ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The nonconference schedule is not supposed to mean noncompetitive, but that's how things have worked out for Michigan this season in terms of its opponents the first three weeks.
There are a few ways to look at this. The No. 4 Wolverines have broken in new starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who won the job after his performance in the opener. They have used the blowouts to get players on the field who might not have had the chance to get game reps — seven quarterbacks played Saturday against Connecticut — and they've gained confidence flexing their muscles in games they should dominate.
But you can also legitimately wonder just how good this team is as the Big Ten season is about to begin.
Michigan built a 38-0 first-half lead against UConn, a team that has suffered injuries to a number of key players. Behind running back Blake Corum's five touchdowns, the Wolverines improved to 3-0 with a 59-0 win on Saturday at Michigan Stadium. They have outscored opponents 103-0 in the first half this season and 166-17 overall.
Corum tied a single-game program record shared by Ron Johnson (1968) and Hassan Haskins, who had five touchdowns against Ohio State last season. Donovan Edwards, part of the 1-2 punch at running back, was not in uniform for the game and was sidelined because of an unspecified injury suffered last week against Hawaii.
McCarthy, making his second start after competing with returning starter Cade McNamara, was 15-of-18 passing for 214 yards against the Huskies. McNamara came in briefly during the final seconds of the first half and was sacked on the first play. He also took a big hit on an incomplete pass and was not on the sideline in the second half.
A.J. Henning scored on a 61-yard punt return, freshman quarterback Alex Orji scored on a 10-yard run, backup quarterback Alan Bowman connected with tailback Leon Franklin for a 20-yard score, and Jake Moody added a field goal. Michigan had 465 total yards of offense.
Michigan's defense was stifling in the shutout, holding the Huskies to 110 yards. Connecticut reached Michigan territory only once with just more than three minutes left in the first half and failed to convert on fourth down. The Huskies had six three-and-outs and turned the ball over twice on downs.
The Wolverines' defensive players have talked since the preseason about generating more turnovers, and they had a couple near-miss interceptions in the first half. George Rooks gave them a spark with a recovered fumble in the first quarter, giving Michigan the ball at the UConn 22-yard line. The Wolverines came away with a 26-yard field goal by Moody.
Jay Harbaugh, Michigan's special teams coordinator, has received plenty of praise the last few years for his work making the Wolverines' unit among the most feared. Along with the Henning punt return, Caden Kolesar blocked a punt that was picked up by Kalel Mullings and advanced to UConn's 18-yard line. Corum scored his third touchdown on that drive. Brad Robbins was credited with a 62-yard punt that was downed on the Huskies' 4-yard line.
Michigan opens the Big Ten next Saturday against Maryland at Michigan Stadium, the Wolverines' fourth straight home game. The Terrapins have a prolific offense and will offer Michigan's defense its first real test of the season. Michigan then has back-to-back road games against Iowa and Indiana.
The Wolverines will have an opportunity this week to heal injuries. Offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart, who started the season opener at left tackle for Ryan Hayes, was held out for precautionary reasons and has not played since suffering an ankle injury. Left guard Trevor Keegan left the Connecticut game in the first half and was in street clothes during the second half.
