In 2023, Michigan rode an outstanding defense and an offense that could’ve been called “third-and-J.J.” to a national title. On Saturday, in the Big House, Quinn Ewers and the No. 3 Texas Longhorns gave the No. 10 Wolverines a taste of their own medicine in a 31-12 throttling.
Ewers made mincemeat of a Michigan defense that didn’t look nearly as intimidating as last season, doing most of his damage on third down.
Ewers finished the day completing 6 of 9 third-down passes for 81 yards with two touchdowns. With Michigan bringing pressure nearly every time, Ewers stayed calm, let his offensive line do its job, and maneuvered in the pocket to buy an extra second or bailed when needed. Every time, he kept his eyes down the field and either found the open target for a first or threw the ball away, avoiding a costly error. It was a clinic.
It was also somewhat necessary. While it improved in the second half as the Michigan defense wore down, Texas’ first-down offense wasn’t terrific. It averaged only 4.5 yards per play before halftime (it finished at 5.3), routinely putting the Longhorns in tough spots on second and third downs. Penalties on the offensive line didn’t help early, either — in fact, one erased another touchdown pass on third down in the first quarter — nor did an injury to Jaydon Blue that made a Texas running back room that was already thin even thinner. Thankfully for the Longhorns, Blue would return, but Texas’ run game never found much room overall.
It was all eerily reminiscent. Last year, Michigan ground its opponents to dust with early down run plays that picked up two or three yards, and then asked J.J. McCarthy to keep the drive going on third down. He obliged far more often than not by posting some of the best third-down…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/sec-cfp-hopefuls-take-note-quinn-ewers-brilliance-vs-michigan-makes-texas-a-bona-fide-contender/
Author : Tom Fornelli
Publish date : 2024-09-07 22:20:30
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