Michigan football: Wolverines have a brand-new look ahead of UNLV

Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia looks back at what happened during Michigan football’s 30-3 win over East Carolina and what's ahead for the Wolverines on Sept. 9 game against UNLV.

Note: Pro Football Focus grades range from 0 to 100, but players are generally in the 30-90 range. Here is a full breakdown of how the scale works, but on a basic level the grades go as follows: 30 is very poor, 40 is poor, 50 is below average, 60 is average, 70 is above average, 80 is good and 90 is elite.

Tony Garcia's three things we learned

Newcomers will play a big role: Michigan returned 81% of its offensive production from 2022, the fifth-most in the nation, per ESPN. Some of those familiar faces — quarterback J.J. McCarthy, wide receiver Roman Wilson and running back Blake Corum — provided Week 1 highlights, but the importance of the season opener was more about the unknowns. On offense, both Stanford transfers, center Drake Nugent and right tackle Myles Hinton started. Although neither were graded well by PFF in their U-M debuts — Hinton (50.4 offensive grade) was the lowest of all starters, while Nugent (60) put up his second-lowest rating in two years — each ingratiated themselves on their new line to the point they earned the start. Meanwhile, tight end AJ Barner, a transfer from Indiana, didn't have a reception — his lone target was nearly a touchdown but was McCarthy's only slight underthrow, allowing an ECU defender to break it up — but his pass blocking grade (69.5) came in above average.

True freshman Fredrick Moore also had two catches for 18 yards in his first collegiate game.

Linebacker Ernest Hausmann, a transfer from Nebraska, led the Wolverines with six tackles, assisting on one tackle for loss; he was U-M's fifth-rated defender (76), while Josh Wallace, a transfer from UMass, started at corner and earned a 73.6 ratintg, good for sixth. Wallace, a three-year captain with the Minutemen, nearly recorded an interception, but it was overturned upon review. Kicker James Turner, a transfer from Louisville, made a 50-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, but missed a 52-yarder well left in the fourth quarter and also missed an extra point, something his predecessor did not do in 147 attempts.

REPORT CARD: Passing game, coaching set the tone in U-M football's season opener

This are not your father's Wolverines: Michigan said it was going to pass the ball more this year and one week in, that held true. J.J. McCarthy led an aerial assault Saturday, completing 26 of 30 passes — his 86.7% completion percentage was the second-best for a U-M quarterback with at least 20 pass attempts in program history — for 280 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was not just the best player on the field Saturday, but one of the best quarterbacks anywhere in America. Per PFF, McCarthy's passing grade (94) and overall offensive grade (93) both were top five nationally. The Wolverines finished with perfect balance — exactly 31 rushes and 31 passes — but when the first unit was in the game, McCarthy threw 30 times, to just 24 rushes. He appears to have a new top target, as well: Jim Harbaugh gave Roman Wilson the No. 1 jersey during fall camp, a reserved number symbolizing Wilson's leadership in the wide receiver room. On Saturday, Wilson was nearly unstoppable, grabbing corner routes and crossing patterns as he finished with six catches for 72 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. Per PFF, Wilson (77.6) was U-M's second-best offensive player, behind only McCarthy.

The secondary will be elite: Michigan didn't have Will Johnson at cornerback; defensive coordinator and acting head coach Jesse Minter said he was "close" but not quite ready to go. As a true freshman, the 6-foot-2 defensive back led all Power Five corners in PFF's man-coverage grade (91.1). U-M was also without safety Rod Moore, named All-Big Ten honorable mention last season, and Amorion Walker, a wide receiver-turned-defensive back considered for the starting rotation as recently as this summer.

Even without their services, Michigan's secondary shut down the Pirates. Nickel back Mike Sainristil, now in his second season as captain, had an interception and allowed just two receptions (on five targets) for 13 yards. Wallace's interception was overturned into a pass breakup, but he didn't allow a reception on two targets, and Keon Sabb allowed just a 5-yard reception on the the three times he was targeted as the primary defender. In total, Michigan held ECU to 17-of-27 passing for just 132 yards, half of which (66) came in the fourth quarter against backups, and did so without the defensive line getting a sack.

'SLANG THAT THANG': Michigan football's aerial success leaves foes with more questions than answers

Next up: UNLV Rebels

Matchup: No. 2 Michigan (1-0) vs. UNLV (1-0).

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor.

TV/radio: CBS; WXYT-FM (97.1), WTKA-AM (1050).

Line: Wolverines by 38½.

Know the foe

The Barry Odom era at UNLV couldn't have gotten off to a better start. Running back Vincent Davis Jr. took the first play from scrimmage for a 69-yard touchdown run, which set the tone as UNLV ran past Bryant, 44-14, on Saturday afternoon.

The Rebels did most of their work on the ground, as four players combined for five rushing touchdowns and 283 yards. That includes running backs Jai'Den Thomas (eight carries for 60 yards and two TDs), Donavyn Lester (eight carries for 29 yards and a TD) and Courtney Reese (10 carries for 25 yards), but also quarterback Doug Brumfield.

A 2020 three-star recruit from Gardena, California, Brumfield had Power Five offers from Kansas, Rutgers and Utah as a dual-threat quarterback. He's now in his fourth year in college and second as the starter, but his passing game is still a work in progress. On Saturday, he completed 11 of 18 passes for 86 yards and an interception; however, his athleticism helped once again: He had seven carries for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Brumfield's favorite receiver in the passing game, Jacob De Jesus, finished with four grabs for 50 yards. He's someone to keep an eye on after he also nearly scored on special teams — his 96-yard kickoff return was the fourth longest in school history, but he was tripped up at the 4.

The Rebels struggled on defense, surrendering 409 yards but just 14 points. Defensive back Jerrae Williams was a force, racking up four tackles, including 2½ for loss and a combined sack with linebacker Marsel McDuffie.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football: What we learned, what to watch vs. UNLV