It was a raucous environment at The Big House Saturday night, as 108,345 fans wore maize and watched their Michigan Wolverines run wild over the visiting Washington Huskies, once nationally ranked this season but now 0-2.
Here's a look at what they're saying about the game, including ESPN putting the Wolverines among the top 25 in its power rankings after the second week of the college football season:
Chris Balas, TheWolverine.com: Notes, Quotes & Observations From The Win
As for the ‘we don’t win right’ crowd, miffed at Michigan’s 44 passing yards … Harbaugh and Co. weren’t about to play to Washington’s strength. Running 52 times at 6.1 yards per clip is smarter than throwing 52 passes at a pair of outstanding corners, and though it wasn’t sexy, it was effective.
There will be time when U-M will need to throw more against stouter fronts. Saturday wasn’t one of them, but Harbaugh insinuated they’d mix it up when the time was right.
“It’s a little too early to say what our identity is … we’ll see,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see what that looks like every single week. I thought it was strong … and there are some things we can improve, which makes you feel good in an early season game where you get the win and there are things to improve on, too. Things to go back to work on Monday and get better at … things you have to get better at, because you can. That’s a good feeling right now.
“But when you’re generating that kind of production on first down, and the first-down running game production was good … when we were second-and-six, that was rare. Most of the time it was second-and-five, second-and-four, and it was just keep seeing it.”
It started with the offensive line, which got plenty of movement up front. Harbaugh credited offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and line coach Sherrone Moore for sticking with the run when it was working, noting they threw a few curve balls in with the fastballs to keep the Huskies honest.
Nothing Washington countered with worked, and they tried it all, from four down to three down linemen to heavy fronts, strong safety and corner blitzes, even double corner blitzes. Other than a goal line failure and zero success on bubble screens and flat passes (as good as the perimeter blockers were last week, they struggled Saturday night), the line did the job.
Harbaugh made it clear he had confidence in his receivers to do the job when called upon. They just didn’t need them Saturday.
John Borton, TheWolverine.com: Wolverine Watch — Running Away With One
U-M’s revived defense surrendered a mere 10 points and 50 rushing yards — compared to U-M’s overwhelming 343 rushing yards — in the Wolverines’ 31-10 win. New coordinator Mike Macdonald retains his wizard hat for another week, while U-M’s running backs keep storming on.
The question becomes, are the Wolverines really that good on defense, or is Washington that inept on offense? It might just be a little bit of both.
The Huskies came in tainted before 108,345 maized-out fans in The Big House. The Pac-12 invaders looked like dogs in week one of the 2021 season, managing 65 yards rushing and throwing three interceptions in a mind-numbing, 13-7 defeat against FCS crew Montana.
That didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd, on go from the onset. They forced a delay of game penalty on the first play of the game, and it fed a high-decibel effort from the packed house all night long.
Macdonald’s crew took over from there. No, Washington isn’t Ohio State on offense — and OSU isn’t, yet. But the Huskies pointed to and prepped for this one over the course of eight months.
As Freddy Fender might have sung it, those were wasted days and wasted nights.
Macdonald spent a week hailed as a “scientist,” a “stud” and a play-diagnosing genius from this troops, following the season-opening win over Western Michigan. Junior defensive end/outside linebacker Aidan Hutchinson hasn’t curbed his enthusiasm for the new DC’s approach almost since he walked in the door.
Jim Harbaugh looked comfortable with a defensive, grinding battle. He leaned on the Wolverines’ defense and run game like a road worker leaning on a shovel.
John Niyo, The Detroit News: Wolverines are off and running — but their time to pass will come
It was a feast they’d planned like Thanksgiving dinner, apparently. And whether it was a menu borne of necessity or not — with a still-unproven quarterback and a receiving corps that lost its No. 1 target (Ronnie Bell) a week ago — really isn’t the point. Not yet, anyway.
Not with Aidan Hutchinson and Michigan’s defense setting the tone early — fueled by a noisy, maize-clad crowd of 108,000-plus — with a series of three-and-out stops. And not with the Huskies getting mushed at the line of scrimmage, with the notable exception of that awful goal-line series at the end of the first quarter.
And after toying with the idea of a balanced attack for a quarter or so, Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis all but abandoned the notion. After nine pass attempts in the first quarter — and only three completions — McNamara threw just six more passes the rest of the game.
Which usually means one of two things: Either they didn’t need to, or they couldn’t. Or maybe it’s both? We’ll find out eventually, I'm sure.
But Harbaugh certainly sounded content to wait, and leave the rest of us wondering.
So what if Harbaugh's team only ordered 15 pass plays all game, compared to 56 runs. Harbaugh gambled when it counted, like on fourth-and-a-yard in the second quarter, and he called for a fake punt and U-M picked up the first down.
On the next play, running back Blake Corum shot through a gap on the left side and blasted his way down the sideline. The touchdown made it 10-0. That was the game.
No, seriously, it was.
Long drives like that, said Harbaugh, "warm the cockels of my heart," a phrase rooted in latin, which was appropriate, as this coach, and this team, is seeking something fundamental.
Was it scintillating?
Of course not. Unless you like offensive linemen that knock back defenders 4 or 5 yards almost every play, as U-M's O-line did from its first series. The line was so dominant, in fact, that the Wolverines scored their second touchdown without a single throw.
Instead, they ran eight times, covered 73 yards, and demoralized the Huskies. When was the last time that happened?
Not in a while. Not against a decent defense, as Washington has.
Daniel Dash, Michigan Daily: Michigan defense shines against Washington
It feels like a lifetime ago, but some of Michigan’s best teams under coach Jim Harbaugh have been built on defense. The Wolverines led the country in team defense in 2017, and the 2018 team that fell a game short of the College Football Playoff finished the season ranked No. 3 nationally in team defense.
That once-vaunted defense crumbled in 2019 and 2020, leading to the firing of former defensive coordinator Don Brown. Harbaugh replaced him with Baltimore Ravens defensive assistant Mike Macdonald, who installed a brand new 3-4 scheme this past offseason.
So far, the first-time coordinator’s system has rejuvenated the Wolverines’ defense. That much was evident in Michigan’s inspired play during Saturday night’s win.
“Mike did a great job calling the defense,” Harbaugh said. “From an offensive perspective, Washington ran everything known to man offensively in the first three quarters. And for the most part, three straight three-and-outs to start the game, that was huge. You talk about getting off to a fast start, that precipitated that. Four three-and-outs throughout the course of the game. It was really, really strong.”
Despite throwing the kitchen sink at the Wolverines, Washington didn’t reach the red zone until the second half and failed to score a touchdown until the fourth quarter. The Huskies struggled to block senior edge Aidan Hutchinson, who recorded 2.5 sacks, four tackles — three of which were solo — and a quarterback hurry. With NFL scouts from 13 franchises in attendance, Hutchinson looked the part of a first-round draft pick.
Kerry Miller, Bleacher Report: Winners and Losers from Week 2 of College Football
In a Week 1 win over Western Michigan, the Michigan Wolverines rushed for 335 yards. It was their first time rushing for at least 330 yards in a single game since November 2017.
But in case you thought it was just a fluke against a Group of Five opponent, Jim Harbaugh's run game double down with 343 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-10 victory over Washington.
And that is simply not a thing that happens to Washington. Per Sports-Reference, the last opponent to even rush for 250 yards against the Huskies was Alabama in the 2016 College Football Playoff, and the last time they allowed at least 315 rushing yards in a single game was nearly a decade ago against Baylor during the 2011 bowl season.
Blake Corum led the way for Michigan with 21 carries for 171 yards and three scores. Hassan Haskins wasn't far behind him, rushing 27 times for 155 yards and a touchdown.
Michigan won by 21 points despite passing for just 44 yards. This run game and this defense are exactly what Harbaugh has wanted Michigan football to be in recent years, and maybe the Wolverines are finally there.
ESPN.com: College football Power Rankings after Week 2
25. Michigan Wolverines (2-0)
Don't look now, but Jim Harbaugh is having a great time with his Michigan team this season. The Wolverines got a primetime slot against Washington this week and did not disappoint the Big House faithful. The Huskies sputtered on offense throughout the game, going scoreless in the first half while Michigan built a 10-point lead. A Huskies' field goal in the third quarter did little to deter the Wolverines, who were led by Blake Corum's three touchdowns. Washington scored a late touchdown, but by that point it was all Michigan. Harbaugh and company cruised to a 31-10 win.
Michigan will be ranked after beating Washington 31-10 . Of all the offseason hires Jim Harbaugh made, snagging Mike Hart from Indiana's staff has made the most difference so far. The Wolverines have re-established a punishing rushing attack with Hart, who doubles as the school's all-time leading rusher. Blake Corum, a sophomore with almost identical dimensions to Hart, rushed for 171 yards and three TDs against the Huskies. Hassan Haskins added 155 yards and a TD. Michigan had 11 straight running plays at one point in the third quarter. Cade McNamara threw just 15 passes with 44 yards. That passing game will need to be refined without No. 1 wide receiver Ronnie Bell, who was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Michigan, however, has been a pleasant early-season surprise.
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