Everything Jim Harbaugh said on Inside Michigan Football pre-Rutgers
On Ja'Den McBurrows and Gemon Green's status
As good as can be expected. They do have some injuries. It's traumatic. Traumatic for me to watch it. Sickening to watch the videos, let alone the two young men that went through it and their families. We're just going through it now. That's what we're doing. It's unprecedented. It's uncharted waters. I'm going to do my best today. That's all I ask. All we can do. I asked the other guys to do that. As a team, we support. We support Gemon and Ja'Den in every way possible.
On how he talks to his players about how they carry themselves outside of football
In a first-class manner. I think our guys do a tremendous job of doing that. That's definitely what we strive to do our very best. On the field and off. Treat others in a first-class manner, the way you would want to be treated yourself.
On the performance of the team against MSU
I thought it was a tremendous effort. Clearly won all three phases, the offense, the defense, the special teams. Thoroughly, for 60 minutes. Times things we didn't do so well, getting the ball inside the 10-yard line with first-and-goal and not putting it in the endzone twice. Definitely things we can work on. Not our best because our best would've been scoring those touchdowns. In terms of methodically taking over the game and clearly winning it in a convincing fashion, our team did that in all three phases.
On J.J. McCarthy's leadership
I just see him getting better and better every game. Whether it's at home, on the road, in all situations. Third down was huge. Quarterback efficiency was really good, again. Huge difference. We converted some third downs, kept drives alive. Four, five six drives time of possession, 40 minutes. A big part of that was converting those third downs and getting a new set of downs. Sometimes J.J. did it throwing the intermediate pass, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20. 28-yard gains. Also, running with the football. 22-yard gains, 16-yard gains to move the chains. Did it in a very efficient manner.
On whether he wants to provide the opportunity for him to pick up more first downs with his legs
As he plays his game, he learns what his game is, those things—here's a new toy. I can run, I can go pick up this first down. They're in man-to-man coverage and away he goes. He's so quick and fast, can really see some of that speed. We've seen him do it when he escapes the pocket to the right or the left. Call that a front door or a back door. Now he's getting up and scrambling into the a-gap or the b-gap, straight up the field when there's a running game. Really becoming a check-down, instead of throwing the check-down, he's becoming the check-down. He has the athletic ability to do that. The other one is when he stepped out of the free rusher. Had a free rusher in his face that didn't get blocked and he was able to duck, dive a little to the left and come out running with his eyes down the field and hit Luke Schoonmaker down inside the 10-yard line.
On Blake Corum
It's too late to say he's emerging as a Heisman finalist, an MVP candidate. He's already that. Over 100 yards in each of the Big Ten games. 33 carries in this last ballgame. Just another tremendous performance by him. Whether he's running the ball, blocking. Doing it all, really, for our football team. Short-yardage. First down, second down, third down. What a player.
On whether he would like to get his receivers more involved
We've got tremendous receivers. One week, Ronnie Bell gets targeted 13 times and has 11 catches. Cornelius Johnson has a big game. Another game, Luke Schoonmaker has a huge game. Andrel Anthony, I'd love to see Andrel, we all would, get some more targets. I think that's going to happen. A.J. Henning contributes a ton. Roman Wilson's had big games, two-touchdown games. In a way, every guy isn't going to have the 13 target game each game. It's just not possible. Our guys are playing very unselfishly. If they don't have the ball, they are willing blockers. Blake Corum, having some of the days, some of the big runs, you don't have a plus-50 run without the wide receivers blocking not only on the perimeter but the safeties. Again, you see Ronnie Bell, you see Cornelius Johnson, Roman Wilson. They are so good when it comes to blocking on the edge but, also, blocking in the safeties. The safeties, as you know, those guys are much stouter than the corners.
On Jake Moody's range
I think if he's got the wind, it's probably 60. Into the wind, 55. 52, maybe, depending on the wind. His range is 50-plus. I don't he has to have a favorite hash. He's not one of those kickers that's imploring the offense to get the ball on the left hash, get the ball in the middle or get the ball on the right hash. He's very good from all parts of the field. You also have to get credit to Brad Robbins the holder and Greg Tarr the snapper. Was William Wagner. Wags is out for the year. Greg Tarr has stepped in. That's a battery. That's very much like a pitcher-catcher. That's a three-person sequence and two of them have gotta be really good. The kick and either the hold or the snap. When you get all three—the other thing, too, a really good game. Kenneth Grant, particularly the protection. You can't have people in the backfield. Kenneth has been a huge protector for us in there on field goals and the rest of the field goal unit has done a great job. Just like anything else, it all works together. Snapper, holder, kicker and protection have been outstanding.
On the defense
Second half, you really go to the third downs. Three-and-out, three-and-out, three-and-out. The third downs it didn't matter if it was third and four, third and six, third and three or third and 15. Third and whatever it was, our defense did an incredible job getting off the field. Setting up two fourth downs we were able to get turnovers on downs. Seaming, they just keep getting better and better.
On Junior Colson
He sure is having a great season. A prototypical middle linebacker in every way, who ca really run, as well. Kris Jenkins had a great game, he had a bunch of tackles. Great to see Rod Moore with like five tackles and an interception. Makari Paige on the one fourth down was able to get his shoulder in there right at the right time to keep the ball carrier from going over the line of scrimmage. Really good play. Mike Morris had a sack and a really good game. D.J. Turner had a heck of a game, I thought. A lot of guys to point to for player of the game or honorable mention, et cetera.
On Kris Jenkins' versatility
Development in the program has been freakish. Some of the things he does in the measurable and in the strength and power world but, also, the speed and agility world. Not a lot of people can do, let's face it. He's got a nose for the ball, high motor. Super tough. Never had a bad day either. If you're going to have him on the show, great. He's going to brighten your day and the listener's, too. He affects everybody in a positive manner.