Michigan Wolverines football radio reporter Doug Karsch took in all the bedlam Saturday night, and delivers the lowdown From The Sidelines.
Here’s Karsch, on…
How wild the atmosphere became in Lincoln: “I keep going back to this well, but the Penn State whiteout is the standard setter, of the loudest, most hostile environment. Ohio State has been like that, the Iowa blackout is like that, and Michigan’s maize-out against Washington was like that, as far as the best environments.
“Nebraska matched them all. It was right there with them. What you have to understand with these road games is that, on the field, everything around you looks like chaos. The fans are just screaming and yelling and moving. Communication is near impossible.
“There were times I could not hear the broadcast. I’m wearing headphones, and I’ve got Brandy [Jim Brandstatter] and [Dan] Dierdorf in my ears. But I could not hear the play-by-play, or whether they’re calling for a report from me, because it’s so loud.
“Another thing about Nebraska — and this is true of Penn State, too — there is just a ton of fans on the field. It just adds to the chaos, which makes it so tough to play in.
“The fact that Michigan went in there with a quarterback who hadn’t played at all, a year ago on the calendar, and was able to handle that environment and win that game was really impressive. Some of the Nebraska fans had issues with the calls, and what really sent them over the top was the pass interference right before halftime.
“Some of the stuff I heard yelled at that official was right on par with Buckeye fans. The difference is, in Lincoln, they’re extraordinarily friendly people. It was completely off-brand for them to be that vile. They were really all over those refs.”
Whether it calmed any as Michigan moved out to a 13-0 lead: “It didn’t really calm down. It was 6-0, right? Michigan scored the touchdown right before half, and then it was halftime.
“They come out in the third quarter, take the ball right down the field and score. If anything, as that third quarter and second half went on, it got louder and more chaotic.
“Michigan didn’t have that 13-0 lead for very long.”
Observations surrounds all the reviews and delays: “When [redshirt sophomore tailback] Hassan Haskins dove forward for that first down, there was a flag. They picked up the flag, and said there was no penalty for illegal formation, fourth down.
“It was clear that Haskins had dove for the first down. Harbaugh, of course, went nuts, and really let the officials have it.
“Well, they’d gone to commercial break. During the commercial break, in house, they started showing out-of-town highlights, and they had a woman narrating the highlights. That just started during the three-minute commercial break.
“The official comes over and talks to Harbaugh, and he pretty much agrees to review the play, it looked like. So he comes out on the field, and the announcement is made they’re going to look at the play so they can review the spot.
“The problem is, these in-house highlights are playing. The narration of the highlights is going on. He’s standing there, waiting to turn on his mic. Well, she never stopped, the highlights never stopped, and nobody would hear him if he turned his mic on.
“So it took, basically, the entire commercial break before he announced that the previous play was under review. In the meantime, Michigan people were freaking out. How can they not be reviewing this?
“It was just an operational deal, where the in-house PA was being used to show highlights during the TV timeout, and it took them so long.
“On Nebraska’s first touchdown, it was an illegal formation. I usually can’t hear what they’re saying, but [defensive line coach] Shaun Nua was really all over the official. Harbaugh also got all over him.
“If you look back at the highlights, it was an illegal formation — too many men in the backfield, which might explain why he was running wide open.
“But with all the reviews, they pretty much got it right.”
What the Michigan sideline was like when the Wolverines began giving up some big plays in the second half: “The way their stadium is set up, there’s a fence behind the bench. I have to be outside of the fence. It’s where fans are, so they keep you moving.
“I couldn’t really set up to see much of what was going on with the staff and the players. The stadium was obviously chaotic, and look, it was a real test of this team’s toughness.
“To trail in the second half of a big game, on that stage, was a test of their toughness. Would they be tough enough? They went right back down the field and scored, taking the lead back.
“For [redshirt freshman quarterback] Cade McNamara to throw an interception and have to respond right after that, and lead them on a couple of drives? That was a test of him individually.
“He wasn’t going to go through the season without getting sacked, and he got sacked. And he wasn’t going to go through the season without throwing an interception. How do you respond?
“He responded, and after the game in the locker room he said, ‘That was the biggest game of my life.’ It was a test. Every player had to face it.
“[Senior safety] Brad Hawkins made a monstrous defensive play against a player that is known to make the big mistake. But it’s interesting. Right before Hawkins peeled that ball out, Nebraska’s first-down play was a quick pass to, I believe, Oliver Martin.
“[Redshirt sophomore cornerback] Vincent Gray was one of the defensive backs that stood up Oliver Martin. It was right in front of me. You could see, as they were bringing him to the ground, Vincent Gray just tugging at the football.
“I just made note of it. Two play later, Brad Hawkins just tears it out of Adrian Martinez’s hands. After the game, Hawkins said, ‘It’s one of the drills we do in practice. When the ball carrier stops moving forward, and we’ve got ‘em stopped, the next guy in is ripping at the football.’
“Hawkins said, ‘I like to think I lead the team in practice in strip attempts.’ It’s the right guy making the right play at the right time.”
The emotional release after the game: “It was right there with the happiest locker rooms I’ve ever been in. Harbaugh was elated. Look, it’s been a rough year, right? The COVID year was a tough year on everybody.
“Then you go 2-4, everybody is talking about you, how the wheels are coming off. To go on the road, back-to-back weeks — and we can debate how bad the programs are, but Michigan hasn’t had success at Wisconsin, and Nebraska is clearly a tough out. To win those games, I think they’re ecstatic with the result.
“The funny thing is, none of them is making bold claims to me, or to media, about what is happening next. They are just completely living in the moment, and not making grand predictions about what’s going to happen next.”
Some final observations: “So this is totally speculation on my part. But as far as how loud it was, and how challenging it is to communicate, they put [true freshman quarterback] J.J. [McCarthy] in the game, and he’s standing there.
“He does the fake clap thing, and looks over the defense. On the sideline, they’re screaming at him to get his attention. He never heard them.
“It looked to me — and this is just speculation — that they were trying to signal him or change the play, and at least give J.J. some sort of information from the sideline.
“He never heard them. He just clapped his hands, took the snap, and ran the play anyway. That’s the kind of thing that truly helps you appreciate how loud it was, and what you’re up against when you’re on the road.
“They also came out throwing. Nine of their first 14 plays were passes. We talked about the adaptability of [defensive coordinator] Mike Macdonald’s defense. He caters it every week to the opponent. I think [offensive coordinator] Josh Gattis does the same thing, and saw some opportunities in the pass game.
“The use of the tight ends was something we haven’t seen a lot of. Those delayed off the line of scrimmage ones were something they hadn’t done a lot, and was very successful. I remember that play from earlier in the Harbaugh era.
“I interviewed [junior placekicker] Jake Moody on the field after the game. He was so calm and so monotone. Everybody talked about how he just does the job. He said he just stayed in his routine.
“Two field goals in the last five minutes of the game, one to tie it, one to win it. These are pressure situations, and I can see why he’s good at them. You can hear the interview on the In The Trenches podcast that just got posted Sunday.
“Moody’s mood never changed. He never fluctuated with an emotional high, although he was clearly happy. He said he loved his teammates for all the support. But it felt like a steady hand, shown by the kicker.”
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