During the third-quarter break in Saturday's 38-17 win at Wisconsin, Michigan's football players did the unthinkable — they turned the Camp Randall Stadium 'Jump Around' tradition into their moment.
They were only up 10 points despite dominating most of the game, and some coaches might have demanded their attention.
Not Jim Harbaugh — this year's version, anyway, who once again resembles the guy the Wolverines first hired back in 2015. He seems to know the pulse of this group, and like many of the stunned observers, he watched in amazement while the scene unfolded ...
But only for a second.
"I was thinking about the 10-point lead and still a full quarter to play," he said with a grin when asked if he was jumping, too.
"... As far as that, that was au naturale. That just happened. We talked about it during the week — when you go on the road, you want to embrace that environment, make their crowd cheer like it’s your crowd cheering. Make their music your music. They played that song quite a bit during the week, the crowd noise, etc. They just made it theirs in that moment."
And what a moment it was.
Two plays later, end David Ojabo notched a strip sack, and the rout was on.
All year, Harbaugh has been saying this group was 'different' than last year's, one that seemed disinterested at times, lethargic at others. They like each other, play hard on every snap and — more than anything — want to win.
"I would just say the whole team, the way they take coaching, they really listen," Harbaugh said. "They hear, and they take that instruction and embrace it wholeheartedly, do their very best to execute it and try to do extra. They want more, they want new; they want things that stimulate them.
"It’s that way with Cade [McNamara] and a lot of our players. A great majority of our players are like that. Stuff that’s just fun — stuff that makes the little hairs on your arm stand up, what they do."
Case in point: when they got back from Wisconsin relatively early Saturday, backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy, freshman receiver Andrel Anthony and frosh running back Donovan Edwards hit the practice field for more work.
Harbaugh was unpacking his stuff in his office when he noticed them making their way tot he field.
"I even took a picture of it. It meant that much to me," Harbaugh said. "It’s that kind of group ... and I wasn’t out there on the practice field, by the way. It was just those three. No other coaches out there. Just the three of them, throwing the ball around."
He didn't observe it either, he noted with a laugh, making sure reporters understood there were no rules violations occurring.
But that's just one of many positives he's seen from a team that just 'gets it.'
"You see it when you see it," he added. "David Ojabo is a tremendous example ... it’s just in the look. It’s just in the eyes. They’re cheerful and undefeated, and getting this great knack of getting the ball to come out and being at the right place and long reach.
"Two games in a row, he’s caused a huge turnover. Pressuring the quarterback, just everything he’s doing ... tackling, getting guys on the ground. His whole game, he’s flourishing. Ascending player. That’s one of many examples."
There could be many more to come if they continue. From what Harbaugh's seen, there's no reason to believe they won't.
"I have noticed it for a long time now, going back to the winter conditioning cycle and spring ball," he said. "You can see it in their eyes — they’re having fun playing football."
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