The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2022 THE WOLVERINE 29 They reviewed game film, including most of his plays from last season, and he saw a physical therapist to help him continue to shape his body. "I think I have a really good plan, what I want to develop going forward," McNa- mara said. "Some things I've used as my strengths, I can keep on building." It's working well, Harbaugh noted. Though McCarthy hasn't been able to throw much due to a lingering shoulder injury, McNamara has made the most of his reps and is the guy to beat. There's a long time between the April 2 spring game and the Sept. 3 opener, how- ever, and no time for rest, something the field general knows well. There are a lot of new faces, but his is a familiar one, and one they'll rely on for leadership whether he starts or not. He's just as excited to see who emerges around him as he is to keep his job. "I think we're doing everything we can to build off last season … at the same time, we need to recreate our identity on both sides of the ball," he said. "I think right now we're getting an idea of who those key players are going to be, what's working for us on both sides of the ball. "So far, I think we're on a good track." ❏ Several Michigan quarterbacks have made leaps from their first to second years as starters over the past 30 season. Others weren't quite as fortunate, for various reasons. Should Cade McNamara hold on to his starting job, he'll get the opportunity to build upon his 2,576-yard, 15-touchdown season from a year ago. Here's how some of his high-profile predecessors fared from their starting debut to year two: Elvis Grbac (1990 — first year starting — to 1991): Grbac shined in an era in which Michigan was still pounding it on the ground. He threw for 1,911 yards and 21 touchdowns in 1990. A year later, he and Desmond Howard teamed up to form one of the top tandems in school history. Grbac threw for 2,085 yards with a big assist from the Heisman winner, including 25 touchdowns against only six interceptions. Todd Collins (1993-94): The longtime pro had remarkably similar seasons in his two years as a starter. He completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 2,509 yards with 17 touchdowns in 1993 while following Grbac. A year later he threw for 2,518 yards and 13 scores with a 64.6 completion percentage. Tom Brady (1998-99): The future NFL Hall of Famer waited his turn and led Michigan to a share of the Big Ten title in his first year, completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 2,636 yards and 15 touchdowns. He shared time with Drew Henson for a bit a year later, but still threw for 2,586 yards and 20 scores in 12 games, completing 62.8 percent of his passes. John Navarre (2001-02): Navarre took plenty of abuse from a fickle fan base but set passing records at Michigan. He com- pleted only 53.8 percent in 2001, his first year as a full-time starter, but racked up 2,435 yards and 19 scores with 13 picks. Though his completion percentage rose only to 55.4 the fol- lowing fall, he increased his yards to 2,905 and passing touch- downs to 21 while cutting down his interceptions to seven. Chad Henne (2004-05): The Pennsylvania native threw for 2,743 yards and 25 touchdowns, and completed 60.2 percent of his passes as a true freshman to lead Michigan to a share of the Big Ten title. Injuries to running back Mike Hart and some of his receiver weapons made it tougher a year later, but he still threw for 2,526 yards with 23 scores. Denard Robinson (2010-11): Robinson exploded with 2,570 yards passing and 1,702 rushing in 2010, scoring a combined 32 touchdowns in an offense tailor-made to his talents. He took a bit of a dip a year later when Brady Hoke, Al Borges, etc., put him in more of a pro-style attack, but he still had a nice season. He led Michigan to an 11-2 record and a Sugar Bowl title in throwing for 2,173 yards and 20 touchdowns, and running for 1,176 yards and 16 scores. Shea Patterson (2018-19): The Ole Miss transfer threw for 2,600 yards and 22 touchdowns in an impressive first season as Michigan's starter. He completed 64.6 percent of his passes and seemed primed for a big senior season. He was solid in 2019 and threw for more yardage — 3,061 yards — with 23 touchdowns, but completed only 56.2 percent of his passes for a 9-4 team. — Chris Balas Second-Year Performances For Some Of Michigan's Top Recent Starting Quarterbacks Elvis Grbac debuted as the starting quarterback in 1990, throwing for 1,911 yards and 21 scores. A year later, he upped his produc- tion to 2,085 yards and 25 scores while helping wideout Desmond Howard win the Heisman Trophy. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY