Why McCarthy is Ready to Lead Wolverines

Harbaugh has another game to go before deciding between the former five-star recruit and returning starter Cade McNamara, but the challenger is improved in one very important area

J.J. McCarthy crosses the goal line on his 20-yard touchdown run against Colorado State in the opener.

Photo Courtesy of University of Michigan Photography

By STEVE KORNACKI

ANN ARBOR – What this whole Michigan quarterback decision comes down to is this: J.J. McCarthy is ready to lead the team as a sophomore.

And after watching McCarthy come off the bench to turn heads and score points in Saturday’s season-opening 51-7 win over Colorado State, I asked Wolverine coach Jim Harbaugh if slowing down the game was the greatest improvement he’s seen from the ultra-talented McCarthy.

“I would say that,” Harbaugh said. “I think you hit the nail right on the head. I think it’s slowing down. Really good players have that ability to do that, you know. They’re feeding off a real adrenaline there, but things slow down around them, the game slows down around them.

“It’s calmly going through your reads and looking for the downfield throw. But you’re not going to fight the dropping defenders, and check it down. He did that a couple times very effectively today.”

Senior captain Cade McNamara got the start and performed fairly well, but Harbaugh decided recently that McCarthy would start next Saturday against Hawaii. Then he will pick the starting quarterback for the season prior to the third game here against Connecticut.

“However it shakes out,” McNamara said after Saturday’s game, “that’s just how it’s going to be…I think coach mentioned that he didn’t want to do the switching this year.”

McNamara, who last year led the Wolverines to their first Big Ten championship in 17 years, leaned back in his chair before saying that. He was getting peppered with questions about having to earn the position he owned last year, with McCarthy getting significant action off the bench.

It was an uneasy spot to be in.

“I’d definitely say it’s pretty unusual,” McNamara said of the two-game auditions to start. “It was kind of a thing I wasn’t expecting at the end of camp. I thought I had my best camp. I thought I put myself in a good position. But that was just the decision coach went with.”

Did he think he was ahead going into preseason camp?

“I was confident in the way I performed over camp,” said McNamara. “Definitely felt that way. But it’s just not my decision. So, whatever it is, whatever my role is, I’m honored that my teammates recognized me for the role that I have currently (as captain).

“I mean, it’s been fine. This is sort of something that I’ve been dealing with (going back to battling Joe Milton for the starting position earlier in his career). At this point, I have a callus made on how to deal with these things.”

He was visibly miffed but didn’t lose his cool. McNamara probably could’ve handled it better, and could’ve also handled it worse. But if you put yourself in his position, you probably would’ve handled it about like he did.

McNamara let it be known he wasn’t pleased, but didn’t level any ultimatums should the job not go to him.

McCarthy entered with 6:48 to play in the third quarter and Michigan up, 30-0.

He handed off for an 18-yard gain by freshman tailback C.J. Stokes, and on the next play McCarthy put on a show. He ran around left end and down the sideline – displaying both his quick feet and elite speed – to take the ball 20 yards into the end zone. The Ram defenders seemed to be playing at a slower speed.

“It was a designed quarterback read-option,” said Harbaugh. “It was good. I don’t think anybody laid a hand on him. He’s got that electric-type of ability when he’s running with the football, and I thought he acquitted himself very well.”

On the next possession, McCarthy ran for 18 yards on the first play. Two plays later, he ran for 12 more. He had three carries for 50 yards and completed all four pass attempts for 30 yards.

Seven runs or passes for 80 yards. That’s production.

“He was electric when he got in,” Harbaugh said. “No question about that. I thought that he also went through his reads very well. He’s just playing real super calm, cool, collected. He’s been conveying that he’s greatly [improved] and doing a great job, too. He really improved a lot as you would expect from going from your freshman year to your sophomore year.”

It was just one game against a poor team, but exhibited the difference between the Michigan quarterbacks.

McCarthy can win you games, while McNamara proved last year that he can lead you to wins.

McNamara didn’t have a carry, and completed 9-of-18 passes for 136 yards with a 61-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson.

“I thought he was really good,” Harbaugh said of McNamara. “He had a couple balls that were dropped, but just very good in executing. No issues. You’ve got to give credit to the quarterback as well when that’s taking place on offense, moving the football, score points, and I thought he had a really good game.

“I thought things were operating real smooth in the first half.”

McNamara’s self-assessment: “It was a clean game. We had one penalty. We had no turnovers. There was some stuff that didn’t go our way, but thought we handled it pretty well.

“Building off of this, I think it was first-game stuff. I missed a couple targets. We had a couple drops. It just looked like a first game on the offensive side of the ball. So, we’ve definitely got to clean that up, and I’m going to be a part of that.”

McNamara threw for 2,576 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2021, running 37 times for 26 yards and one score. McCarthy came off the bench to throw for 516 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions, running 27 times for 124 yards and two scores.

The skill sets of the two quarterbacks haven’t changed since last year, but the way McCarthy can handle the pace of a game has. He’s ready.

That’s likely to be the difference for Harbaugh in deciding between them.

He was asked about managing a situation that is going to leave the backup quarterback more than a little unhappy.

“I don’t feel like I have to manage it,” said Harbaugh. “They’re both tremendous competitors and both are warriors. I don’t feel like I’ve got to manage anything. I’ve just got to let them go out there and compete, and do what they do.”

Harbaugh has said he will evaluate them in three categories:

Who can make all the throws?

Who is the best playmaker?

Who is the best field general?

It’s clear that McCarthy has the edge I the first two categories, and he’s closing on the third one.

I feel for McNamara if this doesn’t go his way, but it’s a long season. It generally takes two quarterbacks to win championships and situations have a way of working out in their own time.

If McNamara really is that good, he’ll be impossible to unseat.

If he isn’t, McNamara will be waiting in the wings.

Either way, it’s a good problem to have.

Wolverine quarterback Cade McNamara looks downfield on a pass play Saturday against the Rams.

Photo Courtesy of University of Michigan Photography