Former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr might be a bit biased but his feelings for the current U-M program are extremely high. So high, in fact, that he thinks this current Wolverine team will be one that will be remembered for quite some time.
Appearing on the Good Afternoon, Michigan Football podcast on Friday, Carr was asked about his feelings about the current team.
He didn't hesitate to gush about the body of work the players and Jim Harbaugh have done this season.
"The part that impressed me is the way, game after the game, without Schoonmaker or Corum, those are great players, they didn't miss a beat," Carr said. "They're doing a great job of recruiting and recognizing what they want. The type of guy they want. Jim talks about character and the way he loves what goes on in his locker room. I think if you can run the football like that, you saw what happened in Columbus. They put nine guys up there, that puts the deep part of the field—there's only three back there as opposed to four. When you can do that, their game plan going in there, those big plays kill a defense. They kill your morale.
"I think it's a team for the ages. This team, what they have in front of them is a new season. I feel great about it. I look down on that field and I like everything I see."
Not only did the way the Wolverines navigated through a bevy of injuries to key players this season, but Carr also appreciated the way Harbaugh handled the quarterback situation as well.
As someone who was in a very similar situation with Tom Brady and Drew Henson, Carr admired how Harbaugh navigated the situation.
Couple that all together and you have a season that was defined by the Wolverines being competitive in key moments.
"What this team did, especially with the injuries we have, you always have some injuries but this team was able to outplay a schedule that was set up for Jim took advantage of in terms of the way he handled the quarterback situation," Carr said. "I thought it was great. I thought the key to the whole season, for me, came down to the last drive of the Illinois game because everything was on the line. Jim punted the ball and he trusted his defense with a couple minutes to go. He punted the ball away and his defense came up with a big stop.
"Then, that offense, the McCarthy kid, really, I thought he learned—he has confidence coming out of that game because he took his team down under the greatest of pressure. Behind, the clock was running, that team caught some passes and you just had to leave that game feeling he was ready to take on all-comers. Certainly this last Saturday in Columbus, he showed that."
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