Opening Statement

First off, I want to say congratulations to our players, coaches and everybody. Just a tremendous job of playing football, I think that was one of our best games as we all saw tonight. Also, want to congratulate my daughter, Addie Harbaugh, who just got back her first quarter grades, straight A's and got her first-round win in field hockey state championships today.

On how the team was able to put together a complete game despite the distractions

Our guys really had a single mindset of get prepared, beat State. That was pretty much—if anyone around the building wanted to talk about anything else, they didn't want to. They wanted to just talk about the game, preparation and practice. Get ready and execute to the—I thought they played their best. Got a little saying around here, what you do speaks so loud they can't even hear what you're saying. I think our guys did a tremendous job of just taking it one play at a time. They were a real buzzsaw. Played really great football. There's been stuff, there's been attempts to diminish the team in a lot of ways. Starting with the easy schedule, it's too easy of a schedule, you guys aren't very good, that kind of thing. They just play and they'll do that again today. We'll move on to the next one with humble hearts. It's a heckuva group and I just congratulate them for—their focus was laser-like. Stayed strong, focused. Just on a mission.

On the fumble against MSU in 2021 motivated him

J.J. is just a great player, it's just what it is. The dropback game was just great, A-plus-plus. The way he was throwing the ball, talk about lasers, that's what it was. Receivers, tight ends, some of the best tight end play that anybody has ever seen in college football. I think I won't be going too far out on a limb by saying that. The catches they were making, the routes they were running, the precision that was there in the dropback passing game. The contested catches that our tight ends were making. A.J. Barner especially, there were some real bang-bang shots. Coverage was really tight. Only a few inches to spare to where J.J. put the throw and the, bang, there's the hit and to hold onto the ball. Pretty amazing. Start talking about the defense, too, congratulations to everybody. Played lights out.

On success on third down

A lot of credit to Sherrone Moore. Had a great gameplan, called a great game. Michigan State is one of the best teams in the country on third down, it's well-documented and we were picking up third downs, third and longs. Weren't a lot of third and ones and third and twos, there were third and sevens, third and 12s. When we got into those positions, we were able to convert. Just a real high trust level that J.J. is going to make the play. Yeah, maybe they've got the perfect defense called. The one was a really well-timed blitz, got home. Must've been seven guys in the backfield and somehow he got out. He looked like Ooze the Magnificent on that one. Incredible. He's just so dangerous when he's out of the pocket. Keeps his eyes downfield and hits the open receiver or runs it himself. A double-edged sword with J.J. McCarthy. He is the double-edged sword. Can beat you in so many ways.

On Ja'Den McBurrows' interception

The whole sideline erupted. Everyone was loving on him. He made three or four great tackles in the game as well. A wall run saving tackle up the middle. He made a great hit on the perimeter. When he got the tip and got the interception that was like, phew, what an amazing thing. Great to see German Green get a tackle at the end there, he played on kickoff. To see both those guys, German came back from ACL surgery. He's rehabbed and come back faster than you'd think humanly possible. Great to see that. Great to see Mikey Sainristil. Nobody we love more, nobody the players love more than Mikey the captain. Did a great job seeing the ball in the air and keeping his feet in bounds. Second pick-six of the season. Just incredible, really great stuff. We were a buzzsaw tonight. One of the best games we've played.

On whether that's the most McBurrows has played this year

Yeah, I think it is. He's worked his way up to second nickel and really acquitted himself great tonight.

On whether he feels like the program has a target on its back

Yeah, I think success does that. People don't like to see others be successful. There's a target, yeah. Everybody has pointed that out from the beginning of the season. Our guys are just very focused and just go about their business. Wake up, take care of business today. Get the guys back to Ann Arbor, wake up tomorrow and take care of business again.

On how this team has defied gravity

Just staying so locked in. They've done it with work, the good ol' fashioned way. They play for each other. There's just no question about that, it's so obvious. The apparent locked in-ness that they have week-to-week is also at a really high level and I think that goes back to that they really play for each other.

On what he addressed to the team

Just same thing I said in my statement.

On whether the message changes on the sidelines as the game gets more physical

Stay disciplined, stay poised, stay focused. I thought our guys did a tremendous job of that the entire 60 minutes.

On his emotion about the program having a target on its back

First rule of being a champion, don't let up.

On whether he thinks his team relishes it

What you do speaks so loudly and I think our team did that tonight. Left no doubt.

On the play at the end of the half

Just felt like he wasn't set. My counterargument was moving backwards and go into motion, let him do that, going backward. He didn't see it that way.

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