Harbaugh on McCarthy: 'We’ll start J.J. next week. He’s earned that by performance, by merit'

Wolverine coach chooses sophomore over senior captain and returning starter Cade McNamara following a 'near-flawless performance' in a 42-point first half Saturday night against Hawaii

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy on his 16-yard run Saturday night, when he wowed everyone by completing 11-of-12 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns.

Daryl Marshke Photo Courtesy of University of Michigan Photography

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – I went into Saturday night’s Michigan-Hawaii game with the intent of taking a coach’s perspective on choosing between J.J. McCarthy and Cade McNamara as the starting quarterback.

That’s the decision Jim Harbaugh said he would make before next Saturday’s home game with Connecticut.

I thought it would be difficult to pick between two bona-fide candidates.

Hey, McNamara started and basically led the Wolverines to 42 points one week against Ohio State and 42 the next week against Iowa to win the 2021 Big Ten Championship game.

He’s the captain, a proven winner.

But – after watching McCarthy literally and figuratively play with Hawaii -- this wasn’t even a tough call.

McCarthy is so much more dynamic, so much more of a headache for defensive coordinators, and so much more – period.

Harbaugh knew that to be so obvious after the 56-10 win over the Rainbow Warriors that he didn’t mince words in regard to McCarthy: “J.J. had a near-flawless performance…I thought he had a great game. We’ll start J.J. next week. He’s earned that by performance, by merit.”

He said J.J. began to pull away “two-and-a-half weeks ago” and “has really raised it [since] the last week of training camp.”

Harbaugh continued, “Every single day has been about as good as it could be.”

McCarthy wasn’t brought in for post-game interviews, but last week told reporters: “I just constantly felt like it was getting better every day, getting one to two to five percent better every single day. I was just so locked in on just myself and my improvement, and getting back from this [spring shoulder injury] and all that…I feel like I’m excelling with my guys and it’s been like that constantly.”

Picking McCarthy over McNamara reminded Harbaugh of 2012, when second-year talent Colin Kaepernick started when Alex Smith suffered a concussion and Kaepernick kept the job when Smith was cleared to play. Their San Francisco 49ers made it to the Super Bowl that season, losing to brother John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens. Kaepernick led the Niners to the NFC championship game the next season.

“They were both playing great,” Jim Harbaugh recalled. “We were 6-2 with Alex Smith and he was playing great ball…Then Colin got his start Monday night against Chicago and he lit it up. It’s not a matter of someone losing [the job].

“Like I’ve said earlier, I think we’ve got two really good quarterbacks, two starting quarterbacks, two championship quarterbacks. And a lot like that Monday night game that Colin played against the Bears, it looked a lot like what J.J. was able to be out there tonight.”    

McNamara is probably going to play in the NFL.

McCarthy is probably going to be a top five pick in the first round.

His third touchdown pass of the 42-0 first half was something to behold. He got flushed out of the pocket, took a few strides and threw off his front foot to the left corner of the end zone with a laser that resulted in a 17-yard score to Cornelius Johnson.

“Outstanding,” Harbaugh said of that play.

 But it was debatable if that was even his best throw.

That might have been his 54-yard post route toss to Johnson. He took on double coverage with the throw and put the ball right on the money, where only Johnson could catch it.

On the very next play, McCarthy threw a dart to Ronnie Bell for 13-yard score on a slant route off a play-action fake.

“He put a good ball right on the money,” Bell said. “All I had to do was hold onto it.

“He’s prepared and ready to go. He’s rolling.”

Then there was the 42-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson – who scored against his Honolulu hometown team – off a play-action fake on his first pass of the game. The play-action fake is a much more real defensive dilemma with the fleet McCarthy.

And how about his 33-yard pass to tailback Donovan Edwards that put Michigan on the 1-yard line, where Edwards then ran it in? McCarthy showed off his touch on that throw, dropping it in the peach basket for his talented sophomore classmate, who left with an injury that Harbaugh didn’t elaborate upon.

“It’s had to hit guys in stride in practice 50 yards downfield,” said Harbaugh. “He was definitely in the zone and it was great to see…It was phenomenal. A hell of a performance. It was a great night. Celebrate it and move on with a humble heart, and get ready for next week.”

McCarthy got good protection and didn’t have to scramble to pick up yards. He had one running play for a 16-yard gain. McCarthy took off around right end, and patted tight end Erick All on the back to let his lead blocker know where he was, allowing him to make the most effective block.

Even when he’s not carrying the ball, the threat of him doing so makes Michigan’s running game that much harder to defend.

“He can run around the defense – run through seams,” said Harbaugh. “As a defense, you have to account for that. You have to make sure somebody knows where he’s at. So, that pulls a defender away from the point of attack, even if he’s faking, carrying out a fake.”

Tailback Blake Corum, who got 88 yards on just nine carries, said of McCarthy, “He controlled the whole game. He’s confident.”

McCarthy drove his team to touchdowns on six of seven first-half possessions, and McNamara moved the team 21 yards on five plays in his only first-half action off the bench. Both played some in the second half of a blowout, but it was a game for the third- and fourth-string after halftime.

Their stats on the night:

McCarthy completed 11-of-12 (his only incompletion was a drop) for 229 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions, and had that one carry for 16 yards.

McNamara completed 4-of-6 passes for 26 yards with one interception, and was sacked twice for minus-17 yards.

When it was McCarthy coming off the bench last week against Colorado State, he had three runs and four passes (all completions) for 80 yards. McNamara completed half of his 18 passes for 136 yards and was sacked for an 8-yard loss on his only “carry.”

That was 11.42 yards per run or throw for J.J. and 7.15 yards per play for Cade against the Rams.

Any way you shake it, McCarthy won the two-game test to choose a starter.

“But I know the competitor Cade is,” said Harbaugh. “He’s got gravel in his gut and he’ll be ready for his next opportunity. That’s what I predict.”

But also know this: It’s a long season. Things happen. There are teams with one quarterback who won’t win because something happens to their starter. Michigan won’t be one of those teams.

They are geared to take on anybody.

Getting drubbed, 34-11, by Georgia in last year’s College Football Playoff provided the Wolverines the motivation to up their game this season. McCarthy will definitely help do that.

He’s also a leader. When Isaiah Gash scored Michigan’s final touchdown on a determined 38-yard run, McCarthy ran off the bench to be the first to congratulate him. I know there’s a lot more to leadership than that. But trust me. He will lead the Wolverines.

Enjoy the show.