Behind Enemy Lines: Michigan

The Terps (6-4) come into Saturday's game versus No. 3 Michigan (10-0) with positive momentum after ending a four-game losing skid with a 13-10 walk-off road win over Nebraska to become bowl eligible for a third straight season.

The Terps played Michigan close last year in Ann Arbor, losing by just a touchdown. Senior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa will look to carry the Terps over the hump this year and finally get Maryland that elusive win over a top-10 opponent.

Michigan, meanwhile, will be without head coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline once again this Saturday in College Park. Still, that didn't seem to phase the Wolverines last week as their top-ranked defense held Penn State to just 15 points in a road win over the Nittany Lions.

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TSR went in depth with Maize & Blue Review staff writer Brock Heilig to get some perspective on the Wolverines and his thoughts on Saturday's matchup between Maryland and Michigan.

How big of an impact is the Harbaugh sign-stealing scandal having on the team? How are things different on game day with Sherrone Moore serving as the interim head coach?

The whole sign-stealing scandal has had a tremendous impact on Michigan, as it would on any team. However, I'm not convinced the impact has been entirely negative. Michigan could have folded like a lawn chair last week when it was told roughly 90 minutes prior to kickoff that Jim Harbaugh wouldn't be on the sidelines. Instead, the Wolverines were galvanized by the adversity, and they rallied to defeat Penn State 24-15. The team has done a relatively solid job of ignoring the outside noise from the media and just focusing on football, but some players have admitted that, obviously, it’s impossible to block all of it out.

Now that we know Jim Harbaugh won’t be on the sidelines for the remainder of the regular season, things will change for the two remaining games Michigan has left. Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Sherrone Moore did a fantastic job taking over the role of head coach last week. This week, though, he’ll have more time to think over his duties as the acting head coach. Moore mentioned during the course of the week that many things operate like normal without Harbaugh in attendance. Moore still makes adjustments with the offensive line during timeouts, and he still calls plays on Saturdays. Overall, it’s not a huge change in the operation when Harbaugh isn’t there.

JJ McCarthy currently ranks second nationally in passing efficiency. What is it that makes him so good within the Michigan offense?

What makes McCarthy so efficient is the well-roundedness of Michigan’s offensive attack. The Wolverines can beat their opponents in so many different ways. Throughout the season, we’ve seen a 300-plus-yard, four-touchdown performance from McCarthy, and we’ve also seen a 60-yard, no-touchdown day.

Michigan can beat teams in so many different ways. If defenses want to load the box and stop the run, McCarthy will attack through the air, finding weapons like Roman Wilson, Cornelius Johnson and Colston Loveland. On the flip side, if teams want to sit back and guard against McCarthy’s arm, Michigan will have no problem running the ball 40-plus times like it did last week against Penn State. Teams are forced to respect every aspect of Michigan’s offense, which allows Moore and the Wolverines to attack in essentially whichever method they choose.

Additionally, McCarthy is just a really talented quarterback. His athleticism combined with arm talent makes him an incredibly tough guard for opposing defenses.

Who are some other offensive playmakers Maryland fans should know about?

Well, it starts with Roman Wilson. The senior has caught 10 of McCarthy’s 18 touchdown passes this season. Although he was held without a catch for the first time all season last week in Happy Valley, he’s still the No. 1 wide receiver target and should be someone Maryland fans keep an eye on.

Donovan Edwards is someone Maryland fans are likely familiar with. Two years ago, during Michigan’s most recent trip to College Park, Edwards broke out for 170 yards and a touchdown on 10 receptions. Edwards has had a relatively quiet 2023 season — he has just three touchdowns on the year — but he had his best game of the season against the Nittany Lions last week, so he could be rounding into form.

Michigan obviously comes into Saturday's game with the top-ranked defense in the country. How has Jesse Minter been able to turn this defense into such a dominant unit in such a short period of time?

I think it’s important to note that the defense was borderline elite prior to Minter’s arrival. Mike MacDonald, who is now with the Baltimore Ravens, was Michigan’s DC in 2021 as he helped the Wolverines to their first College Football Playoff appearance.

But Minter has done a fantastic job building on the foundation that MacDonald laid. What makes Minter so special are his second-half adjustments.

Whatever points opponents are going to score against Michigan, they better do so in the first half, because Minter is known for holding teams to almost no points in the second half. In fact, Michigan has yet to allow a single point in the third quarter this season.

Plus, Michigan has really talented players on the defensive side of the ball. Minter’s schemes work, but the bulk of the credit should be given to a deep, talented Michigan defense.

Who are some playmakers on the Michigan defense that Maryland fans should keep an eye out for?

Some defensive players to keep an eye on in this matchup include EDGEs Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell. With Taulia Tagovailoa’s elusiveness, Michigan’s defensive line is going to be key in this game. Defensive line coach Mike Elston talked about on Tuesday how the goal will be to make Tagovailoa escape the pocket deep and wide rather than stepping up and scrambling up the middle.

With that being said, linebacker Junior Colson could play a key role in Saturday’s matchup. I would never be mistaken for a football savant, but I would expect Michigan to use Colson — or any other linebacker; I just think Colson is the quickest and most talented — as a spy on Tagovailoa. One way this game could get dicey for Michigan is if Tagovailoa continually escapes the pocket and runs wild on the Michigan defense. If Colson is used as a spy, that could prevent things from getting questionable.

How do you see this one playing out? Who wins and why? Include a score prediction.

I have full faith in Minter to put together a fantastic game plan to keep Tagovailoa and the Maryland offense in check. In the end, I just don’t think Maryland has the talent to compete with Michigan at this point in time. Although the Terrapins hung around in the Big House last season, Maryland appears to be a much better team in September than it is in November.

Many teams in this position could get caught looking ahead toward next week's gigantic showdown, but I think this team is far too mature to let that happen.

Maryland might score first, but Michigan asserts its dominance in the end. It’s a business trip for the Wolverines, which will head back home undefeated to take on an undefeated Buckeyes team for a spot in the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff on the line.

Michigan 41, Maryland 10

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