Everything Jim Harbaugh said after Michigan football beat Iowa
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Michigan football hadn’t come into Kinnick Stadium since 2005 and escaped with a win. That changed on Saturday.
The Wolverines took down the Iowa Hawkeyes, 27-13, in a game that was almost thoroughly controlled by the maize and blue. Iowa scored quickly in the fourth quarter, breaking the shutout, and then threatened to cut it back into a one-score game halfway through the final stretch. However, the Wolverines stepped up, got some key stops, scored a big touchdown, and moved up to 5-0.
From the run game, to J.J. McCarthy making smart decisions at quarterback, to the pass rush coming alive late, there was a lot to like about this one. Here is everything that Jim Harbaugh said about the win after the game.
The first drive and the offensive line
Yeah, really, really good job mixing in the run and the pass. We went to a power play about four or five times. Early it was getting five, sometimes seven, sometimes 10. And I thought we did a good job mixing up the plays. And that’s how you want to start a game. I thought it was a very impressive drive. I thought the game was really impressive, I think all around, all phases, very impressive.
Eyabi Okie and Mike Morris coming up big on a pivotal Iowa possession
Just there was a lot of extra effort there. Both Eyabi and Mike, Jaylen Harrell, doing a really good job on the edge. But Mazi Smith and Kris Jenkins, inside, were doing a tremendous job forcing things to the outside. And getting the pressure up the middle that allowed those edges to come through at the end. They probably won’t show up in the statline. But it was under 20 yards, I think, we called them in rushing the first half. Not doing that unless your guys are playing really good inside up the front.
And heck, I think we can get better, too. So great, great, great feeling of winning, thrill of victory. And it’ll be a very happy flight back to Michigan. And then, as soon as the wheels hit the ground, we’ll start getting ready for Indiana.
The offensive line's chemistry
I think it’s improving. I really do. I mean, we had Hayes, Keegan, Olu, Zinter, Trente — that five in there today. That hasn’t always been that way, through the first five ballgames. But it’s allowed some other guys to step up like like Gio and Karsen Barnhart. I think chemistry is coming, and we can get better. We can get better there, we can get better and in several areas. It’s a great win to keep moving on and improve when you win — that’s gonna get better.
All those things are really good after a win, especially a Big Ten win, especially if it’s a team that really prides themselves on a blue-collar mentality. Hard-working team, physical team, hustling team. I’ve always been enamored with it or strive to have our teams be about that. That blue-collar mentality, even looked it up one time and really the whole blue-collar started in Iowa. I can’t remember the town but somewhere on the west side of the state, maybe Des Moines, I think. Smaller town. But guys, we’re wearing blue, blue jumpsuits and working in a mine, called blue-collar workers. People that do manual labor, people that do work — we respect that, we try to be about that. And, when you’re playing a team that’s about that, it’s exciting and challenging, to challenge yourself or against that kind of mentality. And I think our guys fared really well.
Was the plan to take what Iowa gave defensively?
I thought we did a good job of that, I thought we adjusted well, too, in the second half when we started going more to the outside zone run and were able to knock that last touchdown in there. I thought we were moving them off the ball really well. Early, they made some adjustments and we had to make some counter adjustments, but that’s how it went to me in the running game. Blake Corum had had a really big day again, 137 yards. J.J. really just kept it all together and found Schoony. Luke Schoonmaker’s really becoming a great target for J.J.
When Roman went out after he got the headshot early, it was that second quarter, Ronnie stepped up, and Schoony, too, was somebody that really stepped up in that situation.
But all that to say, yeah, I thought the offensive line was coming off the ball really well thought Blake was running really well. We were blocking well. J.J. really was taking the open guy, he was throwing it to the open guy. Better than too late in the ball downfield.
The red zone defense and the late stop near the goal line
Yeah, we were just trying to just try to keep them out. They’re not in until they’re in. And then we gave us some inside breaking routes. And that’s an area we can look to improve on. Hit us on an out breaking route, a sail route and then came back with a dig route and had us on our heels there. But we were able to get a couple — get a tackle for a loss and extended it to a third-and-4 and then it was a fourth-and-2 and they rolled to the left and they got called for a pick. But they were short of the first down. So that was — we’re just battling you know, trying to strain, trying to outwork and outstrain there at the end.
What does this win at Iowa do for the team?
We’re 5-0 now. You can’t get to 6-0 unless you’re 5-0. It’s kind of cool. We looked at that and go we haven’t won here since 2005. Game of the year last year was when we went to Wisconsin, and we hadn’t won Wisconsin since (2001). So we keep track of those things. Yeah, it feels good. It’s a great thrill, the great thrill of victory, great thrill of winning. It’ll be the best win of the week!
Was the plan for J.J. to be more conservative or to play his game?
Yeah, play your game. And there’s nobody that loves that game more than I do. I mean, he’s better than me. But I mean, he reminds me of a young Jimmy Harbaugh.
‘Off he goes, he drops back, and then he runs over to his left,t circles back to his right, back to his left, runs it, or throws it, to an open guy!’ Man, I love it. I just love it, love it. But, I said if it comes up, let’s just have it come up one time maybe, or no more than two. Because you’re playing against the defense that’s really, really disciplined.
And so yeah, we talked about the importance, stressed the importance of ball security. It’s a very good strategy — field position, win the turnover battles, and they’re really tough to beat. So, we didn’t want to give them anything, we didn’t want to give them any of those type of gifts. We have one that came up and fortunately Donovan Edwards was heads up and got on that that loose ball back in our own end.
But I thought he played a really good game, you know? And I dance a real fine line of not taking his special talent and overcoaching it. I do not want him to be a victim of overcoaching. So when it’s all said and done, it’s just, do you J.J., play your game. It’s really good. Just protect the ball!
Having Donovan Edwards back
It was great. I mean, just the physical player that he is and but also he is a tremendous leader. He’s loud. He’s vocal, I could be around the hall you know, around the corner, and I know exactly who it is. Like the young people say, you already know. I already know it’s Donovan.
Yeah, he’s just so positive and so much positive energy and always effects everybody in a positive manner. Along with his playing ability, it’s almost just as good, you know? I’m always sure it puts me in a good mood. It always gets me optimistic. So great to have him back.
