Michigan football completed a 52-7 drubbing of Indiana on Saturday afternoon at the Big House to move to 7-0 on the season.
In the win, the Wolverines had several players step up to make big plays on both sides of the ball, including another brilliant performance from from quarterback J.J. McCarthy on offense, with experienced guys such as Jaylen Harrell and Michael Barret coming up big on the defensive side of the ball.
In his postgame press conference, Harbaugh also took note of some of the young players who have developed and stepped up to make plays against IU—such as sophomore tight end Colston Loveland, freshman running back Benjamin Hall, freshman receiver Semaj Morgan and sophomore safety Keon Sabb.
Loveland led the team in receiving yards against the Hoosiers with 80, Hall led the rushing attack with 59 yards on nine carries, while Sabb came up with an interception on defense and Morgan found the endzone for the second time this season on a dazzling play.
Harbaugh said he has been pleased with the fast development of many of the young players, crediting his assistant coaches for those efforts.
"You see the development, you see the plays they are making," Harbaugh said. "That next wave of young guys, you see them coming up. It's time to give credit to the assistant coaches. It's am amazing group of coaches, just every single one of them."
Harbaugh then went down the list of coaches on the staff to praise several of them for their efforts, including mentioning wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy, who coached Morgan previously in high school.
"Well-documented with what Mike Elston has done with the defensive line, just been a great coach," said Harbaugh. "You see him developing young freshmen. Chris Partridge, our linebackers have made a huge step, a huge jump this year in the way they're being coached and trained. Been phenomenal. Ron Bellamy, they're not only top-tier receivers, but the young ones, Semaj Morgan, he had a chance to develop him in high school. That was a great play by Semaj. Fredrick Moore, he'll be an elite punt return blocker (along with a playmaking receiver), which he was today."
Harbaugh then lauded Jay Harbaugh for the job he is doing coaching the special teams, defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale while saying the secondary play has "never been better," and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell for the work he has done with McCarthy.
He then moved on to talk about running backs coach Mike Hart to praise him for the development of Hall—a three-star prospect out of Georgia who exploded in the spring game and has continued his progression.
"Mike Hart, what can you say, really? Here comes another young back in the game, he's got him ready to go and he was our leading rusher on nine carries, 58 yards. Ben Hall. The leg drive, the strength, just does a great job," said Harbaugh.
Tight ends coach Grant Newsome in his second season with the team as a full-time staff member, but Harbaugh said the way he coaches from the press box and diagnoses defenses is something that is usually only seen from a 20-year coaching veteran.
"Grant Newsome, pretty well-documented, his players are all playing really well," Harbaugh said. "He's in the box and he is diagnosing defenses like somebody that has been coaching for 20 years. It's that good. It's better than anybody that's up there. Telling us exactly where the shades are aligned, what we should be running, what's going to happen. He's giving coverages and fronts and it's as good as I've ever seen it from a coaching position from the press box during a gameday."
The head coach didn't forget about coordinators Sherrone Moore and Jesse Minter either.
"We all know how great Sherrone Moore is and how he coaches the offensive line," Harbaugh said. " (That's) where it all starts for us on offense. Jesse Minter, it was 139 yards after the (first) three drives but I think they only had 100 after that and a shutout. We're really lucky, we're really blessed and I hope everybody appreciates it as much as our players do and I do. It's master class what our coaches are doing."
