Minnesota Postgame Presser: Jim Harbaugh
[Fuller]
Obviously another huge rushing effort. Can you talk about not only what your backs accomplished but the guys in front of them?
“Yeah, I mean, it was stalwart performances. Looked up at one point and the statistics looked like we were Air Force. I thought we were Air Force the way we were running the ball. Thought we were Western Kentucky back in the early ‘90s under Jack Harbaugh. But it was a great job. I’ve never seen that many plus-50 yard runs in one game, any team I’ve ever coached or been on. That was quite the performance.
“Karan [Higdon] and Chris [Evans] had spectacular runs. The counter play was really good to us today. The blocking was really efficient; great precision there by the line. Tight ends, very good. Really didn’t see any missed blocks in the running game. Probably always—never as good as you think it is, there’ll probably be a few, but I thought it was really good. Really good. The guys up front, I mean, that was a game for the ages if you’re an offensive lineman. Fullbacks, same. Receivers got in on the action. They were blocking as well. It was quite the performance rushing the football.”
In the past two games the running game has done very well, but are you concerned that the passing game hasn’t gotten more opportunities to shine and improve going into these last three games of the season, especially with two big games looming against Wisconsin and Ohio State?
“Well, we were running the ball so well. I think 10 yards a rush, per attempt. I mean, that’s pretty good. I’m sure if we had done it any other way you would have ‘But why didn’t you run the ball more?’ Probably would have gotten that question, right? Yeah. Just kept feeding the running game. It was working.”
Can you talk about what went into the decision to start Cesar [Ruiz] when Mike [Onwenu] was hurt and how he played?
“Yeah, we had a three-man competition during the week of practice at that position and Cesar won it, and I thought he played really well. Gave up one hit on the quarterback, a sack, but good to see him get that action. It’s been time for him to play now for a few weeks and thought he stepped up and did very well, and he earned it. He earned it in practice. Coach Drevno was—we were grading the tape after each practice to see who to play at that position and he won out and acquitted himself well.”
[After THE JUMP: Hudson’s punt block phase-out; bizarre refereeing elicits a sad trombone sound effect; and Jack A. Harbaugh, run game repairman]
When you’re watching the tape from last week and your first impressions tonight, is there a bigger reason that stands out to you why the run game improved so much over the past couple weeks? Have you noticed anything in particular behind this improvement?
“Yeah, it’s just gotten a little bit better and better and there’s precision there. I think the backs are doing a really good job making the blocks right. That was my impression watching the tape last week and tonight. The way they’re seeing things and cutting and making the blocks right, it’s impressive. They’ve been breaking out. Gosh, we got action. We got action again because the plays are blocked well and the backs are seeing it and making the appropriate cuts and finishing runs. It’s very impressive.”
Hudson seemed to be everywhere tonight, especially behind the line of scrimmage. Can you talk about his performance?
“What a game, what a game. Spectacular performance by Khaleke Hudson. Six-and-a-half tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble. You’re right, it looked like he was everywhere. He really has strong hands. That really showed up in this game. He was everywhere he was supposed to be and making the sure tackles. And he’s a great guy. Works extremely hard and great to see it pay off for our team.”
What happened on that blocked punt?
“Um… I think he got ahead of it. I think he got ahead of the—I think he dove and got past the ball and the ball snuck around him, you know, so go back and look at it. It’s a fine line. You’re trying not to rough the punter but when you’re that deep in there maybe that’s the time to just go right at him, take him out and block the punt. Incredible job for him not to rough the punter but very unlucky to get past the ball like that is what I saw.”
You mentioned the counter being really good to you tonight. Seems like over the past month the power play and the counter have and you guys really turned a corner. When did that start to really turn the corner, when did you start to see that change, and when did those start to become again the foundational situation for you guys offensively?
“Indiana, we got the counter going again in that game, I believe it was. Yeah, power and counter and isolation and toss were working good tonight.”
Over the past few weeks have you seen it building?
“Yeah, yeah. Getting better and better. Probably when that started happening is when a guy by the name of Jack Harbaugh said ‘Why aren’t you running the counter more?’ I said, ‘Jeez, we need to run the counter more’ so we started running the counter more. The ol’ ball coach, Jack Avon Harbaugh.”
Speaking of your dad’s era, the last time Michigan had two tailbacks get 100 yards or more in consecutive games was 1975 and it was three straight games and it was guys that you probably idolized: Lytle and Huckleby and—
“And Gordie Bell.”
--Gordie Bell. What do you remember about those guys and touch on the significance of these guys doing that.
“Right up there with people that I think of as legends: Gordie Bell and Rob Lytle and Huckleby and Easy Ed Shuttlesworth. There was great fullbacks in those days as well. I think our fullbacks are playing extremely well. It’s great for our backs, great for Karan and Chris Evans.
“Talked about Chris a couple weeks ago, I think it was. He kind of was getting unlucky. He was in there for some of the plays that weren’t blocked right where we were making some mistakes. Good to see him get in there and get a good dose of when it was working, and he finished them and made some great plays. Great to see him having success.”
The run game’s gotten better and better in the last couple weeks. Why is it important for that facet to make these kinds of gains as you start November and you hit the heart of the schedule?
“We always look at it as it’s always important to have the good running game. There’s a patience to it. Some people would even say it’s a stubboness but just patience. Keep fine-tuning, keep working at it, and it pays. It pays big dividends, being able to run the football. Lot comes off it: play-action passes, boots.”
Can you evaluate Brandon Peters in his first start and he took a couple big hits in this game, and Quinn Nordin missing the extra point and a long field goal—is there something you can see he’s doing incorrectly there?
“Well, we thought he was going too fast. That’s what we noticed last week and then in practice this week we thought we had that corrected. And I think we did get that corrected. The missed extra point, he looked up too early and got his left hip in front of his right too much and pulled it left. I thought the long field goal, the 49-yarder, was a good hit. Just went a bit wide right. Just keep working at it. What was the first part of your question?”
Brandon.
“Oh, Brandon, yeah. I mean, he didn’t have a lot of opportunities. We’ll—he did, one of his impressive plays, couple of the hard hits he took, did a great job of seeing it just out of the peripheral and tuck the ball and not have a turnover. I mean, a lot of those kind of hits the quarterback gets dislodged from the ball.
“Only thing I wish I’d done is had him throwing a little bit more during the game. That sideline gets so tight but next week we’re going to make a throwing area for the quarterbacks. Throw more balls in between serieses. I think that was really the case tonight where there were so many plays—even the drives without throwing a pass because we broke off the long runs.
“Our time of possession was very low. We only had 15 first downs; usually not the case when you rush the ball for 300+. There was series where he didn’t throw a pass, so want to keep him more loose on the sideline. Going to have to create an area on that sideline for a quarterback to be able to throw between series. I think that’ll help.”
What did the official tell you on Metellus and why he got ejected?
“Said that… [scoffs]. Said that they ehhhhhh—really didn’t have a lot of logic to it.”
Didn’t seem like he threw a punch.
“No, it didn’t seem like he threw a punch but… I don’t know. Scrum. He said because there was a scrum that they weren’t going to lose control of the game and they’d make offsetting penalties, so… that was about the gist of it. My counter argument to that was a guy threw a punch. My guy stood in front of a guy. Maybe he shouldn’t have walked back in there. I told him that. I said, ‘Josh, you shouldn’t be walking in there like that.’ So… womp, womp. I guess that answers it.”
November 5th, 2017 at 12:43 PM ^
Womp womp
November 5th, 2017 at 12:49 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 1:03 PM ^
Dilly Dilly would have been funnier, but Womp Womp is hilarious,
November 5th, 2017 at 1:58 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 10:07 PM ^
why do people think this dilly dilly thing is even funny?
November 5th, 2017 at 12:56 PM ^
So the refs basically admitted to ejecting Metellus so they wouldn't "lose control of the game". Isn't it Minnesotas job to not lose their composure after their player got ejected for punching someone?
"Uhhh, yeah, we ejected him so that Minnesota wouldn't feel butthurt and start more fights". Last time I checked the other team starting fights is not even a penalty for you let alone a reason to eject someone.
The reffing in this league is absolutely out of control.
November 5th, 2017 at 2:12 PM ^
The Minnesota guy threw a punch. Just walking up to a scrum is not an equivalent and "offsetting" penalty in any way, shape, or form.
The Minnesota guy should have been thrown out. The Michigan guy should not have been thrown out.
What is it with refs starting to make their own creative interpretations of the rules for their own personal agendas? Like the ref at the Ohio State game deciding to call a basketball foul at a football game.
Is there no oversight and accountability anymore?
November 5th, 2017 at 2:46 PM ^
the imfamous intent to deceive penalty from a couple years ago. it's a coach's job to deceive the opponent.
November 5th, 2017 at 5:24 PM ^
calling a penalty earlier this year for having a lineman down field illegally when it was our H-Back, khalid Hill, wearing his #80. Bullshit calls, all.
November 5th, 2017 at 5:54 PM ^
I do believe that play was illegal by the letter of the law - doesn't mean it normally gets called - but out main beef should be that the refs actually called it. I think bringing someone on late like we did for Butt is explicity mentioned in the rules somewhere
November 5th, 2017 at 2:54 PM ^
Exactly. Michigan should at least be able to appeal. This is the equivalent of legislating from the bench.
November 5th, 2017 at 4:16 PM ^
November 6th, 2017 at 11:00 AM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 2:56 PM ^
Being afraid of the people you're officiating has to be the #1 reason not to be in that position. They were afraid? So let Fleck's team lose composure and get penalized again and again.
November 5th, 2017 at 12:55 PM ^
Whoever asked the question about why the run game is important should be banned from future pressers.
November 5th, 2017 at 1:00 PM ^
would be a reality show I would watch
November 5th, 2017 at 1:52 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 2:57 PM ^
If you asked 100 coaches if they would want 300+ yards rushing versus 300 passing, 100 would say yes. If you asked if they'd take a three touchdown victory where their quarterback throws so little that he has to find ways to stay loose, 100 would take that too.
November 5th, 2017 at 8:12 PM ^
He, or she, does not fit an assignment covering sports, much less football.
November 5th, 2017 at 1:00 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 1:05 PM ^
I'm just surprised he wasn't able to find khaki rain pants.
November 5th, 2017 at 1:12 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 1:37 PM ^
No way a man that strict with what he does doesn't have them on under the rain gear.
November 5th, 2017 at 1:47 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 1:03 PM ^
No more burnt wood.
November 5th, 2017 at 1:16 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 1:22 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 1:40 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 7:40 PM ^
Dafuq you talkin' about? The Big Ten apologized to Michigan for the reffing in the OSU game last year. They didn't fix the shittiness of the Big Ten refs, but they did admit that the reffing in last year's Game made mistakes that favored OSU.
November 6th, 2017 at 7:15 AM ^
Big Ten hedged on that game and defended their minion refs. That was the absolute worst officiated game in the history of sports. At least I can’t recall seeing any game in any sport that came close to the egregious calls slanted against UM. It kills me because even with the mistakes our team made....we still won that game without the refs slanting their calls one way.
Beyond the bad calls, I believe not one holding call was made against OSU’s mediocre Oline facing the most vaunted Dline in college football....sheez.
November 5th, 2017 at 1:47 PM ^
Yesterday, a ruling that was not reviewable was reversed by review due to an "egregious error" clause in the rules. You'd think a suspension for an ejection for fighting where he wasn't fighting would be possible.
November 5th, 2017 at 2:58 PM ^
Don't see why not. Clearly they are already making it up as they go along.
November 5th, 2017 at 1:24 PM ^
I can see it in three weeks:
*OSU lineman gouges Mo Hurst in the eye*
Hurst: (blindly flails arms around screaming) 'WHAT THE FUCK, DUDE?! MY EYE!!"
Referees: Penaltly, unsportsmanlike conduct: unabated profanity towards a defenseless player - , number 73, defense. 15 yards, automatic first down for the next two series.
November 5th, 2017 at 2:06 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 3:50 PM ^
That sucks, but it's really ironic.
November 5th, 2017 at 8:10 PM ^
Mind you, the ref's action was an accident, while Brown's was a deliberate assault. Football injuries suck, but assaults suck even more.
November 6th, 2017 at 6:24 AM ^
Losing your eyesight sucks way more than being pushed to the ground.
November 6th, 2017 at 7:27 AM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 1:26 PM ^
"Only thing I wish I’d done is had him throwing a little bit more during the game. " So he thinks Peters may have gotten cold from not throwing as much later? Makes sense. Pitchers warm up before each inning. Makes sense that a QB should before the drives.
November 5th, 2017 at 2:16 PM ^
I would have liked to see him throwing more while in the game myself.
November 5th, 2017 at 3:18 PM ^
I know we didn't have to due to the running game gashing Minnesota for tons of yards a carry but still, more throws would have been good. Going to need to throw a lot more against Wisconsin/Ohio State...
November 5th, 2017 at 3:25 PM ^
Our inability to handle their blitz on passing downs made that a little scary.
November 5th, 2017 at 1:55 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 2:09 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 2:12 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 3:12 PM ^
They do hit the hole much faster and quicker than earlier in the season, especially Higdon. They are getting at least three yards on momentum alone, even when there is nothing there.
November 5th, 2017 at 3:07 PM ^
I was as frustrated with the offense as everyone else, but the quote about Jack Harbaugh here is telling. Jim is all in with the old-school, run the ball down their throats coaches like Jack, Bo, and Woody. I really believe that his efforts first and foremost all season have been establishing those fundamentals with this young team, from the starters to the depth guys that will take their places next year. He wants to institutionalize it. Great quarterbacks, backs, receivers come and go, but he wants an OL that can run this sophisticated power run game year over year over year. It's exactly as valuable as having a great defense. It may not always be flashy, but it wins games.
November 5th, 2017 at 2:50 PM ^
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