Michigan football stock watch: 5 players trending up after historic win vs. OSU

Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia breaks down the Michigan football players who helped or hurt their stock after Saturday's 45-23 win over Ohio State in Columbus.

Five up

J.J. McCarthy: He started slowly, 3-for-10 out of the gate, but once he connected with Cornelius Johnson on a 69-yard touchdown catch and run — with a double A-gap blitz breathing down his neck — he finally settled in. On the next snap, he found Johnson again on a double-move that had him wide open down the middle of the field for a 75-yard score.

He also completed a 33-yarder up the left sideline to Ronnie Bell on the game's opening drive, started the third quarter with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Colston Loveland and scored from 3 yards out with his legs early in the fourth to give Michigan its largest lead (11) to that point. McCarthy went 3-for-7 on passes of more than 20 yards, racking up for 153 yards and two scores on such throws, per Pro Football Focus.

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Mike Sainristil: In a run-heavy offense, Michigan's wide receivers know there will be times where they're relied on to block or be decoys more often than catching passes The unit prides itself on doing whatever it must to help the team, and nobody embodied that more this season than Mike Sainristil, who switched from wide receiver to defensive back to help fill a need caused by Dax Hill's departure.

He was beat on OSU's first touchdown of the day but came up big after. He made the defensive play of the game when he broke up a third-and-4 pass to Cade Stover in the corner of the end zone and forced OSU to settle for a field goal. "He released late and the only thing running through my head at that time was just don’t give up another touchdown, go straight to the ball and get it out any way you can,” Sainristil said. The senior had another PBU on the ensuing drive as he finished the day with seven tackles and two pass breakups.

Donovan Edwards: Michigan's run game in the first half was nonexistent, carrying the ball 10 times as a team for 11 yards. Donovan Edwards had five of those rushes for 9 yards and with a heavily bandaged right hand, it appeared as if the Wolverines were hesitant to give him the ball.

Narrator: They were not.

Michigan leaned on its rushing attack in the second half, pounding away and breaking the will of Ohio State.

Edwards broke through the first play after OSU cut the deficit to eight in the fourth quarter, ripping through the A-gap before scampering up the sideline 75 yards for the score. He did the same thing on the next possession after an OSU interception, this time from 85 yards to end the game. He totaled 22 carries, 216 yards and two scores.

Cornelius Johnson: Johnson started with a reception on a curl route midway through the second quarter, broke two tackles and stayed on his feet to tie the game with 7:26 to play in the second quarter. It was the longest passing touchdown of the season for the Wolverines, and the record stood for all of one offensive snap.

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The next time Michigan touched the ball, Johnson ran a double move, and McCarthy threw a perfect ball deep downfield to the wide-open receiver, who caught it in stride and ran untouched for a 75-yard score. Johnson finished career day ended with four receptions for 160 yards and two scores.

Braiden McGregor: Michigan's best pass rusher and defensive leader Mike Morris was severely limited Saturday, playing just 11 snaps. Junior edge Braiden McGregor filled in, played a season-high 27 snaps and made three impact plays, breaking up two passes and recording one tackle for loss. The first PBU came late in the first half, with OSU up by three and looking to extend its lead before the break. He faked a rush then dropped back in zone coverage and broke up a pass intended for Julian Fleming on a slant to force a punt.

Early in the second half he was at it again after OSU had marched to midfield on its first drive. On second-and-2, he came around the edge and dropped DeaMonte Trayanum for a loss; the Buckeyes punted two plays later. He also knocked down a pass at the line of scrimmage on third-and-3 early in the fourth quarter as well.

One down

Overall health: Michigan just proved it can win in tough circumstances even without a number of its key pieces, but as far as the health goes, this is not what the Wolverines wanted to see. Corum, the heart and soul of the team all season, could only manage two carries before he had to leave the game with a knee injury sustained the week prior against Illinois.

Morris recorded just one tackle on 11 snaps before sitting the majority of the game, too. Luke Schoonmaker was back in action but played just 24 snaps. He had 52 or more snaps in every other Big Ten game he appeared in since he took over for the injured Erick All. The Wolverines should win without any of the three against Purdue in the Big Ten title game and then they have a month to get healthy for a bowl game (which will likely be one of the College Football Playoff semifinals) but injuries to key pieces late in the season is always worrisome.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football stock watch: Braiden McGregor, J.J. McCarthy up