For everything that went right for Michigan in its rout of Indiana last week, there was one play -- one play call -- that made Jim Harbaugh throw up his arms on the sideline.
With the Wolverines leading 38-7 in the third quarter, J.J. McCarthy took a big hit trying to run for a first down on 3rd and 12 deep in Indiana territory. It was a needless risk for Michigan's most important player, which is why Harbaugh says McCarthy shouldn't have had the option of keeping the ball in the first place: "That play shouldn't have been called."
He talked it out later with co-offensive coordinator and play-caller Sherrone Moore.
"That was the one that bothered me the most in the game," Harbaugh said Tuesday on 97.1 The Ticket. "Sherrone and I talked about it. J.J.'s not a guy you have to talk into anything. You do have to pull him back sometimes. We called a play that was a bubble or a quarterback draw. That's J.J.'s decision whether to throw the bubble or run the draw, but it's third and 12 and I could tell right away that he's not going to get it and just prefer that he would go down."
Instead, McCarthy got walloped trying to spin out of a tackle and looked a little shaken when he came to his feet. No coincidence that QB2 Jake Tuttle took over for the rest of the game.
"I think that's more of a coaching thing," said Harbaugh. "In that situation, in that game, up that many points, don't put him in that situation because J.J., in his mind, 'It's third and 10, I gotta go get the first down for the team.' That's a point where you gotta pull him back. And the only way to pull him back is not to call that play, don't give him that play call in that situation. So, that was on us. We know J.J. That play shouldn't have been called."
If and when Michigan mounts a sizable lead on Michigan State this Saturday at Spartan Stadium, expect Harbaugh to either pull McCarthy or keep him out of harm's way. Ditto the next week against Purdue. The No. 2 Wolverines need him at full strength heading into their final three games at No. 7 Penn State, at Maryland and against No. 3 Ohio State.
McCarthy is first in the country in total quarterback rating (92.6), a tick ahead of Washington's Michael Penix Jr., and second in both passing efficiency (to LSU's Jayden Daniels) and completion rate (to Oregon's Bo Nix).
"J.J. is a once-in-a-generation quarterback," Harbaugh said Monday. "He has shown to be on a path to be the best quarterback in Michigan history. Going forward, J.J. will be the quarterback that all future quarterbacks are compared to."
And safe to say, he won't be exposed to hits when he doesn't need to take them.
