Michigan football offense should be careful throwing on Minnesota

This weekend, the Michigan football offense looks to break 40 points for the second time this season — the first time was at Nebraska last weekend. With JJ McCarthy and his Wolverines humming right now, the Golden Gophers should not be a challenge; however, Minnesota is a defense that the Wolverines should be careful with. Right now, the Gophers are 3rd in the nation in passes intercepted (eight picks through five games), which should keep Michigan on high alert before gunning balls into traffic.

Michigan football offense should be careful throwing on Minnesota

If Michigan football can avoid mental mistakes — the kind that we saw against Bowling Green in Week 3 — the Wolverines should be just fine. That said, Minnesota will quickly capitalize off of errors, meaning JJ McCarthy and the offense need to stay as close to perfect as possible on Saturday.

Through five games, Minnesota has picked off eight passes on 155 opposing passing attempts. While the Gophers’ total passing defense ranks toward the middle of the pack (77th nationally, 234.2 yards per game), Minnesota has been stellar at forcing mistakes.

The two defenders that Michigan football should look out for the most when JJ McCarthy drops back to throw are senior defensive back Jack Henderson and senior defensive back Tyler Nubin. Of the Gophers’ eight picks this year, five of them have come from Nubin (3) and Henderson (2). In Minnesota’s most recent game, a win over Lousiana, both Henderson and Nubin recorded an interception.

Again, I am not saying that the Michigan football offense should be worrying themselves into running the football more than it needs to; however, if the Wolverines are going to sling it around, JJ McCarthy needs to be on his A-game and avoid another Bowling Green-like performance.

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