything Gattis has wanted to do since he arrived at Michigan has centered on finding true balance — with a quarterback who could keep defenses “in conflict.”
“[It was] time to prove to the world who I am and what I can do,” Milton said afterward. “I felt happy that I was playing.”
In Milton, Gattis has a wild card Michigan didn’t have last season. Whether Milton was or wasn’t ready at the time makes no difference today. Because he is ready now. And Michigan’s offense does have the potential to be the type of unit that can help the Wolverines keep pace with anyone. If Harbaugh’s program has missed anything over the previous five years, it’s that.
We entered the postponed 2020 Big Ten season thinking that Penn State was going to be Ohio State’s biggest challenger in the East.
It took hours for that notion to get thrown flat on its face.
It was easy to think that Saturday night was going to be a disaster for Michigan. The Wolverines’ opening possession ended with a blocked punt that Minnesota capitalized on with a TD two plays later. But RB Zach Charbonnet quickly tied the game with a 70-yard score and the rout was on from there.
It was easy to overlook Michigan in the Big Ten this year because of the team’s track record under Harbaugh, a new QB and four new offensive line starters. The Wolverines haven’t lost fewer than three games in any of his five previous seasons. And with an Ohio State team that Harbaugh has been unable to beat and a top-10 Penn State that had won two of its last three games against Michigan, why was 2020 going to be any different than 2019 or 2018 or 2016?
We still can’t say for sure that it will be. After watching Penn State fumble both literally and mentally against Indiana, there’s a convincing case to be made that Michigan is still the biggest threat to Ohio State on that side of the conference.
Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press: Joe Milton, Michigan football look good in crushing Minnesota, 49-24
Offensive Line Takes Over
Michigan has had impressive performances on the ground over the past few years. This ranks among the best, considering the context. The Wolverines were replacing four of five starters along the offensive line. They didn't have spring practices and had a shorter-than-usual fall camp. But this unit looked like it has been playing together for years.
Michigan ran the ball at will. The Wolverines broke two explosive runs, with a 70-yard touchdown from Zach Charbonnet and a 66-yarder from Hassan Haskins in the shadow of their own end zone. Before garbage time, Michigan's run game nearly averaged 10 yards per carry. It is difficult to lose when a team controls the line of scrimmage like that. And it might've forced the hand of Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck, who called an unsuccessful fake punt deep in his own territory in the second quarter, and then unsuccessfully tried to convert a fourth-and-goal down 18 in the second half.
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