Another week, another overmatched opponent that Michigan completely manhandled. Last week it was East Carolina, this week it was the UNLV Rebels. Over the course of four quarters, Michigan steamrolled UNLV and new head coach Barry Odom, using overwhelming pizzaz on the defensive line to demolish the Rebels' pass protection and run blocking over and over again, while JJ McCarthy was again nearly perfect through the air. Michigan logged five sacks as a team, McCarthy was 22/25 for 278 yards for 2 TDs and 0 INTs, the Maize & Blue outgained the (other) Scarlet & Gray 492-229, and won the contest 35-7. 

The first half was a simple, dominating romp. UNLV got a couple first downs on their opening possession but the drive fizzled out after Braiden McGregor TFL'd a running play on 1st down, setting the Rebels behind the sticks, a predicament they wouldn't recover from. Michigan took the football at their own 20 after a punt into the end zone, and marched right down the field thanks to the awesome powers of McCarthy. He got it going with a dump-off to Blake Corum, who exploited the space provided by UNLV's linebackers dropping incredibly deep, to gain 20. On 3rd & 8, McCarthy connected with Tyler Morris for 16, then hit Roman Wilson on a play-action strike for 25. Now in the red zone, Blake Corum paid it off, picking up a 3rd & 7 on his own and then rumbling into the end zone from two yards out on the next play. 

From that point on, Michigan's defensive front was a wrecking ball being swung into the UNLV offensive line, crushing them play after play and limiting any ability for their opposition to function as an offense. UNLV's next two drives went for a combined -4 yards, one total first down gained. Derrick Moore ended the first drive with a Thundersack that saw the LT barely place a hand on him, while the second drive saw Jaylen Harrell collect two sacks cleaning up pressure created by blitzers, Quinten Johnson on the first sack and Michael Barrett on the second. 

[Bryan Fuller]

In between, Michigan just kept moving the ball completely unabated. Michigan went 75 yards in eleven plays on their second drive, Corum getting it started on the ground before McCarthy used his legs to navigate the pocket and find Tyler Morris to convert a 3rd & 5 around midfield, just before crossing the line of scrimmage. JJ picked up another third down on a throw to AJ Barner, then a McCarthy keeper down the sideline got Michigan to the two. Corum finished it off right up the gut for a TD. 14-0. 

Michigan's third drive was moving with similar efficiency until our weekly mindnumbingly stupid display of play-calling stubbornness nixed it in the red zone. Just before things unraveled, McCarthy made arguably the throw of his career thus far, a bullet in between three defenders, including a mystified UNLV corner who was sure he had an INT. Instead, it was completed to Cornelius Johnson to get Michigan down to the 26. After that, Michigan did not let McCarthy attempt another pass, running four straight plays, including on 3rd & 6 and 4th & 3. The 4th down run for Blake Corum was stopped a yard short and Michigan turned it over on downs. Why Michigan did not let the fire-breathing dragon that was JJ McCarthy attempt one play-action pass in that situation, we will never know. 

That drive didn't end up mattering of course. UNLV did pick up a couple first downs on their next drive but then ran into pass-rush hell again. Kenneth Grant and Kris Jenkins brought Doug Brumfield down yet again to set up third and long, a pass that initially looked complete before Mikey Sainristil managed to dislodge it as the two players hit the ground. Michigan got the ball back and embarked on one more TD drive before halftime.

[Patrick Barron]

McCarthy did have his first incompletion on this drive, coming with 3:51 to go in the second quarter, but he was right back on his brilliance. Michigan converted 3rd & 7 and 3rd & 6 via McCarthy's arm and then McCarthy's legs got them to the 13 yard line, a scramble and then a designed QB draw. Facing 1st & 10 with 27 seconds left in the half, McCarthy hit Roman Wilson on an inside route and the Hawaiian galloped into the end zone. 21-0. UNLV kneeled it down and went to the locker room having been outgained 280-40 in the first half. 

Michigan got the ball out of halftime and quickly went three-and-out, the first punt of the day for Tommy Doman. McCarthy's 3rd & 2 pass was batted down by an unblocked blitzer (LB Jackson Woodard), giving UNLV a stop. The Rebels couldn't capitalize on their defense though, as UNLV went three-and-out themselves after Brumfield's 3rd down scramble was brought down by Mason Graham short of the sticks. Michigan took the ball and needed just three plays to find the end zone, the final play being a long catch-and-run for Roman Wilson, 47 yards in total from McCarthy (the broadcast noted that 47 is the number of McCarthy childhood friend/UNLV defensive lineman Ryan Keeler, who tragically died earlier this year). 

UNLV's best drive of the game followed but they were still unable to score points. The drive was enabled by a Michigan mistake, Rayshaun Benny rushing the passer on an incomplete 3rd down pass and the Rebels capitalized for a brief moment. An option pitch got UNLV into Michigan territory but the drive ran out of steam on 3rd & 3 and 4th & 3. They had a running lane on a sweep play on 3rd down (an uncalled hold against McGregor though), but the running back fell over short of the line to gain. They attempted to go read-option on 4th & 3, but Brumfield's pull was swallowed up and UNLV turned it over. 

[Bryan Fuller]

Both teams traded three-and-outs on their next drives before McCarthy led his final scoring drive of the day. Corum started the drive with a long run, then McCarthy found Cornelius Johnson over the middle. That got Michigan to the UNLV 31, which was followed by a beautifully blocked reverse for Johnson that got Michigan to the five. Blake Corum promptly punched it in for his third TD of the day and that was all she wrote for the first team offense. 35-0. 

The Rebels got the football and stitched together another decent drive, but it again fell flat in Michigan territory. Michigan's swarming defensive front totally overwhelmed UNLV and more pressure forced an inaccurate throw on 4th & 8 and the ball went to Michigan's second-team offense. Jack Tuttle took the helm of the offense and his first play was a memorable one, a beautiful pull on the zone read, weaving into the open field for a 14 yard gain, but he was then hit out of bounds, going spiraling into the UNLV benches, colliding with equipment and slamming into the brick wall that marks the start of the public seating. A flag was thrown for the late hit, but Tuttle was okay. Davis Warren came into the game, but threw an interception to UNLV nickel Jerrae Williams (you may have remembered him as the Dangerman if you read FFFF). 

The fourth quarter was pure garbage tie, an opportunity for Michigan's reserves to make their mark on the game. Jayden Denegal took over for Davis Warren at QB (Denegal had a great deep ball with about a minute ago), while CJ Stokes took over at RB and the second-team offensive line took the field. The defense retained more of their first teamers but by the halfway point of the fourth quarter, it was almost all twos. UNLV's backups were able to move the ball some on Michigan's second-team defense, using QB rushing plays and a few timely passes to enter Michigan territory on two straight drives. Their second found paydirt when Jordan Yonge-Humphrey navigated his way into the end zone for a 20 yard score, getting UNLV on the board and representing the second consecutive Saturday where a Michigan opponent foiled the shutout within the last three minutes of the contest. 

That "1-0 as an interim head coach" feeling [Barron]

For Michigan, this was another extremely easy win and advances their record to 2-0 on the year. No drama and another indicator that their returning starter QB has made the proverbial Leap. The first team defense was smothering and the result was a solid victory. Both Jay Harbaugh and Mike Hart are now 1-0 as interim head coaches, Harbaugh taking the first half and Hart the second with Jim Harbaugh suspended. The head coach will be suspended one more week, as OC Sherrone Moore will take the helm next Saturday for what should be another easy win. Michigan brings Bowling Green to the Big House at 7:30 pm EST, a game that will be broadcast on BTN. 

[Click the JUMP for the box score]