Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines have lost their last two games, but the head man isn't looking back — his eyes are focused on how the team can improve and what he needs to do to make sure it does.
"We’re attacking it," Harbaugh told Jon Jansen on the 'Inside Michigan Football' radio show Monday night when discussing the team's mood coming off two straight setbacks. "We’re trying to turn the adverse into advantage. I see a great opportunity for our team, and that’s our focus — to attack this week, win the next game and get prepared for it."
After the Indiana loss, a 38-21 drubbing in Bloomington, Harbaugh said that his team's play is strong during practice, but it's just not yet showing up on Saturdays.
"It hasn’t all clicked yet in the game," Harbaugh said. "There are definitely times where you’re seeing it all click, all come together for a series, but not consistently.
"There’s been some tremendous individual play. The guys are playing extremely hard, consistently better. You just continue to practice, you push through until you get it. That’s what we’re doing, and some other things. We’re doing some other ideas, some other things that we’re excited about and we’re ready to implement them."
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Some of those ideas that he and his staff are planning on implementing have to do with tweaking the lineups and inserting more players into the game, as well as schematic adjustments, he revealed.
"I just believe that everything we’ve been saying can help our ball club become more aggressive, to keep guys fresher, to keep it aggressive — lip quivering and snot bubble coming out of the nose," Harbaugh said. "Let’s play these guys. Let’s put guys in and play.
"And I’m not just talking about freshmen. I’m talking about seniors and juniors and guys that want to play — starters that have been doing it and playing hard and good, but then bring some reinforcements in, so that’s the idea. I’m excited about it."
Early into the season, the Wolverines have suffered several significant injuries, meaning younger and more inexperienced players will be thrust into the lineup out of necessity.
Redshirt sophomore left tackle Ryan Hayes and redshirt sophomore right tackle Jalen Mayfield both missed last weekend's game with injuries. Their replacements faring well was further proof that there are more-than-capable players on the roster who deserve a shot at playing in games, Harbaugh said, while also noting that both Hayes and Mayfield are "questionable" for this weekend's showdown against Wisconsin.
"I saw [redshirt freshman left tackle] Karsen Barnhart come in and play well," Harbaugh said. "I thought he did a very good job, and [redshirt junior] Andrew Stueber moved from right guard to right tackle, did a very good job as well. [Freshman right guard] Zak Zinter, who started his first game — he was as good as anybody on the offensive line in this ball game."
Junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson left the Indiana game with an injury. He will undergo surgery after suffering a fracture in his leg. His primary replacements were redshirt sophomore Taylor Upshaw and redshirt junior Luiji Vilain. Upshaw notched two tackles, with one for loss, and a pair of quarterback hurries against the Hoosiers, while Vilain added three stops of his own.
"[They did] some good things," Harbaugh said. "Taylor’s a fiery player, he’s an all-out type of player. I love him. Luiji, I think he would tell you he started a little slow but then really got it, it really picked up for him. That’s exciting, too, and something to really build on."
"And some other guys, too. There’s some guys that have been around here for three or four months now, and there’s some older players, some seniors, some freshmen, some juniors just taking the sealing off of not playing. Now you’re playing and you got the opportunity to play, so day by day, play by play, by merit, really playing and doing the things that you came here to do. I recruited all these guys … and recruited them for a reason, because they’re good players. Let's get them out there playing."
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