What Jim Harbaugh said after Michigan State, before Indiana
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The mood in Schembechler Hall is still relatively somber, and it was the first Monday of the season in which the team had to face a recent loss.
Now 7-1, much, but not all, of Michigan football’s goals are still on the table, though it might need some help on some fronts. The season is down to the final third, with four games left, but should the Wolverines be able to win out, then a Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff berth are still on the table.
Jim Harbaugh spoke to the media on Monday, sharing a little hindsight as well looking forward to the Indiana game. Here is everything he had to say.
List
Predicting the first College Football Playoff rankings
How will the defense clean up late substitution issues?
“Yeah, something we’ve gotta work on, gotta fix. Especially when they’re not substituting and going fast. It’s not the time for us to be substituting.”
Donovan Edwards' injury status
“He’s working through something right now.”
How will the team keep from letting one loss turn into two?
“I’ve seen the team for a long time now, the way they respond. Whether it’s a setback or chatter. I know how they’re going to respond. Been around several of them. Come back today for meetings but very confident that the team will respond like they do, which is come back with more resolve, more determined, to prepare, and get ready for our next ball game.”
His assessment of Cade McNamara on Saturday
“Really played outstanding in almost every way. I think — we’ll see him today and how he’s able to move around, but yeah — I thought he played really well. He made some throws that, not just the best throws that he’s ever made, but some of the best throws you could make.”
Is there an issue with the 2-minute offense?
“The two-minute has been pretty successful. The one, we really didn’t have enough time. Got far, got a field goal before half. And then the last two, got stopped on fourth down. Clear pass interference. And then we threw the corner route into a cover 2 and they made an interception.”
Did the game being in East Lansing contribute to more playing time for Andrel Anthony?
“I think you know the answer to that. We’ve talked about this for weeks. He’s been ascending every single week. More would be added to his playlist and he’s responded each and every time.”
Is there an issue with Brad Hawkins' angles?
“I wouldn’t specify one person in making that observation. But fits and there’s another point of emphasis for us.”
What's the approach with J.J. McCarthy now?
“It’s been going — the approach — I think I repeat this every week, but we want to play J.J. We really believe that he adds to our chances of winning. I think he’s ready, he competes, he plays extremely well. The two fumbles, one he’s gotta put the ball away running to his left there, secure it. Then the next one, he was doing everything he was supposed to do.”
Why did Cade McNamara play so well?
“Yeah, there was some things we were emphasizing. But he made some incredible throws standing in the pocket. A couple of the shallow posts over the middle, the short posts to Mike Sainristil, two to Erick All — and the one to Erick, the one that hit him in stride, that’s as good a throw as anybody can make.”
Does he do that in practice?
“Yeah, he’s made those kind of plays in practice, and to see them show up in a game like that is great. That’s usually a progression. Same for a quarterback, same for a guy like Andrel Anthony — other really good players.”
How did Hassan Haskins become a captain?
“That was also elected by the team when we first voted for captains. Hassan was the alternate captain voted on offense. It’s just a, what makes him a great leader, is the amount of respect that everybody has for him, the way he approaches everything. The work ethic, the determination, the strength in which he does everything.”
Was Erick All injured late in the game?
“We’ll see.”
Why are Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo appearing to get better?
“It’s a tremendous thing. Aidan continues to be a great player and keeps raising his level of play every week. And David Ojabo is doing the same. So he’s really come on. It’s pretty obvious. And the other one on each side, it presents an issue for an offense.”
His assessment of the run blocking on Saturday
“Yeah, it needs to be better, needs to be cleaner. Need to be — yeah, cleaner is the best way to say it. You don’t want the backs to be hit on the line of scrimmage. Play blocked for at least two or three yards and actually be able to get four or five. Yeah, something to work on.”
Was the second fumble on Blake Corum, then?
“Yeah, you’re not out there, but that’s something Blake should have securely taken the ball knowing the ball was coming to him.”
His personal approach moving on from a loss as a player
“My approach, very similar to — fight or get knocked down. You get up, referee wipes your gloves and you come back even more determined, with even more resolve. To prepare, to work harder, to find a way, to finish, and to win.”
What he's seen from Indiana
“Good, good football team. They’ve always had a good, strong running game. They throw the ball downfield effectively. Defensively, both linebackers, extremely good, high volume of blitz. Coordinated well on special teams. Good all-around football team.”
How the players will handle the one game at a time mentality while needing to win out?
“The Michigan football team, the 2021 team, is going to be defined by what’s already taken place and what they do this Saturday, and what they do the Saturday after that, the Saturday after that, and the Saturday after that. That’s what’s gonna define us. Resolve is to get back to work and get prepared for this next opponent. That’s the way I woke up today. Determined, attack, with the resolve that it’s a new season. A new day, a new week, a new four-game season. Let’s get at it.”
How much are the red zone woes a priority?
“Yeah, it’s a big one. It’s a big one every week and every game.”
How do you go about fixing it?
“Yeah, you want to win that. That’s an edge that you want to win.”
Is there a consistent symptom that's added to the issues there?
“This past game, it was too low of a percentage of times that we got into the red zone — both offensively and defensively. That combined red zone — we’ve been on the other side of that coin in many games that we played and weren’t in this one.”
1
1
