[Ed: I couldn't make it to East Lansing, so thanks to David Nasternak for sending audio]

Things Discussed

• The pregame incident
• The trash talking, general chippiness
• Shea Patterson's touchdown throw to Donovan Peoples-Jones
• The running game's effectiveness
• How Michigan turned it around after the third quarter

[After THE JUMP: These two teams don't like each other]

Jim Harbaugh

 

A win here at Michigan State, the mood in your locker room, what does that mean to you and your team?

 

“Oh, great win. Fabulous mood in the locker room. Team is — team feels great about itself, and it should.”

 

In the third quarter, when rain started coming down, you fumbled and they tied the game up. It kinda felt like a lot of the other Michigan-Michigan State games, felt like when Michigan State took control. What did this year’s team do to keep things from spiraling out of control?

 

“I mean, our team never blinked the entire time. They played hard, they played smart. From the pregame shenanigans, there was no backing down today by our guys. From then on.”

 

Coach, talk about the way you ran the ball today and job that the offensive line continues to do in the third and fourth quarters

 

“Yeah, it was a tremendous job. It starts with keeping the ball for 41 minutes. That’s quite an accomplishment, and that’s an offensive accomplishment and a defensive accomplishment. Our defense was lights-out today. Holding an opponent to 91 yards of total offense. They were 0-for-12 on third down conversions. That’s kinda the statistics you dream — it’s a dream game. So, and then offensively, against a highly ranked running defense, our guys didn’t back down. They just kept pounding, and got the job done.”

 

What do you do when you have to stop a game for an hour. It’s a big game, it relies on emotion all week long, then you gotta kick back — do you prepare for that? Do you have an approach for what you’re gonna do in an hour with the team?

 

“Yeah, we just come in. First thing we let them know is how long they have to just get there, relax your mind. And thought that would be about 45, 50 minutes. And then we have 10 minutes to meet back up and — with the coaches before we went out, 15 minutes before we went back out, had a meeting there. All through the time, we were doing soft-tissue and all that available, being able to stretch and roll out. Mostly just wanted our guys to kinda clear their minds for that 45 minutes. And what we do when we get back on the field, we had a routine to get limbered back up, and got the arms loose and legs loose. That was the plan.”

 

Jim, you mentioned the pregame shenanigans. What was your thought on how that started and how it ended and how it affected your game?

 

“Well, I just heard about it, I didn’t see it. But (U-M spokesperson) Dave (Ablauf) was out there. He saw it. And apparently, they clotheslined two of our guys, came out in their helmets. Lawrence Marshall — they went up and clotheslined him. Old-fashioned clothesline. Ripped off — one of their guys ripped off Lavert (Hill’s) headphones. Total bush league. And apparently coach (Mark) Dantonio was five yards behind and all smiling. So, yeah, I think it’s bush-league. That’s my impression of it. But our guys — and they didn’t — but they weren’t coming here to back down or get intimidated by anybody. So, we never have in this game and the guys did what they had to do. It’ll be a happy bus ride home.”

 

Jim, did you think that — do you think those pregame shenanigans served to motivate your team at all?

 

“Yeah, couldn’t have — there wasn’t gonna — certainly wasn’t gonna intimidate us. Make us blink.”

 

Jim, in the second half, for the second straight week, against a quality opponent, your offense really found a groove. The running game really took off. Talk about what goes into that happening, the running game being so effective in the second half

 

“We’ve been a really good third quarter team and fourth quarter team. Guys playing hard and smart the entire ballgame. I think we’re a well-conditioned team. Think we’re a smart team. Think all those things really factor into it. Coaches do an incredible job, I got the best coaches — offense, defense, special teams coaches. Really proud of our guys. Everything they’ve accomplished since we’ve been here. And, made good adjustments. We found some things that we could attack them with and they weren’t adjusting to, so, kept coming back to those.”

 

Coach, can you share your thoughts on two plays from Shea (Patterson): the touchdown pass to Donovan (Peoples-Jones) and then on fourth down, the keeper?

 

“Yeah, a lot of big plays by Shea today. That was — the huge one was the one to Donovan. That throw was really right on the money. Donovan did a great job at the line of scrimmage, against the press coverage. And created the space. And then created more space after the release, made a fabulous over-the-shoulder catch. Their corner went for the tackle, he kicked out of it and then it was going. But that was a great time for that play to happen in the ballgame. And Shea, thought he was really good on all of his reads and runs. And they just won, really, the first one. The first third down, he could’ve pulled it and maybe scored, but thought he did a fabulous job. Love him.”

 

Coach, when they took the momentum there and they scored the short touchdown, what did you see from your guys? And just talk about the way they responded to the adversity

 

“Yeah. I came across a great quote this week. Alonzo Mourning: adversity introduces a man to himself. And our guys didn’t blink. We got tough, smart, good guys. And it was onward. Tough set of circumstances, but came right back and answered.”

 

Jim, what does this game say about Shea? He’s your second quarterback since you’ve been at Michigan to — his first try to beat Michigan State on the road, only a handful of quarterbacks in Michigan history to beat Michigan State on his first try. What does this game say about Shea Patterson?

 

“A lot. He’s a great player. Love him as a competitor. Love his talent. Just keeps amping it up as the game goes on. He’s — I think he embbraces all the pressure situations. Just pours it out there on the field. Really pours his heart and soul into playinng the game, and just the ultimate respect for him and the way he plays and who he is and how he competes. He competes like a maniac. Love it.”

 

Jim, the tenor of the rivalry since you’ve gotten here has been really respectful, sportsmanlike. Did that change today, from the stuff pregame?

 

“Yeah. I didn’t think that was real respectful. So, you know my feelings on it, it was bbush league and I got really nothing else to say about it.”

 

Jim, could you tell leading up to this weekend, and your players expressed how big this win was and how desperately they wanted it, did you see a different look in their eyes for this game, because of how last year went against this team?

 

“Oh yeah. Had this one circled for a long time. A whole year.”

 

[Fuller]

Devin Bush

 

Can you just walk us through what happened before the game?

 

“We was warming up, couple of our players, and Michigan State came out. They spread out the whole 50 yards of the field, locked arms and walked 100 yards while we’re trying to warm up.”

 

What else?

 

“And, we was — nobody told us to get off the field. So as we were warming up, they just kept walking. … They tried to — I don’t know what their tactic was, but we pushed through the line and they ripped Lavert’s headphones off. They gonna mess with (Lawrence Marshall), they gonna mess with me. That’s what happens.”

 

What were the words exchanged between you?

 

“I honestly can’t remember. It was so emotional and intense. I honestly don’t remember.”

 

Why did you do what you did after that?

 

“I just got caught up in the moemnt, in my emotions. I feel like they took a shot at us. That was just something, I just acted on my emotions.”

 

You’re a smart guy, you know that that image will be caught in this rivalry’s imagery for decades to come. Is that something you thought of at the time, or is it pure emotion? Do you regret it at all?

 

“It was pure emotion and I did what I did. And I can’t take it back, so it is what it is.”

 

Your entire team though, at the end, took Paul Bunyan and did the same thing. That was obviously more than — you planned that, right?

 

“Yeah, I mean, we won. So, we gonna celebrate our win. We taking Paul home. We want everybody to know that.”

 

Did it raise the level of the game? Were they talking to you a lot more during the game, on their sideline?

 

“They was doing what they was doing. They was pushing after the play, talking after the play, talking during the play. Trying to do little nasty stuff, extra stuff after the whistle. But we knew they was gonna do that.”

 

It seemed like there was a growing level of respect these last few years between the programs. Did that go away today?

 

“Yeah. Especially playing away, playing here, they feel like they need to protect something. Based off what happened last year, at home, this is one of those games where you have too much to say to the other team.”

 

…

 

Karan called this a statement game. What do you call this game?

 

“Statement game as well. Like you said, when they’re 0-for-12, what’d they have, 90 yards of total offense? Sends a message to the other teams that we ain’t coming to play, we’re coming to handle business.”

 

…

 

Is this another stop on the Revenge Tour for you guys?

 

“Yeah, most definitely.”

 

[Fuller]

Shea Patterson, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Karan Higdon

 

Question for Shea and Donovan. Shea, it seemed like this game was gonna come down to a big play like that, you were able to find Donovan. Can you just walk us through, tell us what you saw?

 

Shea: “Yeah. Think that was one of the most gritty things I’ve been a part of. The defense put us in good situations … that gave us confidence to just stay within ourselves. When we get that moment to break through, just, we’re not gonna give it back. Donovan in 1-on-1 coverage, good luck with that. Just threw it up to him, he made a hell of a play after the catch.”

 

There was a pregame buzz with the media and fans with what Devin Bush did on the field. Did that serve to motivate you guys, or how did you react to that?

 

Higdon: “We were motivated from the start. We knew they’ve been talking trash all week. We stayed quiet, stayed in our space. And we knew what it was gonna be. And we got here, and we just elevated our enthusiasm.”

 

Karan, talk a little bit about what the offensive line did at the end of the third and fourth quarter, and what they’ve been doing the last few weeks

 

Higdon: “They dominated. They continuing to dominate. I said last week, we got the best O-line in the country, and it’s showing. Proof is in the pudding.”

 

…

 

Donovan, it seemed like there was a point where, probably in the third quarter, where all the things that have gone wrong in this series for the past for you guys that have led to losses were going wrong. What changed and allowed you guys to regain momentum?

 

DPJ: “We just stayed the course. It’s like Karan said, our offensive line has been doing an unbelievable job. It was real easy when Shea has time to deliver the perfect passes that he does. Our running game was opening up the passing game and our passing game was opening up the running game.”

 

…

 

Karan, can you put into words how much your team needed to beat Michigan State, gain control of the series?

 

Higdon: “Yeah, it’s big-time. Every week it seems that people with the playoff rankings and whatever the case may be find a reason to critique us. Or talk about why we don’t deserve to be a top-ranked team. Last week it was, we don’t show up in big games. This week it was, Michigan State got the number-one run defense. Blah, blah, blah. We showed up, we did our job. That’s all that matters. And that’s what it is.”

 

Karan, more blah, blah, blah. You said that they had been talking trash all week. Was there something in particular that burned you guys? And what did happen before the game?

 

Higdon: “We didn’t even pay attention to it. Whatever they said on Twitter, Instagram, whatever, we didn’t know about it. We stood the course, attacked the week like we do every week. And we knew that when the whistle blew, we was gonna let it all out. All our frustration, all the personal things we felt about this game, we were gonna let it out. We came here, they were talking trash. When the whistle blew, there was nothing we could do. And we won.”

 

What did Devin Bush and Lawrence Marshall tell you about what happened before the game?

 

Higdon: “Nothing. We just made a statement.”

 

…

 

Karan and Shea, can you tell us what you did during that hour-long break? What was the mood like? What were you talking about and how did it affect the challenge of trying to stay up for a game like this?

 

Higdon: “We relaxed. Put our feet up, talked about the gameplan. We knew they didn’t want to play us. They were tired, they were hurting. And we knew it was gonna be a pound-for-pound game and they weren’t gonna be able to last with us, so we relaxed and was waiting for the clock. That’s what it was.”