Everything Jim Harbaugh said during his pre-Indiana press conference
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is serious about his football program picking up the pieces after its heartbreaking loss to Michigan State on Saturday. The most important thing for the Wolverines, though, is avoiding one loss snowballing into two with so much still left at stake.
That starts, however, with Indiana at the Big House on Saturday.
Harbaugh met with the media on Monday during his weekly press conference to preview the upcoming game against the Hoosiers and to recap the loss to the Spartans.
For everything Harbaugh had to say, check out the full transcript below.
On the defense cleaning up late substitutions
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.
On Donovan Edwards' status
He’s working through something right now.
On how the program will avoid 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.
On his thoughts on Cade McNamara's game against MSU
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.
On his thoughts on the two-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.
On whether playing in East Lansing was the determining factor in 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.
On Brad Hawkins' angles
I wouldn’t specify one person in making that observation. But fits, and there’s another point of emphasis for us.
On the approach with J.J. McCarthy after Saturday
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.
On why Cade McNamara was so effective
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.
On whether McNamara makes those throws in practice
Yeah, he’s made those kinds 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.
On Hassan Haskins becoming a captain
That was also elected by the team when we first voted for captains. Hassan was the alternate captain voted (by the team) 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.
On Erick All's status
We'll see.
On Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo getting better together
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. The other one on each side, it presents an issue for an offense.
On the run blocking against Michigan State
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.
On whether the second fumble can be blamed on Blake Corum
Yeah, you’re not out there, but that’s something Blake should have securely taken the ball knowing the ball was coming to him.
On how he approached losses as a player and coach
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.
On 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.
On how the team will handle a one game at a time mentality
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.
On whether redzone struggles are a priority
Yeah, it’s a big one. It’s a big one every week and every game.
On how you fix redzone struggles
Yeah, you want to win that. That’s an edge that you want to win.
On whether there's a symptom to redzone struggles
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.