Jim Harbaugh On Shea Patterson: ‘He Does So Many Things Well’

Michigan will enter Saturday night’s game at Notre Dame with a new quarterback in Shea Patterson. The junior Ole Miss transfer leads an offense that figures to be much better than last year’s group.

The offensive line will have something to do with that, of course, after surrendering 36 sacks last season. But Patterson brings a different element to the game than U-M has had recently, and with him comes high expectations.

“He’s that type of quarterback that does so many things well,” Harbaugh told WXYT Radio 97.1 Thursday. “He’s athletic, very good arm talent, understands … he’s smart. He’s always focused. He can keep his mind on what’s important at that moment. Just so many good things.

“When you’ve got a quarterback that’s athletic and can throw it, a dual threat you can bring to an offense, it does open up what you can do.”

Patterson opens with a big challenge against a Notre Dame team that ranks 12th in the preseason with plenty of returning starters on defense. It will be a good measuring stick for a program that has lost its last 16 road games against ranked teams.

Harbaugh said Patterson has come a long way to put himself in position to play in such a big game, noting it was a tremendous advantage having him in the spring.

“Six months later you’re going to be in a much better place,” he said. “After a year you’re at a higher level, and with two years in the same system you can be an expert and start teaching to other people.

“Put it this way. The quarterback has to have confidence in himself. That’s his job. It’s his job by how he plays to make others believe. He’s done both of those things.”

Harbaugh is as anxious as anyone to see how he and his team fare Saturday night.

“You want to get things started, get the season started and going, find out what your team is about, also where you go next and where do you improve from there,” he said. “You find out a lot about it playing a very good opponent on the road.”

Notes

• Plenty went into the offseason coaching changes. Tim Drevno left to take a job with USC, while Jim McElwain arrived to coach receivers and strength coach Ben Herbert replaced Kevin Tolbert. Al Washington (linebackers) and Sherrone Moore (tight ends) were also added to the staff.

“I felt the way I always do. You look and assess where you are, where you’re going,” Harbaugh said of the changes. “When things are really good, say okay, that’s good. If that’s great, we want to get that better. If you come in mediocre, you want to get it to great.

“Even if you’re great you say, gosh darn we’re in a good spot but if we could just get that a little better, too. It’s a constant process of improving.”

• The defense is where they want it to be heading into the opener, Harbaugh said.

“From the way we’ve been competing on defense throughout spring and fall camp, you see that pride they take in their unit, the pride our defense has,” he said. “Whoever they’re competing against, whether it’s our offense or opposing the offense, it’s there. You see it. You see the pride they take in being good.”

• Harbaugh said they’d take advantage of the new redshirt rules in different ways with each player. Players can now play in any four games of the year without losing the redshirt.

“You do what’s best for the individual player and the team,” he said. “You’re never thinking redshirt, but then again you’re not going to play a guy just a couple plays that are meaningless to use a player’s first year of eligibility. We’re still working under those parameters.

“What’s going to change is it’s not just play somebody in the first four games or six games. You may look and say, okay, we project this player may be better at the end of the season. Maybe that’s the time to use those games.”

If a kid is good enough to play above someone else at his position, Harbaugh added, he’ll play.

TheWolverine's Latest Coverage of Fall Camp:

• News and Views: Pep Hamilton on the Offense

• By the Numbers: U-M can Snap Road Losing Streak to Ranked Teams at ND

• Wolverine Watch: Getting up for the Season

• Pep Hamilton has High Praise for Many on Offense

• Videos: Hamilton, Mattison Preview Notre Dame

• Mattison Talks Starters on the D-Line, Gary's Health

• Winovich Knows the Necessary Adjustments Have Been Made

• Presser What we Learned — 'Our Defense is one of a Kind'

• Harbaugh Names No. 3 Running Back, Talks Shea Patterson

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