Team Maize defeated Team Blue down at the Big House today in Michigan Football's 2022 Spring Game by a final score of 22-21, winning on a two-point conversion and an ultimate fourth down defensive stand. The weather was cold and chilly and Michigan was without the likes of stars Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, but a number of young players and new additions made themselves felt in the narrative of the game. What does it ultimately mean? Probably very little! Do I still have takes on it? Of course! Here's a short collection of instant takes, before Seth and Brian comb through the tape this week: 

 

[Bryan Fuller]

OFFENSE

Peyton O'Leary IS Cooper Kupp. By the time O'Leary snatched the game-winning two point pass, he was already becoming the player of the game, but his closing heroics for Team Maize cemented it. O'Leary was catching balls from both JJ McCarthy and Davis Warren, finding ways to get himself open all game long, including when (often) matched up on Amorion Walker, recipient of so much spring praise. O'Leary was the most notable receiver on the field and the most notable player in the game's narrative arc, so he gets our imaginary MVP award for today. 

Run, Jack, Run!! Maybe the most notable element of transfer QB Jack Tuttle's game that stood out today was the willingness and inclination to run the ball. The newcomer from Indiana by way of Utah got the start for Team Blue and from the very first play of the game, Tuttle was comfortable running with it. That play was designed to give him the chance to keep it, but he was also scrambling while on the run quite often too, and looked plausible at doing it. He had a couple nice throws (one to AJ Barner down the seam) and one ugly decision (a backfoot heave under pressure that was INT'd), but for me it was the mobility that I was intrigued by the most. 

Benjamin Hall's hello. Hall, a burly RB out of Georgia, was perhaps the most controversial recruit in the 2023 class, an early take by Mike Hart with low recruiting rankings who slipped down his HS depth chart during the course of his senior season. Was Hart stupid to take Hall, or had Michigan found a diamond in the rough? The answer varied depending on who you talked to and it will be years before we know the real answer, but at least for today, Mike Hart has to be pleased with what he saw. Hall looked like possibly the best back on the field today, a game that did include older RBs Tavierre Dunlap and Kalel Mullings, picking up what the OL was giving him and accelerating in the open field for a near-long TD (he punched it in from the goal line two snaps later). There probably won't be too many non-Corum/Edwards snaps this season and it's a crowded depth chart of players vying for what remains, but Hall made a loud opening statement today. 

Interior OL plowing. I thought the group of Raheem Anderson, Gio El-Hadi, and Karsen Barnhart were excellent opening up rushing room for Kalel Mullings and Hall for Team Blue. It's hard to tell live who they were going up against (that's where a rewatch will be most useful), but they were opening holes with decent frequency. I didn't notice the IOL on Team Maize as much but for the decently experienced maulers on Team Blue, it was a good showing. I liked Anderson in particular on first watch, but again, that's subject to change upon further review. 

Your regularly scheduled JJ update. I know everyone who didn't see the game mostly wants to hear about JJ McCarthy so I will indulge you, even if it's not terribly interesting. JJ was wearing a white jersey, which seemed to indicate he may play QB for both teams, like Cade McNamara did last year, but he ended up playing only for Team Maize. JJ looked fine, comfortable throwing on the move and mostly like the player we've seen before.. He overthrew a receiver, leading to an interception, but his day ended on a sweet TD pass to Jake Thaw at the end of the first half. Not much else to say. 

 

[Bryan Fuller]

DEFENSE

CB2 candidates flash traits but not completeness. The various candidates for the second outside corner spot all had moments that may indicate a good future player, but it appeared that no one is quite there yet. Ja'Den McBurrows may have been the most impressive, with a great open field tackle on a bubble screen, but we should note he was playing more nickel than outside corner. Walker was playing outside corner and got beaten often by O'Leary in the second half, but Walker found himself in position quite a bit, which is the big first step. Finishing PBUs/not being too handsy were more of the issue, and he did drop a tailor-made interception he had in the bread basket. Myles Pollard had an INT when Davis Warren missed the hole shot as well. Long story short: a lot of players had moments, but no one yet looks like a stud. Luckily, they have many months to continue improving. 

EDGE defenders have a nice day. As a whole for both teams, the EDGE defenders soundly won their battles against the offensive tackles today. Coastal Carolina transfer Josiah Stewart was probably the most dominant, getting around the corner and causing havoc in a way that was noticeable. Sophomore Derrick Moore also had a strong game, seeming to have made some amount of improvement in the offseason. I also scribbled down Kechaun Bennett for a stop and Kris Jenkins, when playing, had a couple plays that jumped off the screen coming around the edge too. 

Kenneth Grant, you have my attention. We've got some clips here: 

God’s Gift To Football pic.twitter.com/cm3ReQrv57

— Bryan Mac (@Bry_Mac) April 1, 2023

And again: 

For anyone wondering why Kenneth Grants name is all over their timelines #GoBlue #SpringGame pic.twitter.com/vx810Ndvm3

— Did JJ Break The Record? (@JJRecordCount) April 1, 2023

Yes one of those was against Dominik Guidice and yes I don't care. Men that size who can do things like that are fun. One more note about younger DTs: I thought Rayshaun Benny had a strong day too for Team Maize. 

Various linebackers did various linebacker things. I don't have anything too cohesive for this point but linebackers popped up in my notes here and there so I wanted to shout them out. Nikhai Hill-Green got toasted by Matt Hibner on a long catch and run mesh route that would've been a TD had Hibner not fallen over, but NHG also stuffed Davis Warren on a 4th & Goal keeper. Ernest Hausmann popped up for a great open field tackle, Jimmy Rolder delivered a hit on a scrambling Jack Tuttle that I'd prefer not to see in an exhibition game, and Micah Pollard brought heat up the gut on a blitz on one snap I noted. 

Keshaun Harris makes the big play. Defensive MVP in this game, or at least the guy who made the highest leverage play if we're pretending this was a game that meant anything, was Keshaun Harris. On 4th down with the game on the line, Harris read the Team Blue pass a mile away, jumped the route, and delivered the game-ending PBU. Congratulations to the walk-on grad student for sealing the (meaningless) glory. 
 

[Patrick Barron]

BONUS TAKES

Get better nameplates for future spring games. The letters on the nameplates of the jerseys today were flying off in the breeze. At one point Josiah Stewart's last name was down to "Stewa" and several other players had letters peeling off. I know it's an exhibition game but don't we have money for jerseys that don't look like they were purchased off a shady Chinese website for one quarter the price of official team apparel? 

A new meme is born. Donovan Edwards wasn't playing but he may have given us the most memorable moment from today: 

When you see a ball pic.twitter.com/Arz3120SSP

— Bryan Mac (@Bry_Mac) April 1, 2023

Move over Leonardo DiCaprio, we have a new pointing meme in town. 

Jake Thaw plays hide-and-seek. This year's version of Darrius Clemons pulling out the phone for the group selfie was Thaw catching the TD from McCarthy and trying to hide behind the goalpost. I have to assume Thaw is calling this celebration "the easter egg".