Video & Analysis: Jim Harbaugh Attempts To Explain Fumble Epidemic
Head coach Jim Harbaugh is a football lifer so he obviously understands that fumbles happen from time to time but this year has been a bit ridiculous for the Wolverines. Through six games, Michigan has fumbled 17 times and lost nine of them. Those numbers are tied for worst and second worst respectively in the country.
Against Illinois, running backs Tru Wilson and Zach Charbonnet both lost fumbles. Fellow back Christian Turner did as well but luckily for him and U-M's overall numbers his knee was down before the ball squirted loose. Quarterback Shea Patterson also put the ball on the deck but he was able to recover it.
Harbaugh spoke about the actual issue, approaches to fix it and how the team has handled and is handling the unexplainable issue.
Brown's Breakdown
"The fumble issue really has been a head scratcher. Some of the them have been typical and bad, like when Shea Patterson was stripped after Turner missed his assignment allowing a pass rusher to get to the quarterback. But others have been complete flukes, like Charbonnet's today. The freshman back was tripped up and while going down, had the ball high and tight in his right arm and cradled and covered by his left arm and somehow it was still knocked loose. You can't ask more of a young back when it comes to securing the ball.
"This is the kind of thing that makes a coach mad, but the anger can't even be directed at anyone in a lot of cases. If you've got a guy holding the ball like a loaf of bread in traffic, that's a different story, but none of today's fumbles were of that variety.
"You can only do so many ball security drills and we know Harbaugh and his assistants are. Players have brought up the number of drills they're doing unprompted in the past and Patterson was very hard on himself when asked about the cough ups. Running backs go through ball security drills on the daily during standard football practices and pass catchers and quarterbacks get work in that area as well. We're not allowed at practice but I'd be shocked if they weren't already doing that every day even before this issue came up.
"You just have to keep repping it and hope the problems dry up. I've wondered if there's an issue with the actual football. I'm not trying to create a Nike controversy but the numbers so far are alarming and seem to have Harbaugh scratching his head."
What would you do about the fumbles? Do you think there's an actual issue or is it just bad luck? Comment below!!!
