4 Downs: Michigan 49, Minnesota 24

The four biggest takeaways, notes, and anecdotes on the Wolverines' dominant performance in the season-opener.

First Down: A Historic First Half 
When you're the winningest program in the history of college football, it's tough to set new historic standards for excellence. But that's just what Michigan did in its very first half of the season that almost wasn't, setting a school-record for most points ever scored (35) in the first half against a ranked team in the AP Poll era (since 1936). Stop and think about that. Since 1936, the Wolverines have won three national titles and 27 Big Ten championships. And yet none of those teams accomplished what this one did on Saturday night. A team with a first-time starting quarterback, an offensive line minus four players now in the NFL, and an overhauled wide receiver unit. Not to mention the opponent was coming off its most wins since 1904. Oh, and the game started about as poorly as possible for Michigan, with a punt blocked that led to a quick 7-0 Minnesota lead. Yet after taking that punch, the Wolverines got right back off the mat to grab the momentum and never let go. 

Second Down: 'Speed in Space' Fully Realized 
As Michigan began pulling away Saturday night, I tweeted this:

We have so much speed and athleticism on the field, that Milton is just not required to do five step drops and sit back there and read a defense. There’s so much open space, and so much speed on the field, that you’re seeing what speed in space is really all about now.

— MichiganPodcast (@MichiganPodcast) October 25, 2020

This is the first roster entirely recruited by Jim Harbaugh, so the talent and depth is there. This is also year two of offensive coordinator Josh Gattis' modernization of the Michigan offense, so the timing and precision should be improved. What happens when you put these two things together? An offensive explosion of more than seven yards per play, including seven different players with at least one rushing attempt and nine different receivers catching passes. Six Wolverines also recorded a big play (20+ yards). Of course, much of this wouldn't have been possible without the job offensive line coach Ed Warinner did getting a young and revamped offensive line ready to go. They created the space for the speed to exploit. 

Third Down: Impressive Debuts Abound  
Harbaugh recruits seeing their first meaningful action made impacts on both sides of the ball. Viper Michael Barrett was one of the players of the game, with a key fumble recovery, a 66-yard kickoff that set up a touchdown, and a sack and 1.5 tackles-for-loss. Joe Milton had a passer rating of 169 in his first start, something his predecessor only accomplished twice against ranked teams in two seasons. A fumble Michigan recovered aside, Blake Corum ran with speed and authority. Gemon Green had two PBUs and looked like he belonged at cornerback. German import Julius Welschof got in on his first sack. And although several players on Michigan's rebooted offensive line have extensive experience, that quintet had yet to play together. All they did on their virgin voyage was pave the way for a balanced attack, which finished with 253 yards on the ground and 225 yards through the air. The early returns on Harbaugh's talent evaluation and development are promising. 

Fourth Down: Message Sender 
The Chicago Tribune ranked Michigan sixth in its preseason Big Ten power ratings. The Wolverines received their lowest ranking in the preseason AP Poll since Harbaugh's first season. Urban Meyer said on the Big Ten Network that Penn State was Ohio State's primary threat in the Big Ten East this season. Minnesota was a chic upset pick by many public pundits and handicappers. Heck, I also thought there was a good chance the Gophers were going to win. Prior to kickoff, it was clear conventional wisdom had determined Michigan's window under Harbaugh had closed, or was at least closing. Well, reports of the Wolverines' demise appear to have been greatly exaggerated. The Wolverines turned heads and sent a message with their most lopsided margin of victory against a ranked opponent in a season-opener in the AP Poll era (again, since 1936). That's right, even eclipsing the 24-point demolition of No. 8 Colorado to kickoff the 1997 national title dream season. That's not to say that this season will end up like that one did, though we obviously won't complain if it does. 

However, the message coming out of Saturday night is clear -- the Michigan program under Harbaugh has not plateaued. And it is capable of reinventing itself to take another shot at finally scaling the heights expected when Harbaugh was hired almost six years ago.