The Most Interesting Things Jim Harbaugh Said: Oct. 3, 2022
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Jim Harbaugh talked to the media on Monday afternoon and praised Luke Schoonmaker, Blake Corum and Mike Sainristil, along with Indiana's Connor Bazelak, and also talked about the impressive game-opening drive against Iowa. Here are some of the things that stood out during his time at the podium.
"They've been throwing the ball really well; they've been throwing it a lot."
You can say that again. Indiana quarterback Connor Bazelak has thrown the ball 246 times this year — more than any other QB in the country. He's not exactly killing it, however, completing just 52.8% of his passes for 1,394 yards with 8 touchdowns against 5 interceptions. As always, Jim Harbaugh was very complimentary of his upcoming opponent, and Bazelak specifically, but he and the Hoosiers just don't threaten much. Bazelak's 5.7 yards per attempt is way down the list nationally, so Michigan's linebackers and defensive backs better be prepared for a lot of dinks and dunks.
"If we play good we have a really good chance of winning, if we don't play good we have a really good chance of getting beat."
This isn't exactly a revolutionary way of thinking, but I just like how Harbaugh put it. We watch good teams lose to inferior opponents all the time. In college football, it happens every year and every week. And with Indiana, they do seem to have a knack for playing Michigan tough. If last year was any kind of indicator, though, Harbaugh's teams get ready for each week and each opponent and won't show up with a lackadaisical mentality. Employing a vanilla offense and letting up a bit maybe, but being unprepared and getting caught because of it, I don't think so.
"He's a five-tool running back. He does it all."
Blake Corum is certainly that. He's now carried the ball 30 and 29 times over the last two weeks. He's hanging in there and blocking blitzers well. He's catching swing passes out of the backfield. He's popping off big, clutch runs. And he's making his way into the end zone with regularity. Throw in the fact that he's one of the hardest-working guys on the team with an incredible personality and team-first mentality and you truly have the makings of an extremely special running back.
"Maybe before it's all said and done, [Luke Schoonmaker] will be one of the best tight ends to ever play here."
Jim Harbaugh is really, really good at complimenting...pretty much everyone, really. He's always extremely respectful and complimentary of other coaches and their players and he seems to always have a pretty specific reason or example why he feels that way about Team/Player X. He also give his own guys really high praise a lot. So much so that maybe the words are starting to feel just a little empty. In fact, this is now the second tight end he's said this about in a span of just a season or two. Before, it was Erick All who was going to be the best tight end to ever play at Michigan. I'm all for coaches praising their players, I'm just not sure I'd say "the best ever at Michigan" too often or it's going to start being dismissed and labeled as lip service.
"For the coaches to put together that opening drive, it was a tremendous job. Just great."
Amen to that. Michigan's opening drive against Iowa was one of the best I've ever seen in terms of balance, variety, execution, effectiveness and obviously, result, as it paid off in the form of a 16-yard touchdown run by Ronnie Bell. Jim Harbaugh is in year eight now at Michigan, so there have been a lot of solid, game-opening drives, but the one to start the game in Iowa City over the weekend jumped off the field. Every single play went forward, and most of them by quite a bit, and the drive obviously ended in the end zone. To go 75 yards in 11 plays and score a touchdown, while eating up more than five minutes in the process, in that environment, against that defense, really set the tone for the rest of the day.
