Monday Presser 10-9-17: Jim Harbaugh
[Fuller]
They said on the broadcast that Wilton had a couple broken vertebrae. Is he out for the year and can you comment on that?
“Multiple weeks. I don’t know that he’ll be out for the year.”
The vertebrae part is accurate though?
“Yeah, there’s some cracks in there. Yeah. And not a doctor, but think it’s similar to…yeah, I don’t want to say. Yes.”
After watching the film, would you have liked to have gotten the ball to Karan Higdon more? He was averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Should he have gotten the ball more, especially in the rain and the wind?
“Uh, yeah, he had—Karan played well.”
But no answer to my question?
“What do you—you want to question the play-calling? That usually is the case when something doesn’t work, so…”
But you don’t question that, how much he got the ball there or don’t want to with us?
“No. What I want to do is yeah, I want to look at the film, I want to learn from it. I’m not gonna get into questioning the play-calling.”
[SID calls on next person]
“It’s a very convenient thing, right? Play worked and hey, it was a great play because it worked. Play doesn’t work: would you wish you had done something else, had a different play call? Sure, that’s very easy to do. That’s a very—hindsight is 20/20.”
Just thought maybe there was something I was missing.
“That’s a standard question that when a play works, hey, great play call. You run a third-down draw against Florida and it works: hey, great call. You call a play that doesn’t work: would you wish you would have called a different play? That’s a very easy thing to do.”
[After THE JUMP: finding the offense’s identity, Indiana’s defensive standouts, and the final say on play-calling]
Simplistic in 20/20 and hindsight but is it entirely wrong to question play-calling?
“No, it’s your right to do.”
Do you disagree with it?
“I think that’s what people do. It’s just a fact of what anybody does. We should have throw it or should have run it; if you threw it and it didn’t work, you wish you would have run it. If you ran it and it didn’t work then hey, would have been better to throw it, and you’d be right.”
Do you do the same thing as a coach? Do you say, well, we did make the wrong play call here?
“No. You go through it and you look at where you can make corrections and where you can make improvements.”
After being able to watch the film, what’s your assessment of John at quarterback and is he still going to be your quarterback going forward?
“Yes. Again, we’ll go through it, make corrections, make improvements, and move on.”
I don’t want to compare season to season but in the past we kind of knew what this offense’s foundation and backbone was, whether it was the Power play or whatever it might be. Do you think you have one right now through five games or maybe not all the way to where you want it?
“Yeah, in the process of doing that.”
Has it been more difficult because they’re young and coming along or just not as fast as you would like? You say it’s a process but is it not where it should be or where you want it to be?
“Yeah, we had a ballgame that, you know, stuff happens. Things happen. We had fumbles, we had turnovers, we had things that just occur. We had a shotgun snap to their quarterback, he fumbles and then picks up a critical first down. Things happen during the course of a game and you don’t necessarily know why they’re happening but they keep happening and that’s where you go back and you learn from it, you look at it, you make corrections, and you move on with the mindset of not letting it happen again.”
I’m wondering if you’ve made a decision on the right tackle or whether that will be something that will happen during the week?
“Listen, I can understand there being a quarterback question, there being a quarterback controversy. We never really discuss a right tackle or a guard or a center controversy. To answer your question exactly the way you asked the question, yes, we’ll look at that during the week.”
Given the defense’s performance through the first five games, is there a sense with them yet as the offense has struggled of frustration or waiting for the offense to come? What is your feeling from them right now as far as having to carry the load?
“I don’t sense—no, we’re not frustrated. We look forward to getting back today and doing everything on both sides of the ball and special teams to contribute to a victory. We’re fortunate to have an opponent to play this week and opportunities ahead of us.”
As a coach, I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrating’ but when you look at the way the defense has been able to perform but still the offense not catching up, what is your thought about that?
“I answered your question. Not frustrated. Attacking this week’s opportunity.”
People in the fanbase but a lot of weight on beating Michigan State and Ohio State. Do you put any weight on winning those rivalry games as compared to normal games?
“Yes, we do.”
Are you concerned with your record in them to date?
“The record is what the record is. I mean, well aware of what the record is. Against Michigan State and Ohio State we’re 1-4. The record against all other opponents is 23-3. We know what the records are. We want to win those games. We want to win every game we play. We want to win ‘em all, and most importantly, we want to win this one, our next game.”
Ty Isaac and Chris Evans have had some costly fumbles over the last few weeks. How concerning is that for you and who would you say has a leg up at that position moving forward?
“Again, just like the previous question, we’ll evaluate that during the week.”
I wonder what you see as the primary challenges vis-a-vis Indiana this week and what they present to you.
“Yeah, very good football team. In fact, very competitive games with them. I think they’ve played very well. They’re playing very good this year, especially at home. Very good football team. That’s what we’re doing today, we’re making those preparations.”
What players and what numbers jump out so far on the Hoosiers when you take a look at them offensively and defensively?
“No. 16, excellent cover corner. No. 8, very athletic, fast linebacker. Again, another—tough safeties. Movement up front in the defensive line, stout. No. 4, another very good linebacker. Very good defense. Very athletic. Tough.”
I know you say week to week every game is the same, but given the loss Saturday, the Indiana game, is there an extra premium put on it or a little bit of extra motivation going into this week?
“Yeah, we’ve already felt the next game is the most important game and that’s our next game.”
Is there nothing--
“110% as opposed to 100%? I guess we could have that debate but 100% focused on them.”
About the play-calling, you talked about on the radio a couple weeks ago with Pep, but what is the hierarchy? Is it Pep [Hamilton] and Tim [Drevno] call the plays and you’re third, I think you said? How does that work?
“Yeah, we call the plays together as a staff. The final say, I have the final say, the final say of the play-calling.”
October 9th, 2017 at 8:02 PM ^
October 10th, 2017 at 1:04 AM ^
October 10th, 2017 at 8:12 AM ^
October 10th, 2017 at 11:35 AM ^
October 10th, 2017 at 2:05 PM ^
I too have found your posts to be reasonable. Thank you for posting.
October 9th, 2017 at 6:59 PM ^
testy back and forth there- but that's part of a very well paid job and I am sure Jim expected every bit of it
it does clarify that he is the final say on plays- which confirmed by belief that getting a new OC is NOT going to necessarily solve all the teams problems
everybody wants an easy solution
October 9th, 2017 at 8:34 PM ^
Hard to tell what having the final say means. I take it that he listens to the playcall and can overrule not that he actually initiates the calls. If so (and he is not constantly vetoing) then a new OC could make a big difference.
October 9th, 2017 at 7:00 PM ^
I don't really have a lot to contribute here, other than to let you all know I am very sad about that game. No hot takes or anything, just depressed. Being a fan on M football is like being in an abusive relationship. :(
October 9th, 2017 at 7:16 PM ^
Is a consistently effective offense which plays hard all four quarters. We can achieve that within a realistic timeframe. Take heart but demand this. We have the best of everything the sport offers player and fan alike unless somebody is into the whole payment/hooker/drugs/mini-golf scene, and I do not believe Michigan players or fans are into that culture, which is partly why I still follow my university's football team at middle age. I love "my" Wolverines.
October 9th, 2017 at 7:02 PM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 8:03 PM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 7:10 PM ^
If you question me after failure and I know what you're getting at - though you're not coming out saying it straight up - and I know that I can't tell you the absolute truth regarding that so I have to deflect a bit but you keep coming. Yeah, I'm gonna be a different guy than I was when you were blowing smoke up my a** and everything looked pretty rosy.
I don't know what you expect but I'd be willing to bet he sounds exactly like he's sounded his entire career as a coach when his team has a tough stretch.
October 9th, 2017 at 7:23 PM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 7:41 PM ^
With being tasked answering hard questions. The whole 49ers/York debacle? I believe Jim's mind is wrapped around our team's offensive issues and he'll sort it out. A hissy-fit would be counterproductive.
October 9th, 2017 at 7:38 PM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 7:43 PM ^
We should expect good things. The past ten years or so have been tough. I expect the team to rally and play better football soon. Jim assumed helm of Michigan, and he won't leave until we are winning championships.
October 9th, 2017 at 8:02 PM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 8:18 PM ^
"It's Michigan" - As if that means more than merely naming the state where the university is located. A future where Michigan football means very little is a possible future and it doesn't matter how often you appeal to the privilege that supposedly comes with being Michigan.
"We should expect good things" - Don't ever expect anything to be handed to you on the basis of some imaginary entitlement. Do you expect the rest of the world to go "oh yeah, wow, we don't have to win, it's Michigan, they should be able to expect good things, you know"? It's a competition. Everyone else wants good things as much as we do.
Like there's some kind of voodoo that ensures if we only say "It's Michigan!" often enough we will magically have all our wishes fulfilled. So many fans on here seem to either not care about putting their most irrational beliefs in writing or they simply don't realize how irrational it is. Fans - and ours are as bad or worse as any - seem to be permanently stuck with the mentality of a college kid.
When you're a kid, everything seems easily done, it's easy to make all these big demands - fix poverty now!!! fix inequality now!! and it seems to you like the only reason they exist is just because others don't care as much as you do. In the same way as fans we go - "Beat State now! Win championships now! Why don't you care as much as we do?"
As I got older and also assumed more responsibilities in life and at work it dawned on me that there's a big effing gap between sitting somewhere and proclaiming that 'THIS needs to be achieved' and actually having to get to work and deliver on that. It's a frickin daunting thing that's gonna take a crap load of hard work and overcoming adversity and doubts and at the end of the day you may have accomplished 60% of what you set out to do. Is that success, is that failure? You know, it's not always easily determined especially if you're a perfectionist. Did Bo fail because he never won a national title? Because his bowl record was a rather mixed bag or did he succeed because he won a lot of conference championships?
We got the coach we wanted. Let that guy work in peace and let's deal with the bumps in the road together. I honestly thought we'd be past the whole coach hysteria of the RR and Hoke years and finally have a guy who we would support through adversity. Guess I was wrong.
October 9th, 2017 at 8:45 PM ^
Thank goodness for a post like this.
"This IS Michigan!"......means, exactly what? A program mired in mediocrity/above-average performances?
This program isn't entitled to ANYTHING--bring it every single down; every single game.
October 9th, 2017 at 9:50 PM ^
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October 10th, 2017 at 6:32 AM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 7:43 PM ^
I thought he came here so some of the 49ers fans can go fuck off.
How much fucking off does one man need?
October 9th, 2017 at 10:37 PM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 7:50 PM ^
on both sides of the ball I believe.
Stil managing to have a stellar defense (great scheme, great athletes)
Offense is shit - tends to happen when you have a shit O-line.
I think we will be just fine going forward...anybody with any football knowledge knew it would be a rebuilding year.
Defense is surprisingly futher along than I thought they would be (thanks Don Brown), offense has been a brutal struggle.
I'll say this though, very often, when these things click (O-line play, QB - reciever connections) it justs happens, and suddenly all your worries disappear. It's often not as dier as it looks.
5 turnovers, shit luck, horrible weather, and still in the game until the very end....time to chill a bit.
October 9th, 2017 at 8:00 PM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 8:09 PM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 8:09 PM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 8:19 PM ^
It's very obvious to me he is frustrated with the offense which I am fine with and happy to hear, but I knew that already has he as always been a big time competitor. JH has proven he knows how to win and help people excel as a player. Again it's obvious we / he / Michigan is lacking the people we need at QB and the offensive line. Yes we HAVE a couple of them I truly believe (Filiaga / Ruiz / Peters / McCaffrey) but they might just be on that verge of ready and not ready. It's a big jump from HS to college. We all know we need a couple more studs at O-Line ...
Sometimes more patience is needed. JH is taking care of business and the last game was just bad offensivily BUT also MSU got a lot bounces their way (like literally) and sometimes it just happens like that. MSU is not a terrible team by any means or a team that hasn't proven to give us fits like what happened ... often and not just the recent 10 years.
With a few things going our way we could easily be 3-4 vs MSU and those other guys.
Lucky punt weirdness .... 5 turnover madness .... overtime sadness. The thing is ... we are IN these games .. it comes down to wire. We ARE competative again. All is well. I love watching Michigan football. Last Sat just sucked the royal one. We will get there ... we have only lost one game. I think we beat (and have said this now in other posts) PSU coming up as well.
October 9th, 2017 at 11:29 PM ^
Good point about MSU. Last year was an outlier.
In the Michigan fanbase we like to snicker about their beatdown by Alabama when they made it to the national championships playoffs. But hey, THEY MADE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS. They are good, and will generally be good as long as Dantonio is around.
And MSU will always be up for this game, because it is, was, and always will be the BIGGEST game on their schedule. They are more motivated to play it and do whatever it takes (clean or dirty) to try to beat Michigan. Michigan teams and fans just have to accept that and deal with it, if not embrace it: being Michigan means you should expect to get everybody's best shot. Embrace it.
October 9th, 2017 at 8:33 PM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 8:37 PM ^
This fanbase is so unstable its unbearable at times. Coming in with hottakes burning so hot I'm suprised you don't wind up in the trauma burn unit at Michigan Medicine.
"Jim Harbaugh just isn't the same guy." what actual solid points do you have to back this up? because he's dull in a press conference? Look at the questions being asked...yes we lost, and it sucks. But this team has atleast 7 fucking games left and the team is trying to prepare for the next one. So yeah, I can understand if he's irritated to answer the same question about the offense asked 8 different ways.
"Jim Harbaugh is 24-7 at Michigan, same as Hoke, except Hoke was better against our rivals." Just give me a fuckin break with this one..Out of Jim's 7 losses, only 1 time did we really take an ass beating. The other 6 were one score games that could have went our way with literally one more lucky bounce.
The mood of the majority of this board is embarrasing. The same goes for the majority of comments being posted on all of the University of MIchigan Football, and Athletics social media accounts. Maybe players don't read all the comments on this blog, but you can be sure they are on the teams, twitter and instagram page. How do we honestly expect 18-22 year old young men to be positive, and bounce back to the next game, if their own fucking fanbase can't be positive and rally behind this team. Anyone who's been around sports long enough has heard the old saying about not letting an opponent beat you twice...well the overwhelming majority of this fanbase is letting MSU defeat the whole fucking season. Stop driving yourself insane by posting an analysis of every micro detail that happened in the game last week, get a grip on reality and support this team. I'm obviously as frustrated as anyone with the slow development of this team. But with that being said if you can't see the overall improvement this program has made in 3 short years, well then I just can't fucking help you. The players that suit up for this team deserve for this fanbase to be behind them 100%
October 9th, 2017 at 8:45 PM ^
Thanks for the post. =)
October 9th, 2017 at 8:54 PM ^
You make your own luck. It's time for those "close games" to start turning into Ws or else we're gonna start hearing about choking in big games, which is the worst thing that can happen right now given the state of the fanbase and the program. 6 games is a start of a bad trend.
Let's hope the offense becomes somewhat decent for PSU or else expect this kind of attitude to be the norm for the rest of the season.
Expectations were through the roof for Harbaugh. Not surprised the fanbase is taking it this hard.
October 9th, 2017 at 11:22 PM ^
The "choking in big games" is much more of a fan thing. Especially with college football, the turnover in personnel is great- they have little psychic connection to teams 5 or 10 years before. Coaches may have more or less conservative strategies, and may sometimes overcompensate based on past experioence. But it is the fans and their anxiety (and to a slight degree how that transfers to the players and team) that seem to carry over from year to year.
October 10th, 2017 at 10:34 AM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 8:54 PM ^
Talk about your Maize n Blue colored glasses..u might want to remove them for a minute
October 9th, 2017 at 11:20 PM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 10:35 PM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 11:11 PM ^
it's not the majority of the fanbase. It's not the fans who packed the stadium and stayed in drenching rain to support the team.
It's very likely not anyone who went to school at Michigan or is going to school currently at Michigan or who wants to attend Michigan. Oh there's a few. No one I know.
The meltdown tantrums on the board are a vocal minority, some real users, some trolls with multiple accounts. As with any platform that has built in anonymity and no real mechanism in place to mitigate the effects, the BS is magnified and made to appear much more prevalent than what it is.
As far as effects on the team, I share your concerns, yet, people adapt to changing conditions; hopefully the coaching staff, families and other support systems help the players find ways to tune out the noise.
October 10th, 2017 at 12:48 AM ^
October 10th, 2017 at 10:16 AM ^
I don't get anything from the meltdown/hot-take comments except that the person writing has a sustained ill temper. Everyone knows you're pissed off.
October 10th, 2017 at 6:28 AM ^
October 10th, 2017 at 9:06 AM ^
Well, I'm an 07 alum and the only real issue I take is how we can not have a serviceable QB in year 3. An above average QB likely wins all the close games we've lost in the past two years.
October 10th, 2017 at 1:17 PM ^
Coach in transition year rarely gets a QB that cycle coming in. The QB he recruited is a RS Freshman (Peters), and a freshman (McCaffrey). I suppose you can blame him for not getting the most out of what the previous staff left him in Speight, Malzone, and O'Korn, but he did a decent job with Rudock. Sometimes there's only so much you can do no matter how good you might be as a coach, and I think that's where we are. Give it some time for Harbaugh to have his QBs.
October 10th, 2017 at 6:26 AM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 8:59 PM ^
October 10th, 2017 at 7:16 AM ^
October 10th, 2017 at 7:17 AM ^
October 10th, 2017 at 10:36 AM ^
October 9th, 2017 at 9:17 PM ^
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