QB Cade McNamara blames himself for Michigan’s late stumbles against MSU

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EAST LANSING, Michigan – Sitting on a dais in a room somewhere below the north end of Spartan Stadium, tousled hair and black eyes streaming down his face, Cade McNamara took the blame.

The Michigan quarterback was coming off his most productive college game to date, a 28-for-44 day in which he threw 383 yards and two touchdowns, leading an offense that racked up over 550 yards. in total.

Still, his biggest mistake of the game, a fourth-quarter interception that sealed a 37-33 loss to rival Michigan State, was the only thing that came to mind.

“It’s mine,” McNamara said. “I didn’t perform well enough.”

Michigan saw a 16-point second-half lead evaporate early in the fourth quarter, as red zone woes accumulated and MSU star running back Kenneth Walker III shattered. big game after big game.

But even though the Spartans tied the game, 30-30, with 12:29 to go, Michigan found themselves able to forge another lead. McNamara hit wide receiver Mike Sainristil for a 43-yard pickup on third and 8, and back-to-back plays then moved the Wolverines into the MSU red zone. Substitute JJ McCarthy (3-4, 23 yards, TD) was inserted into the game but made a costly mistake, fumbling the ball out of bounds for a one-yard loss.

More: Michigan’s Red Zone Violation Is A Real Issue

McNamara responded by throwing back-to-back incomplete passes (one of which was abandoned by AJ Henning), setting the stage for a fourth and eight field goals for Jake Moody. The kick was good, but it would be the last points for Michigan.

“I think we did a good job running the third down,” McNamara said. “The (offensive) line gave me time and I was able to deliver balls to tight ends and receivers. We were moving the ball well, I think.

McNamara looked calm and neat in the pocket most of the time, distributing the soccer ball to nine different targets. Tight end Erick All (10 catches, 98 yards) was the biggest benefactor, while true newcomer Andrel Anthony was introduced to the offensive with a game of six catches, 155 yards and two touchdowns.

An undisclosed injury sent McNamara into the Michigan medical tent in the fourth quarter, explaining the decision to reinsert McCarthy into the game with 7:17 remaining and the team clinging to a 3-point lead. On the first play of the drive, McCarthy missed a rally with running back Blake Corum, giving MSU the ball that resulted in a nine-play, 41-yard touchdown.

“Yes, that exchange – it didn’t go well,” said coach Jim Harbaugh, who said after the game that McNamara was “working on something” on the sidelines.

More: Heard outside the locker room: Punch of a loss, but “the season is not over”

McNamara was quickly given the nod to come back, but with Michigan down 37-33 and just minutes from time. But a 12-play, 44-yard practice that started 5:08 left stalled on descents on an incomplete pass from McNamara to Corum in the middle. The Michigan quarterback believed Corum was being held back and wanted a flag for passing interference.

“I don’t know why it wasn’t called,” McNamara said.

The Wolverines managed to retrieve the ball late, with 1:15 to go and 67 yards to go, and were awarded an MSU pass interference penalty that moved them close to midfield. That’s when McNamara shot the ball down the right side of the pitch, intended for tight end Luke Schoonmaker, only to be intercepted. It was his only turnover of the game, one that saw Michigan generate just 104 yards from their backers and really build on the passing game for the first time this season.

When asked if he thought he silenced some of his critics with his highly productive game afterwards, McNamara replied, “I really don’t care. We lost, that’s what matters to me. In his head were the few pieces he had made mistakes on.

“It’s not a lot, but I think I need to do better,” McNamara said. “I can’t do that at the end of the game. I have to check or something like that.

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