What J.J. McCarthy said after Ohio State, before Big Ten Championship game
Entering the final regular-season game of the 2022 college football season, outside of Ann Arbor, not many people gave Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy a chance to beat rival Ohio State if the Buckeyes loaded up against the run.
Well, about that.
For the majority of the game, McCarthy outdueled likely Heisman Trophy finalist CJ Stroud in total yardage and outplayed him with four touchdowns and no turnovers to Stroud’s two touchdowns and two interceptions.
On Tuesday, McCarthy spoke with reporters about the impending Big Ten Championship game against Purdue as well as the Ohio State game this past Saturday. Here is everything he had to say.
Confidence after Ohio State
For me personally, definitely confidence is elevated, I wouldn’t say through the roof because I still feel like I could have done so much more in that game. But as a team, it just solidifies who we are and what we’re capable of doing and the excitement for what’s ahead.
What's different going into the championship game from last year?
Yeah, I feel like the way we look at it is it’s another game in the way of our ultimate goal, which is a national championship. And last year, it was kind of one of our main goals to win a Big Ten Championship. And obviously, we’re not taking them lightly. And we’re not taking this game lightly, whatsoever. But we’re just excited to get back there. Enjoy it and dominate on all three cylinders.
What impresses him most about Donovan Edwards
I was happy to see him hit that third gear. I saw him get hawked. I forget, what was it? Rutgers game? Yeah, Rutgers game. And he said he was trying to get to that third gear and he was stuck in the second one. So I was happy to see got to that third one for sure.
What gave him confidence that Michigan would rebound after 2020?
The way I look at it, like a lot of things in life, it’s like a pendulum. When things are going bad, then there’s only so much upside to come next. And especially with this program, like I knew everything that coach Harbaugh was about and everything he was building. And I just saw only upside and I saw a lot of hungry dogs in here. And I just had so much confidence and I knew a lot of hungry dogs were coming, so it was just one of those things where I knew everything’s gonna be OK. And it was gonna be great.
How Michigan's 12-0 resume compares to the other two
I mean, 12-0 was really hard to do, no matter what conference you’re in or what team you’re on. But I just feel like 12-0 — doesn’t matter unless you finish the job. And no matter what happens next, we’re still focused on going 15-0.
The newfound connection with Colston Loveland
I have so much confidence in that guy. I mean, from the get-go, but to see him do it in live action, it just gives me that much more confidence. And he’s just a guy that — he’s a worker. He’s super talented. I believe that if he wasn’t from Gooding, Idaho, he would be a five-star recruit. So I was just happy to see what I’ve been seeing and see the world see what I’ve been seeing.
Keeping the ball in second halves of bigger games
I feel like in the first half when we’re just getting the ball, getting the ball, and we’re pounding the ball and we’re kind of just setting up for that quarterback keeper, it just helps it so much more. So, when in the first half when we are pounding the ball, it just opens up the quarterback run so much more. Nothing’s really said at halftime. We might call more quarterback designed reads and all that but I just feel like with the constant just pounding the rock down their throat in the first half, it allows the quarterback run to open up that much more.
Why is Michigan a national title contender?
That we’re a complete team on all three phases. There’s no holes in this team. And I feel like that’s something that’s really special.
When he became the starter, did he have to galvanize the offense?
Not really, because during that whole quarterback battle it wasn’t really like a battle between the team, it was just two guys going at it and getting better. And the coaches were going to be the ones to make that decision, but to the rest of the team, it was just two of their brothers going out there and playing ball. So really didn’t have to pull anyone along.
Did Donovan Edwards say anything at halftime about needing to pick things up?
At halftime, Dono definitely has a couple of those like halftime speeches and everything like that. But what he did in this game, he just had a little couple like, ‘We got them. Let’s go, guys!’ But when he kind of sat down, and he was just with himself, I knew he was ready to break out for a couple of big ones.
What it says about him having such a performance with an injury
I expected it because when he came in as a freshman, he had a cast on, and he was catching the ball as well as anyone and running the ball as well as anyone and he didn’t complain at all. So, I expected that it wasn’t going to be an issue at all.
What he's seen from Purdue on film
The biggest thing to me is that they’re 3-0 against top-five teams. And that’s something that jumps off the table right away of we got to take these guys seriously. And it’s just not going to be a team that’s 8-4. But, they got great athletes on defense, got a very well-coached offense, and Aiden O’Connell is a great quarterback. So, it’s gonna be a fun one. It’s gonna be fun one, but really excited to see how we match up against it.
Did he contact O'Connell after his brother died?
Yeah, I shot him a DM earlier this week. And it just sucks. I mean, that’s, that’s bigger than football stuff. It really is. And especially like you said, the quarterback fraternity, it’s such a tight-knit group with all the quarterbacks around the country, because we were the only guy in our position, and nobody else really gets it from other positions. So, it’s really awesome to kind of have that brotherhood outside of our teams.
Does the offense often see things in games it hasn't seen on film?
100%, yeah, because at this level, in the defenses we go against, they have so much volume, coverage-wise, blitz-wise, and just kind of seeing throughout the whole first quarter and the second quarter, like what are they doing to attack us? It’s been huge, because now we can counterattack it. And, yeah, I mean, all these teams, they do a great job with their first 15 plays in the openers, we like to call them, and we adjust from there.
Would he be where he is now without Cade McNamara?
Not at all, not at all. I take lessons and educate myself from everyone I interact with. But that guy has done so much for me, and I can’t be appreciative enough for everything he’s done.
What his ideal Big Ten ChampionshipgGame format?
It’s good question. I would always like the top two teams face off because I want the best competition. I want to play the best and I believe we are the best. So it’s just amazing to kinda have this format for so long and be able to play other teams. Like, I’ve never played Purdue in my life. So it’s awesome to get that opportunity to do that. But definitely the top two teams will be a lot of fun.
