Michigan State Football: 3 takeaways from instant classic against Michigan

2. Using two QB’s finally catches up to Michigan

This was an outstanding performance by the Michigan offense. They were very good on 3rd down, finishing the game with a near 50% conversion rate. 556 total yards on offense with production coming from different players.

The main difference in this game came down to one mishap by McCarthy, who fumbled near midfield in the 4th quarter. McCarthy played his role well in this game, as he threw a TD pass early on in the game and kept the MSU defense on their toes.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if that was the first time McCarthy put the ball on the ground. But, the last time McCarthy came on the field before this he fumbled the ball out of bounds. The old phrase “ball never lies” came back to haunt the Wolverines.

Cade McNamara had an outstanding game, despite a season in which most people are pointing to Michigan’s great rushing attack as the focal point. McNamara finished with 383 yards, two touchdowns, and the interception that sealed the game.

Many questions will have to be answered by Jim Harbaugh after today’s game. The main one will have to be, why take the ball out of McNamara’s hand and put it into a freshman who had just fumbled?