Backed up in its own end zone, Michigan ran three times and went nowhere on its first drive of the season. It scored on each of its next five, led by J.J. McCarthy's arm in a 30-3 rout of East Carolina at the Big House.
"Everyone saw what we did last year," McCarthy said. "We were smashing and pounding the football and doing our thing. And teams are going to prepare for that. Especially ECU, they just went all offseason trying to stop that. So it was just an opportunity for us as a pass game to capitalize."
There were legitimate doubts about Michigan's downfield passing attack for most of last season. There won't be any, at least for now, after McCarthy zipped the ball around the field and hit receivers in stride on Saturday. He completed 26 of 30 passes for three touchdowns, which is exactly where he stood last year through his first two starts combined.
This year, McCarthy is in total command of Michigan's offense. The shoulder injury and quarterback battle he faced at the beginning of last season are behind him, and he has more say than ever at the line of scrimmage. This is his team, and possibly his year. He looked as confident as ever on Saturday, especially when targeting speedy, NFL-bound receiver Roman Wilson, who caught all of McCarthy's touchdowns.
Compared to last year's opener, when "there was just a lot of resistance and stuff to push through," said McCarthy, "this one felt effortless. It felt uplifting every single snap. It felt like everything was going right, and it was a beautiful feeling."
At that moment, Wilson entered the interview room and approached the podium where McCarthy was sitting next to Blake Corum.
"And that man right there," said McCarthy, "is one of the most special players in the country. I'll say it right here, right now. There's not many DB's or corners of safeties, any of them, that can guard that guy. What he did today was just everything that I saw this offseason: gaining separation, making the tough catches, going up and getting it."
Wilson's best catch was his last, a leaping touchdown grab on a dart from McCarthy, who put it where only Wilson could get it. More throws like that will lift Michigan's heavy offense to new heights. McCarthy also used his feet when he needed to Saturday to evade pressure and make off-schedule plays, including on his first two touchdowns to Wilson. He said entering this season that he needs to use his legs more. That's one way to do it, while still making use of his arm.
Corum's legs looked fresh. So did his surgically-repaired knee. The Pirates were "dying trying" to stop the run, Corum said, and they did, to a degree. Corum still turned 10 carries into 77 yards and a touchdown, light work for a player who says there's "more to come." In the meantime, if defenses want to keep stacking the box and trying to plug every gap, "please," Corum invited them, "we'll keep throwing."
"Last year at the beginning of the season, people were like, 'They can't pass the ball,'" Corum said. "Yeah, we can. We're a complete team."
Through one game -- and that's all it is -- Michigan feels ahead of schedule from last season. The Wolverines already know they can run it down your throat. They're also showing they can throw it over your head. The obvious schedule caveat applies, and maybe none of this means anything until we get into Big Ten play, and not even then until Michigan visits Penn State in November.
But the Wolverines said they were striving for a more balanced offense this season. They stuck to the script Saturday, with an even run-pass split that exposed the defense wherever it was weak. Again: ECU. With UNLV and Bowling Green to come. But if Michigan wanted to make a statement in the opener, it did so by letting McCarthy's talent do the talking. The Wolverines are off and ... throwing.
"Whatever we need to do to move the ball down the field," McCarthy said. "If the (defense) knows the answer, we're just going to change the question."
