While Sherrone Moore has swiftly taken over the head coaching duties at Michigan, he still vividly remembers his days as an OC there. The thrill and adrenaline in Michigan were at their fever pitch on the day of the Rose Bowl, where the Maize and Blue fans were still waiting to make it to the National Championship while being 7 points behind Alabama with under four minutes to go on the clock. The drive that JJ McCarthy made there is still a dream come true for the Maize and Blue fans.

“So before that drive, never really nervous to call drive, never really, like anxious that drive. I was looking around, I looked at the clock, I looked at the time. I said this is, like, the most important drive in Michigan football history,” Moore said on the Big Noon Conversations podcast, recalling the peak pressure it was there on him to tackle the mighty Alabama defense.

Amid all the eyes and hopes set on him, Sherrone Moore could only think of one person to resort to. “And I looked up to the sky, and asked my grandpa, need some help here. Help me out. Love you.” The miraculous thing happened to Moore when JJ McCarthy said this to him just after that moment. “I never forget I was walking and all the linemen strapping their helmets on, and JJ comes up to me, said, ‘Hey, Pops, we got you’,” Moore recalled the words of JJ McCarthy, that prompted him to call the play.

Who knew the little words of McCarthy could win Michigan the National Championship? Blake Corum worked his magic in the 4th quarter, scoring first a 12-yard run and later a 1-yard run from Turner’s kick. However, Moore’s kind words for McCarthy aren’t limited to just the field. Off the field too, Moore is a supporter of McCarthy through and through.

Sherrone Moore backing JJ McCarthy up

Sherrone Moore has always supported JJ McCarthy’s transition from college football to the NCAA. There might be a bias since he coached McCarthy for three good seasons as his OC, but Moore is a sincere appreciator of McCarthy’s skills since he has observed them closely.

JJ McCarthy was one of the most volatile players in the draft market since his projected team was changing every day. Yet, Moore had complete faith in him that McCarthy would end up with a heavyweight team from the mix.

“The skillset, the tight window throws, the decision-making, the things we put on his plate. His athleticism – his underrated athleticism – all those things will just be put on display when he’s drafted,” Moore had said about McCarthy while speaking to NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran. Moore’s prediction of McCarthy stood true as he was drafted by the Vikings as the tenth overall.