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Michigan football runs rampant over Northern Illinois, 63-10

Michael Cohen
Detroit Free Press

The makings of a trap game were there.

Wedged between the electrifying atmosphere of a primetime, nationally televised game against Washington and the anticipation of hosting Rutgers to begin Big Ten play next weekend was Saturday's sleepy noon kickoff against Northern Illinois, a 27-point underdog whose coach claimed to have intimate knowledge of Michigan football’s playbooks and whose quarterback stunned Ann Arbor while playing for Michigan State last season.

Yes, the chances of U-M succumbing to the Huskies were slim, even when framed through such a conspiratorial lens. But the opportunity for Northern Illinois to frustrate the Wolverines, to at least turn in the type of plucky performance capable of poking holes in the maize and blue armor was real. With Rocky Lombardi at quarterback and the nation’s third-leading rusher in tailback Harrison Waylee, the Huskies might have proved an adequate foil.

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Then the game began.

Within minutes, No. 25 Michigan initiated what amounted to a 60-minute bloodletting en route to a 63-10 victory.

Michigan running back Blake Corum runs against Northern Illinois during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021.

After forcing Northern Illinois into a three-and-out on the game’s opening possession, the Wolverines scored touchdowns on their first nine drives, blowing the game open by halftime and sending fans streaming toward the exits with 7:36 remaining in the third quarter. When it ended — after running back Blake Corum had 125 rushing yards and three scores, after quarterback Cade McNamara played only two quarters and after the U-M defense hogtied Waylee into 2.8 yards per carry — the scoreboard felt cartoonish.

"A lot of great things are going to happen when your players are playing as hard as they are," head coach Jim Harbaugh said. "Good things happen. Great energy. The ball finds it, whether that’s a defensive player or an offensive player. Playing as hard as you can, as fast as you can, never giving up. All those things I see in our team and the way they’re playing."

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Passing game alive and well

The aftermath of thoroughly one-sided — and thoroughly one-dimensional — victories against Western Michigan and Washington left Harbaugh open to criticism about the viability of U-M’s offense over the course of a season. Could the Wolverines, who entered Saturday among the top five rushing teams in the country, sustain a run-pass balance in which the latter only surfaced during leap years?

As if responding to those concerns — the only valid criticisms following two excellent performances — the Wolverines blended run and pass with aplomb against the sieve-like NIU defense. McNamara guided a well-oiled attack that ran more than it passed but proved ruthlessly effective when offensive coordinator Josh Gattis called for an occasional throw. McNamara was 8-for-11 passing for 191 yards and a touchdown before giving way to backup J.J. McCarthy.

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"Whatever team it is, that’s going to influence what we call and what we run," McNamara said. "And I think whatever is called, it’s our job to execute it no matter if it’s a run or a pass. We saw a weakness in Washington’s defense in running the ball and we took advantage of that weakness. And then this week, we saw a weakness in being able to take some shots, and we took advantage of that weakness this week."

Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara (12) slaps five with tight end Erick All (83) against Northern Illinois during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021.

Sprinkled among the slashing runs by Corum and fellow running back Hassan Haskins (nine carries, 56 yards) were several throws designed to add a vertical element. There were two deep shots to wide receiver Cornelius Johnson, the best perimeter receiver in the absence of Ronnie Bell — one of which resulted in an 87-yard touchdown, the third-longest pass in school history. Tight end Erick All gained 23 yards on a seam pass to the middle of the field for the first time this season.

With Big Ten play on the horizon, the Wolverines’ passing game started to shift into gear.

"That was a goal of ours going into the game," Harbaugh said. "We wanted to rush for 200 yards. We wanted to pass for 200 yards. Felt like the timing is there, the execution has been there in practice with Cade and with Cornelius Johnson."

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Lombardi’s return spoiled by smothering defense

Though Michigan’s players and coaches dedicated only a few words to questions about Lombardi during the week, their desire to humble a player responsible for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns in 2020's by Michigan State was clear. Any rematch with Lombardi, Spartan or not, would be personal.

Northern Illinois quarterback Rocky Lombardi (12) makes a pass against Northern Illinois during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021.

How different Saturday was from last season. Gone was 2020's barrage of deep passes that flummoxed cornerbacks Gemon Green and Vincent Gray, a leading exhibit of why defensive coordinator Don Brown was fired after the season, and in its place was a series of checkdowns, quick outs and inaccurate passes that reeked of uneasiness in the pocket.

Lombardi’s longest completion was 15 yards on a play-action bootleg during the Huskies’ lone scoring drive over the first three quarters. His completion percentage was an unsightly 53%, a far cry from McNamara’s 73% clip. And his largest gain of the day, a 45-yard scamper on a quarterback keeper in the fourth quarter, did little to undercut the blanketing by Michigan’s defense before the starters were pulled.

The Wolverines also notched their first interception of the season when Green secured a ball that caromed off the hands of tight end Tristen Tewes. Lombardi finished with only 46 passing yards. 

"Just executing in practice, for real," said Green when asked how the secondary improved against Lombardi. "That’s really what did it for us. We just tried to carry on from practice to the game and try to take one play at a time every play. That’s pretty much it."

Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald watches warmups before a game against Northern Illinois at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021.

Equally oppressive was the run defense, which faced the challenge of defending a tailback with four consecutive 100-yard games (dating to last season). The absence of a downfield attack from Lombardi allowed defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to use more base 3-4 defense than he did against Washington. A rotating cast in the front seven swarmed the football and limited Waylee to 34 yards on 12 carries.

"We’re not any good unless the front is good, and they’ve been doing their job" Green said. "They’ve been applying pressure with Aidan (Hutchinson), (David) Ojabo, all of them. They’ve been applying the pressure. If they’re good, we outta be good back there. We have to do our job."

A.J. Henning dazzles as punt returner

When Bell was lost for the season with a knee injury, Harbaugh expressed his desire for fellow wideout A.J. Henning to step into to the punt return role. Henning, according to Harbaugh, had the ideal combination of speed and elusiveness to give the Wolverines an added jolt in the return game while also preserving the versatility of special teams ace Caden Kolesar, who served as Bell’s original replacement but is more effective as a rusher or hold-up man.

Henning needed two weeks of practice before the coaches trusted him as the primary returner, and his debut Saturday flipped the field for the Wolverines. In the first quarter, Henning’s 25-yard return brought the ball across midfield for McNamara to lead a short scoring drive. In the third quarter, Henning ripped off 32 yards by slicing across midfield to set up yet another possession that began in NIU territory.

Henning’s average of 14 yards per return on five attempts should catch the attention of special teams coordinators around the Big Ten.  

"He’s very dynamic with the ball in his hand," Harbaugh said. "You can see when it comes to speed and elusiveness, I mean, he’s one of the best on the team, right there with Roman Wilson. If you could race them, race those two guys, it would be pretty tight. They’re both those type of athletes. A.J. has become very confident in catching the punts. Did a tremendous job today. He could be really good at this. He could be really good at the punt return."

Michigan has found a legitimate weapon.

Contact Michael Cohen at mcohen@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.