Michigan opened as a three-point underdog at Wisconsin, a place the Wolverines haven’t won since 2001. Head coach Jim Harbaugh is 2-1 against the Badgers in his three meetings but 0-1 in Madison, a 24-10 loss two years ago.
U-M was forced to play freshman Brandon Peters due to a Wilson Speight injury and battled before losing a closer than the score indicated 24-10 contest. This year, Michigan returns to Madison as a three-point underdog, to which Harbaugh shrugged.
“It’s irrelevant,” he said of the point spread.
But he did give the Badgers plenty of credit.
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“The challenge of this game is big,” he said. “We’ve played Wisconsin now three times, going for the fourth. They're just good every year. It seems to me that every time you face them, they're a talented, veteran, well-coached football team.
“Playing in Camp Randall is a tough venue. It's a tough win to get. We haven't won in four or five tries [there]. it's a big game for us … a big challenge.”
Slowing running back Jonathan Taylor is the biggest. He’s averaging 6.8 yards per carry in wins over South Florida and Central Michigan, has rushed for 4,000 yards over his last two years and is elite.
“He's really good,” Harbaugh said. “He can run all the assortments of runs. An elusive back, power back, light on his feet and sees holes … does everything well, blocks well. We are striving to kind of contain a back like that, not a realistic thing to think that you can stop him. You hope to contain and get stops, get the ball back over to the offense.”
Harbaugh also recruited Jack Coan, the Badgers’ junior quarterback.
“He's playing well. I remember recruiting him and having him on campus here,” he said with a grin. “Very good athlete. He throws the ball very well and is very competitive. He's having success and doing a very good job starting off the season as the Wisconsin quarterback … been impressive.”
But they’re going there to win, and Harbaugh is excited to find out what his team is made of.
“[Learning] what kind of road team you are … the importance of being good,” Harbaugh said. “That's what I've always thought of road games. When you win them, you have to be a good team.”
NOTES
• The safety position has been a plus for the Wolverines through two games, Harbaugh said, led by junior Brad Hawkins.
“He’s been really good,” Harbaugh said. “He's been an efficient tackler; he's getting to the ball, playing with great effort. I just feel like the safety play is a real strength for us. He, Josh Metellus and J'Marick Woods are doing a real nice job at safety.”
• Harbaugh wouldn’t give injury updates, only saying his team was still improving “health-wise and otherwise.” He also hasn’t decided whether or not he’d keep the kicker rotation going between sophomore Jake Moody and redshirt junior Quinn Nordin.
• This will be senior guard and Wisconsin native Ben Bredeson’s last go-round against his home state team. Harbaugh said he’s loved coaching him.
“Just been fabulous,” he said. “Somebody that was older than his year when we were recruiting him, a mature guy physically. He [had] an old soul as a senior in high school. Great family. His brother Jack was here at Michigan playing baseball. Wonderful parents, older brother and younger brother. Great family.
“As far as his development at Michigan, he played right away. He played in a lot of games, started in a lot of games, akes it real seriously; he's very dedicated. Plus, plus, plus.”
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