Turning point: Michigan football’s win against Minnesota
The Little Brown Jug will spend another year with a winning program. The Michigan Wolverines beat the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 52-10, to keep its undefeated season alive.
This game was a mismatch from the jump. Yes, Minnesota kept their foot in the door with a touchdown late in the first half, but realistically that was just for show.
The ‘turning point’ for Saturday’s game came on just the second play from scrimmage. Will Johnson jumped an out route and returned it 37 yards for the game’s opening score. Michigan dropped into zone coverage, with Johnson playing a deep zone with his hips facing inside. Minnesota ran play action, and targeted a 12-yard out into Johnson’s zone. He recognized the route combo, and jumped in front of it to snatch an easy interception. A better throw might have saved the pick, but Johnson would have delivered a devastating blow regardless.
I’ll concede the point that the game was not over at that point in time, but it certainly set the tone for the rest of the contest with the exception of a handful of running plays and the touchdown pass. Michigan stayed in the driver’s seat for the first half, but really sent things spiraling in the third quarter when Keon Sabb housed another pick.
52-10 is a blowout — especially when McCarthy did not play a snap in the fourth quarter. Had Michigan kept their foot on the gas for 60 minutes, the score could have got well into the 70s.
This game, along with the performance against Nebraska, should set the tone for the Wolverines’ season. Michigan has stepped into the shoes of a national title contender and won’t be leaving anytime soon. The college football world does not have a clear-cut No. 1 team, but Michigan has just as strong a case as anyone else.
