Michigan Football: Five Observations From Win Over Maryland

Michigan entered Saturday’s matchup against Maryland as the heavy favorite, but the Terrapins certainly gave the Wolverines a battle from start to finish.

Michigan entered Saturday’s matchup against Maryland as the heavy favorite, but the Terrapins certainly gave the Wolverines a battle from start to finish. For Michigan, the win wasn't a result of explosive plays – no dominance in the run game, not many highlights from quarterback JJ McCarthy. Instead, the Wolverines won the game by making critical plays the unconventional way. A strip-sack for a fumble recovery that led to a touchdown, two big-time interceptions by Mike Sainristil, a punt by Tommy Doman that pinned Maryland deep with time running out, a punt block that led to a safety, and quarterback pressure by DT Cam Goode that led to another safety.

All in all, it was total team effort for the Wolverines – and the result was becoming the first team in college football history to reach 1,000 program wins.

Here are five key observations from Saturday’s win over Maryland:

Kenneth Grant

Photo: Christopher Breiler

The 6-3, 340 pound defensive tackle had another stellar performance, making critical plays late in the game that put the Maryland offense in a tough position that ultimately led to a safety. He finished the afternoon with three tackles and one sack, and proved once again that he’s a major problem for any opposing offense. After last season, Mazi Smith (who became a first-round draft pick and is now with the Dallas Cowboys) told me that KG was well on his way to becoming a dominant force at Michigan. Seems like a pretty spot on assessment at this point. 

JJ McCarthy

Photo: Christopher Breiler

There’s no doubt that McCarthy looked a little off on Saturday. He completed just over 50 percent of his passes (12-of-23), had no touchdowns and one interception. There’s also no doubt that he’s dealing with some sort of leg injury, although I don’t want to speculate on exactly what the injury could be. He was limping significantly during the game against Indiana, limping again during the road win over Penn State last weekend, and was certainly favoring his leg as he left the field after the win over Maryland. I’m not overly concerned about his performance against Maryland, and I fully expect that (if healthy) he’ll bounce back in a very big way this Saturday against the Buckeyes in Ann Arbor.

Mike Sainristil

Photo: Christopher Breiler

Mike Sainristil is a guy who seems to always make a big play just when Michigan needs it most. On Saturday, he came up with two massive interceptions that helped prevent Maryland from potentially taking the lead late in the game. Time and time again, Sainristil continues rise to the occasion at the most critical moments. Given the fact that his story in Ann Arbor isn’t yet complete, it feels a little early to start talking about his legacy at the University of Michigan. That being said, I have no doubts that he will be remembered as one of the all-time greats once it’s all said and done. High-character guy, a true leader in every sense of the word, and someone you can rely on week after week.

The Offensive Line

Photo: Christopher Breiler

This bar has been raised so significantly at the University of Michigan when it comes to the offensive line that it feels a little bit strange when they don’t perform at an elite level. This year’s offensive line unit is loaded with talent, but the dominance we’ve come to expect from the previous two seasons hasn’t quite been there. The rushing attack is a little more challenging, and we haven’t really seen either Blake Corum or Donovan Edwards presented with massive holes up front. This is a good group, a group that has several guys who will have their names called in the next NFL Draft. At the same time, they’ll need to perform better as a unit for the remainder of the season if they hope to play for a national championship.

Sherrone Moore

Photo: Christopher Breiler

Given the circumstances surrounding the last two weeks, I give offensive coordinator/o-line coach/acting head coach Sherrone Moore all the credit in the world. It’s never easy to lose a guy like Jim Harbaugh on Saturday’s, but Moore has done a phenomenal job stepping up to the plate and coaching Michigan to two consecutive victories during the most difficult stretch of the season.

That being said, the brand of football we’ve seen over the last two weeks with Moore leading the way has caused some concern regarding the upcoming matchup with Ohio State. Michigan has gone fairly one dimensional with its commitment to the rushing attack, and although it’s been effective at times, there are other times where the Wolverines are stalling out on drives. I’m not sure how much of what we’ve seen from this offense over the last two weeks has to do with a potential nagging injury to JJ McCarthy, but Michigan can’t afford to come up empty on multiple possessions against the Buckeyes on Saturday.