Michigan Football: State Of The Program Following Non-Conference Play

The Michigan Wolverines have completed the non-conference portion of their schedule, and now we have a little bit of insight into what this program is.

Leading up to the 2023 season, most analysts were united on a handful of things regarding the Michigan Wolverines: the defense would be dominant, the offensive line would be elite, JJ McCarthy is the best quarterback in the Big Ten, and the running back tandem of Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards is the best in the country. 

Following three weeks against weaker non-conference opponents, do those assessments still hold true?

The Defense

Christopher Breiler

After three weeks, the Michigan defense is the only defense in the nation to have allowed just 1 touchdown in 12 quarters of play. The Wolverines rank No. 2 in total defense (222.3 YPG), and No. 1 scoring defense (5.33 PPG). The Michigan defense has held opponents scoreless in 9 or 12 quarters, and has given up a total of just 16 combined points against ECU, UNLV, and Bowling Green. 

Although critics will point to the level of competition during non-conference play, it's also worth noting that the Wolverines have been without two key starters in the secondary - corner Will Johnson and safety Rod Moore. 

Linebacker Junior Colson, Michigan's leading tackler from 2022, is once again setting the pace - leading the Wolverines with 15 total tackles through three weeks. Edge rusher Jaylen Harrell is leading the team in sacks with 2.5, while Mike Sainristil, Quinten Johnson, and Kris Jenkins (yes, Kris Jenkins) all have one interception each. 

So far, the Michigan defense is certainly living up to the preseason hype - and it's only expected to get better when Will Johnson and Rod Moore return to the lineup. 

The Offensive Line

Photo: Christopher Breiler

Jim Harbaugh once again turned to the transfer portal to bring in veteran talent for his offensive line. He secured the commitments of Myles Hinton (tackle) and Drake Nugent (center) from Stanford, along with LaDarius Henderson (tackle/guard) from Arizona State. Both Hinton and Nugent earned starting roles during fall camp and have remained starters through the early season.  

As a unit, the offensive line has been one of the best in the country when it comes to pass protection, allowing just one sack through three weeks. However, the rushing offense isn't anywhere near where most expected it would be following non-conference play - ranking No. 68 in the nation at this point in the season. In 2022, the Wolverines finished the season averaging 238.9 rushing YPG. Through the first three weeks of the 2023 season, that number has dropped to 156.7 rushing YPG.

Although the rushing issues aren't entirely on the offensive line, it's clear that the unit will need to make significant improvements moving forward for the Wolverines to have any shot at playing for a national championship. 

JJ McCarthy

Christopher Breiler

JJ McCarthy was sensational through the first two weeks of the season, completing 48-of-55 attempts for 558 yards, 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. His completion percentage of over 87 percent was No. 1 in the nation, and his name continued to move up mock NFL Draft boards as the days progressed. 

For as good as he looked during the first two weeks, McCarthy's performance against Bowling Green last Saturday was one of his worst in a Michigan uniform.  Although he completed 8-of-13 attempts for 143 yards and two touchdowns, McCarthy also threw three interceptions in plus-territory. The first interception was a bad read, while the other two interceptions were simply the result of poor throws.

Despite the poor performance on Saturday, McCarthy still ranks No. 1 in touchdown passes (7), completion percentage (82.4), and QB efficiency (194.1) within the Big Ten conference. 

Overall, McCarthy has certainly proven he's one of the top quarterbacks in the conference over the last three weeks - but he's also proven that there's still plenty of room for growth moving forward. 

The Rushing Attack

Christopher Breiler

The Michigan rushing attack hasn't looked the way most expected prior to the season. With an NFL-caliber offensive line leading the charge, the expectation was that Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards would be dominant through the early non-conference schedule. There's a lot of words you could use to describe Michigan's rushing attack so far, but 'dominant' definitely isn't one of them.  

Corum, the 2022 Big Ten running back of the year, currently ranks No. 6 in the conference with 254 yards (84.7 YPG) through three weeks. His 6.9 yards per carry are good for No. 5 within the conference, and he leads all backs in the Big Ten with 6 TDs. 

Edwards, on the other hand, has had a bit of a slower start to the season. After leading the conference in 2022 with 7.1 yards per carry and capturing the Big Ten Championship MVP, Edwards is currently averaging just 3.6 yards per carry on 27 attempts - with 96 total rushing yards through three weeks.

After finishing the 2022 season ranked within the top five nationally, Michigan's rushing offense ranks No. 68 in the nation through the first three weeks - averaging 156.7 yards per game. In order for the Wolverines to win a third-straight conference championship and have any shot at capturing a national championship, they'll need the production from both Corum and Edwards to increase significantly in the coming weeks. 

The Wide Receivers 

Christopher Breiler

Senior wideout Roman Wilson has been one of the top receivers in the country during the early part of the season. In fact, Wilson is currently tied for No. 1 in the nation in TD receptions with six on the season. Fellow wideout Cornelius Johnson is averaging 74.7 receiving yards per game, good for No. 2 overall within the Big Ten conference. 

Both wideouts have proven that they can make big-time plays when their numbers are called, and there's no doubt that their numbers will be called frequently as conference play begins this weekend. 

Conclusion

Christopher Breiler

It's easy to be captivated by some of the big time numbers you see from other college football programs around the country. Whether it's putting 80+ points on the scoreboard, or a QB that averages nearly 500 yards per game through the air, the Michigan-brand of football can often leave fans feeling conflicted - even after a convincing win. 

The reality is that Michigan isn't all that interested in putting up gaudy numbers, and head coach Jim Harbaugh has made that abundantly clear. The ultimate mission for the Wolverines is to win, remain healthy, and advance to the next week with all of their goals intact. To that end, Michigan has done exactly what it needed to do during non-conference play. 

There's no question that Michigan needs to improve in certain areas as the weeks progress, but the same can be said for essentially every other national championship contender around the country at this point. At the end of the day, the Wolverines are still a perfect 3-0, ranked No. 2 in the nation, and still control their destiny when it comes to winning the conference championship and playing for a national title. 

Put simply, the Michigan Football program is in a very good place after the first three weeks.