Setting expectations for Michigan football offense against Nebraska

The Wolverines, who are ranked 2nd nationally with a 4-0 record, are one of the only teams in the nation to win all of their games by at least two touchdowns heading into Week 5. Still, the Michigan football offense is yet to score more than 35 points in a single game and has seen its fair share of ups and downs thus far. Before the Maize and Blue clash with Nebraska this weekend, let’s set some reasonable expectations for JJ McCarthy & Co.

Setting expectations for Michigan football offense against Nebraska

Rushing the football could be tough

Nebraska has a solid rushing defense (ranked No. 1) with a horrible passing defense, one of the worst red zone defenses in the nation, and more. With the new clock rules, Michigan is not going to be scoring a whole lot — Trevor Keegan said so earlier this week.

“Most people don’t realize how the clock rules have changed college football,” Trevor Keegan said after Michigan football blew Rutgers out of the water last weekend. “I mean, we had I think four drives in the first half. And if you don’t score on one, it’s gonna affect something. But if you’re not breaking out these long runs, you’re not gonna be rushing for 300 yards anymore. It’ll dwell on the guys a little bit that we’re not rushing for 300 yards, but those days of that, they are gonna be over just because the clock rules by itself.”

So, with Michigan football entering Big Ten play, the Wolverines’ “boring” style of offense may become even more so as the clock continues to roll.

More trick plays against Nebraska?

Earlier this week, Sherrone Moore (Michigan’s OC) expressed his excitement about trick plays. We don’t know of or when more trickery is coming, but Moore hinted at a few more shots for JJ McCarthy and the offense, perhaps as soon as this weekend at Nebraska.

“I love trick plays,” Sherrone Moore said. “The kids love it. At the end of the day, it’s just like they’re in the backyard. So when you see the excitement when you present it to them, it makes you even happier. Can’t really tell you when I decide to call those plays. But those are going to be a part of what we do. It’s fun. And then it tests the eye discipline of the team that we’re playing.”

Michigan football sticking to blue-collar roots

The Michigan football offense has been throwing the ball more than usual to this point in the season, though with Big Ten play fully underway, Sherrone Moore also insists that the Wolverines are staying true to their blue-collar roots.

“I think that’s who Michigan is — built on blue-collar, built on toughness,” Sherrone Moore explained. “I’m not going to comment or speculate on anything that he (Ryan Day) said. I just know who we are and what we want to do. I know that’s what people see. And if they don’t see it, our job as we play is to show them. So that’s what we pride ourselves on and we’re just gonna continue to build ourselves that way.”

JJ McCarthy looking to stay hot

Michigan football QB JJ McCarthy had a pretty bad game against Bowling Green in Week 3 — a performance that he insists was used as fuel during his impressive bounce-back performance against Rutgers last weekend. Jim Harbaugh said last week that JJ would not let one bad game define his season, and if Rutgers was any indication, Harbaugh’s claim is holding true. This weekend, we’ll see if McCarthy can continue to use his bad game as fuel.

“I definitely used that as fuel this past week, just kind of bounced back,” JJ McCarthy said this week. “And the biggest thing I learned from it is not to put so much pressure on myself. Like, going into that game, I’ve just put an unrealistic expectation for that game, and when one thing went wrong, the pressure — I really felt it, and I’ve never felt that before. Those games — you’re gonna learn so much more from those than just going out there, throwing four touchdowns and 400 yards, so it was honestly a blessing in disguise, and it’s in the past now. Not worried about it at all.”

Jim Harbaugh says Michigan is planning for Nebraska’s interesting defense

Jim Harbaugh also noted Nebraska having the top-ranked run defense in the nation, and it sounds like Michigan is planning accordingly.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s just the planning of it,” the 9th-year Michigan football head coach said. “And, you know, recognizing how they’re doing that. They’re good. They’re really good at playing multiple fronts, and multiple schemes. So, it’s going to be an important week of planning and preparation, and then we’ll go compete and try to execute to the best of our ability.”

Michigan football offense ranks middle-of-the-pack through four games

Heading into this weekend’s game at Nebraska, Michigan football has the 53rd-ranked scoring offense (31.8 points per game) and the 60th-ranked total offense (405.2 yards per game).

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