Newsstand: ESPN weighs in on Week 1 showing vs. East Carolina
The Michigan Wolverines walked out of the first week with a 30-3 win over East Carolina, and plenty were quick to notice the response to the Jim Harbaugh suspension and how J.J. McCarthy and players paid homage to him on Saturday.
ESPN’s David Hale weighed in on Saturday’s happenings in Ann Arbor:
“Michigan played its first of three games without head coach Jim Harbaugh, who is serving a self-imposed suspension, and his players let it be known they didn’t agree with it,” Hale said.
“On the first offensive possession of the game, the players lined up in his infamous train formation and held up four fingers — Harbaugh’s jersey number as a player. J.J. McCarthy even donned a “Free Harbaugh” shirt before and after the game (despite the far more emphatic message that would’ve been sent by simply playing the game wearing a pair of Dockers khakis), then told reporters after the win that he was eager to support his coach.
“But while Harbaugh was secluded from the action and (we assume) either calling recruits or researching crop circles on YouTube, his team thumped East Carolina 30-3 behind three passing TDs from McCarthy. With UNLV and Bowling Green on the docket before Harbaugh returns to the sideline, there’s a good chance Michigan would start 3-0 even with a magic eight ball calling plays, but the high-profile show of support certainly keeps the suspension — and the long saga with the NCAA that preceded it — front and center.”
Tweets of the day
Michigan quote of the day
One — a quarterback’s accuracy. It’s one thing to hit wide open receivers, as you’ll often see in games like these. It’s like playing catch. J.J. McCarthy’s throws into traffic and decisions were next level. When he had to scramble, he always had his eyed downfield. In short, he looked elite … like the “generational” quarterback head coach Jim Harbaugh called him.
We never would have guessed he’d throw 30 times in three quarters, but credit the play callers. As noted yesterday, the first 15 plays of each half are scripted, depending on the defense. It changed when they were backed up, of course, and started on the second possession. But when ECU committed to stopping the run, they went to play action and the passing game. Those are great adjustments from quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell and Co., filling in for suspended O.C. Sherrone Moore.
– The Wolverine’s Chris Balas on J.J. McCarthy and the passing offense
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