The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1477128
28 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2022 BY JOHN BORTON O utside onlookers carry a mil- lion questions regarding the ongoing quarterback battle between senior Cade McNa- mara and sophomore J.J. McCarthy. McNamara does not. The veteran signal-caller led the Wol- verines to a win over Ohio State, a Big Ten championship and their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance last year. He enters 2022 sounding as poised as a pro getting pocket protected from Pop Warner edge rushers. "I feel like it's my team," McNamara said at the Big Ten football meetings in Indianapolis, on the same carpet where his team buried Iowa for the champion- ship. "Nothing against anyone. I just feel like I've put myself in a position where if I say something, it will be listened to. "I'm confident in myself. I just want to win. I think I proved I can help the team do that last season." He did so in a host of ways last year. McNamara directed a remarkably bal- anced offense in '21, one that threw for an average 228.7 yards and rushed for 214.4. He connected on 64.2 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,576 yards with only 6 interceptions. He stepped into a muddled, defec- tion-seared Michigan quarterback situ- ation and injected steadiness, calm and increasing leadership. All of that earned the respect of U-M coaches, including quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss. Weiss recently discussed essentials for a starting QB — mobility and arm strength, accuracy and decision-making. "And then, obviously, the intangibles: right leadership, what type of guy I see, is he a winner?" Weiss mused. "All the things that you that you want your quarterback to be. "Really, all the stuff we have with our guys, right? Cade, you could certainly say all those things about him. He's a winner. He's the type of guy that has all those intangibles. And that's what you look for." Others look at another hugely tal- ented option at quarterback. While the backup overwhelmingly gets the benefit of the doubt in football, there's plenty of cause for pleasant daydreaming among Michigan fans in this regard. McCarthy carries the entire arsenal — big arm, great feet, and a flair for turning busted plays into explosive gains. Weiss isn't shy about singing his praises, either. "He's a really good player, and he's going to be really good," the co-OC opined. "So, we're excited about him in his future. And I mean, it's hard to see him being anything but really, MEASURED ASSURANCE Cade McNamara Brings No Doubt To The Field McNamara started all 14 games for last year's Big Ten champion and College Football Playoff squad, and he threw for 2,576 yards with 15 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS