In 2023, Michigan rode an excellent protection and an offense that would’ve been referred to as “third-and-J.J.” to a nationwide title. On Saturday, within the Massive Home, Quinn Ewers and the No. 3 Texas Longhorns gave the No. 10 Wolverines a style of their very own medication in a 31-12 throttling.
Ewers made mincemeat of a Michigan protection that did not look practically as intimidating as final season, doing most of his injury on third down.
Ewers completed the day finishing 6 of 9 third-down passes for 81 yards with two touchdowns. With Michigan bringing stress practically each time, Ewers stayed calm, let his offensive line do its job, and maneuvered within the pocket to purchase an additional second or bailed when wanted. Each time, he saved his eyes down the sector and both discovered the open goal for a primary or threw the ball away, avoiding a expensive error. It was a clinic.
It was additionally considerably vital. Whereas it improved within the second half because the Michigan protection wore down, Texas’ first-down offense wasn’t terrific. It averaged solely 4.5 yards per play earlier than halftime (it completed at 5.3), routinely placing the Longhorns in powerful spots on second and third downs. Penalties on the offensive line did not assist early, both — actually, one erased one other landing move on third down within the first quarter — nor did an harm to Jaydon Blue that made a Texas working again room that was already skinny even thinner. Fortunately for the Longhorns, Blue would return, however Texas’ run recreation by no means discovered a lot room general.
It was all eerily reminiscent. Final 12 months, Michigan floor its opponents to mud with early down run performs that picked up two or three yards, after which requested J.J. McCarthy to maintain the drive happening third down. He obliged far most of the time by posting a few of the greatest third-down passing numbers of any QB within the nation.
| J.J. McCarthy | 67.1 | 169.7 | 9.2 | 7.67 | 7.6 | 48.1 |
| FBS Common | 57.1 | 128.6 | 7.1 | 5.91 | 5.5 | 36.6 |
These performances by McCarthy at huge spots in huge video games helped flip him right into a top-10 choose within the NFL Draft, and Ewers may observe his lead there, too.
That is the second straight season Ewers went on the street and beat a prime workforce. Final 12 months, Ewers threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns to beat an Alabama workforce that received the SEC and reached the Faculty Soccer Playoff 34-24 within the second recreation of the season. This 12 months, he completed with 246 yards and three touchdowns in opposition to the workforce that received a nationwide title final 12 months, albeit a a lot totally different model of that workforce.
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Whereas it was not a one-man present — the offensive line was nice, the gameplan was impeccable, and the protection was suffocating — the whole lot on this sport begins and ends with the quarterback. Ewers is a participant who has repeatedly proven a capability to come back by means of in huge moments and maintain cool when there’s chaos round him. It is one thing each NFL workforce in want of a quarterback notices, and it is one thing groups that wish to win nationwide titles want.
If you happen to did not suppose Ewers and the Longhorns had been critical threats to win the SEC or the Faculty Soccer Playoff earlier than Saturday, you need to now.