Michigan Wolverines: Top 3 Takeaways from Week 12

The joke is on me for saying the Michigan drama was over after they dropped their lawsuit against the Big Ten. As new evidence emerged off the field, the Wolverines traveled to ‘The Shell’ to take on the Maryland Terrapins. Michigan held on for a 31-24 win as they escaped College Park and will host Ohio State next week.

Here are three takeaways about Michigan’s narrow win.

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Maybe Sign Stealing Helps

Many people toned down the impact of knowing the other team’s plays and signals, but it seems that it was more important than people knew. Maryland, who won for the first time since September last weekend, gave Michigan a run for their money. Since the sign-stealing story broke, Michigan has been scoring fewer points and giving up more. 

Defense Still Stout

The Wolverines gave up some yards in the passing game and three touchdowns on the ground, but they are still a stout defense. They forced three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble) and scored a safety on an intentional grounding in the endzone. They held Maryland to 15 total rushing yards and sacked Taulia Tagovailoa four times.

What’s Wrong with J.J. McCarthy

J.J. McCarthy earned mid-season Heisman hype for his performance early in the season. However, over the last two games, he has struggled. Against Penn State, he only threw eight passes, including zero in the second half. In the win over Maryland, he completed just 12-of-23 passes for 141 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. McCarthy missed Roman Wilson, who was injured Saturday, but his performance is a far cry from where it was a month ago.

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