Written by: Case Conley
Week 2 was full of upsets. 4 ranked teams lost to unranked teams and 4 of the top 12 teams lost. 17 Wisconsin, 12 Florida, 6 Texas A&M, and 8 Notre Dame all lost at home and 9 Baylor lost in two overtimes in Provo to BYU. Amid the havoc this weekend, Michigan State won big and the Wolverines found the answer in the quarterback battle.
The Spartans pitched a shutout in the 52-0 win over Akron. The running game was fantastic with Jalen Berger running for 107 yards with 3 touchdowns and Jalen Broussard running for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns. The defense was elite as well, recovering 4 fumbles and holding the Zips to 26 total rushing yards. Jacoby Windmon continued his great start with 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery. One of the questions after the game is the meh start for Payton Thorne. He threw 2 interceptions and 0 touchdowns in week 2, missing a few throws for touchdowns to Keon Coleman and Jayden Reed. Another question will be the availability of Reed this weekend. He left the game at the end of the first half and came back in street clothes for the second. Mel Tucker said that “he is sore” and “will be ready when he’s ready.” The Spartans have their first test of the year as they head into Seattle to take on Washington on Saturday night.
JJ McCarthy impressed as Michigan defeated Hawai’i 56-10. McCarthy went 11/12 for 229 yards and 3 touchdowns. The run game was dominant as well running for 268 yards as a team with 5 different players scoring a rushing touchdown. The defense was very good forcing 7 three and outs and only allowing 113 passing yards. Jim Harbaugh said after the game that McCarthy earned the starting spot next week against Connecticut. The big question around Michigan now is about the level of competition. Colorado State, Hawai’i, and Connecticut have a combined record of 1-7 with the single win being an FCS win for UConn.
Notre Dame is going to start 0-2 for the first time since 2011 after an upset loss at home to Marshall 26-21. The Irish threw three interceptions including a pick-six that was the dagger with 4 minutes left in the game. The Thundering Herd controlled the line of scrimmage allowing for Khalan Laborn to run for 163 yards and a touchdown. Offensively, the Irish struggled to find a rhythm and any real consistency. The only success they had was spoon-feeding Michael Mayer who had 8 catches for 103 yards and running the ball with quarterback Tyler Buchner who scored 2 touchdowns on the ground. Buchner left the game in the 4th quarter and will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. In relief, backup Drew Pyne threw a touchdown and an interception. Marcus Freeman is the first coach in Notre Dame history to be 0-3 in their first 3 games. The Irish will have to bounce back quickly as they take on California in South Bend on Saturday afternoon.
Written by: Case Conley – Michigan Sports Network Intern
Photo Courtesy of: The Akron Beacon Journal
