Michigan 52, Indiana 7 – Notes, quotes, and observations

ANN ARBOR — It happens every year, to everyone, whether it be Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, whoever. A slow start, maybe not ready to play against a bad team, get caught off guard by an opponent who didn’t get the memo they weren’t supposed to show up so the heavy favorite can get its backups on the field for the fourth quarter.

For several years, Indiana has been that team for the Wolverines — not exactly their kryptonite, but a pest that’s hard to kill. The mole under the back patio, Carl Spackler’s gopher, Steven Seagal for you fans of bad movies … it just takes a little more than you’d hope (especially on the latter).

But talent usually wins out, especially when it’s as lopsided as it was Saturday. The Wolverines sleepwalked through first quarter after hitting snooze a few times, outgained 141 to 17 in the stanza. But they wiped the sleep out of their eyes, made some adjustments, dominated the third quarter (as always) and had the game won by the fourth.

It’s still a four-quarter game, as they say — and the Wolverines still haven’t been in one, even after the lousy beginning Saturday. Chances are, they won’t be again until they play at Penn State in November, if then. We imagine Michigan State, for example — a loser at Rutgers Saturday in the battle for the Keep Choppin’ Trophy — will have their attention more than IU did on a rainy day Saturday.

But even the slow start couldn’t prevent a 52-7 team against a team that, to its credit, looked really well-prepared for the Wolverines. They called the right defenses at the right times, seemed to be sitting on some of U-M’s favorite routes, and played well in the first quarter. They mixed it up on offense and presented new looks that confused the Wolverines.

“What I knew about Indiana, we talked about this as a team — they’re fighters,” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said. “They take their swings every year we play them. They are so well prepared, ready to roll. This was no different. But we’re fighters, too. I think that’s what it says about the team.

“There was a real calm, a real understanding that, ’okay, when we get punched in the mouth, we’re going to respond. That’s what’s going to happen.’ Everybody has that kind of faith in the leadership of our team, the character of our team. There’s a devotion to the fundamentals of Michigan football. Just go to work of responding. That’s the best strategy you can do. That’s what we lean back on.”

And then he added this about the staff:
“Just really lucky, really blessed. I hope everybody appreciates it as much as our players do and I do,” he said.

From the back of the room, athletic director Warde Manuel called out, “you missed one, Coach — great job by you” to a smile and a thank you from Harbaugh. The two are in the middle of a contract negotiation, and it seems clear now that everyone is on the same page to get it done sooner than later. And it can’t come soon enough, nor could it be more deserved.

For years, Harbaugh has used his signature “who has it better than us — nooobody!” with his teams after wins. Rival fans have had some fun with it at his expense, especially Ohio State backers after they ripped off 5 straight to start the Harbaugh era. It was a gag during the 2020 campaign, which we now know (and Manuel and Co. seem to, as well) was an anomaly in a season that really meant nothing. There were so many pauses and opt outs that a program like Indiana (with all due respect) was in contention for a title and finished 12th nationally.

But sustaining is what it’s about. And while IU’s Tom Allen might be a good coach, his program is just the latest on the decline in what’s become the most lopsided Big Ten since the 1970s. It’s not the Big 2 and the little 8 — it’s the Big 3 and little 11 — but it’s similar, nonetheless.

Still, the latest blowout took a minute to get going, and that’s going to happen (though we didn’t expect it would take a rally at end of the first quarter just to get into positive yardage. Some guys, including one on the right side of the offensive line, looked like they’d hit snooze a few times and weren’t ready to play. The Hoosiers, coming off a bye week with a new coordinator, threw plenty at the Michigan defense and moved the ball.

“We just had to settle in a little bit,” Michigan senior defensive end Jaylen Harrell said. “We knew it was going to be a, we call it a ‘training camp’ game, because we knew they had a new O.C. coming off the bye, so some things that we probably weren’t going to be prepared for. But we just had to do our assignments and lock in. We got off to a slow start, but we clicked when we needed to.”

And then some. Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter adjusted as Minter does, as good at making changes on the fly as any coordinator we remember since some under former coach Bo Schembechler’s staff. He and the other staffers are brilliant football minds, and they helped hold the Hoosiers to 40 yards in the second and third quarters.

Meanwhile, the offense continued to roll behind Michigan junior J.J. McCarthy. His ability to spot blitzers and keep plays alive is next level and demonstrates again the importance of a dual threat quarterback in today’s football. While we wish they’d have sidelined him a bit earlier and not take a few of the hits he did late in the third quarter, it was McCarthy’s feet that really made the difference. He grossed 50 yards on non-sack plays — even when a play broke down due to poor pass pro, he scrambled right and made a defender commit before throwing over the top to sophomore tight end Colston Loveland for a 54-yard score.

“It’s perfect when you’ve got a quarterback like that,” Harbaugh said, noting there was no hesitation to go for a score on fourth down close to the goal line in the second quarter, tied 7-7. “Some people ask me fourth and two, tie ball game on the two-yard line, what goes into that decision? I know the ball’s going to be in No. 9’s hands, or in Colston’s hands, or Roman [Wilson’s]. But mainly I know No. 9 is going to make it right.

“I have just a great confidence that the odds are in our favor. A tremendous job by him responding. The entire team … I think at one point they had 139 yards to our minus-8. Then we respond with a touchdown drive. Tremendous.”

The goal now is to keep it going — not just this year, starting with a game at Michigan State in which the Spartans will be amped up for their one-game season (one of those “keep your head on a swivel” games), but for the foreseeable future. Harbaugh’s right — this isn’t anything to be taken for granted, which Michigan fans should know well after suffering through the 2008-14 seasons (minus 2011). It’s special, and it’s time to lock Harbaugh and his staff up.

It seems, though, that everyone is now pulling in the same direction to make it happen. It’s the same principle the team’s shown in dominating the first 7 opponents in unprecedented fashion, breaking a record going back to 1905 in scoring over 30 and holding the opponent to under 14 in the first 7 games.

“Guys are playing for each other,” Harbaugh said. “They prepare for each other — they fight for each other. They go out and win for each other. They work together and they win together, as [daughter] Katie Harbaugh came up with. She was looking at my quote board, and she said, “work together, win together.” So that’s my new favorite quote on my quote board.”

The product on the field indicates there’s a lot more winning to come this year, and hopefully beyond with Harbaugh at the helm.

Observations following a 52-7 Michigan win over Indiana

• A tough start and game for grad right tackle Karsen Barnhart. Just a few weeks ago, Harbaugh was talking about getting more run for offensive linemen if they deserved it. If ever there were a time to send a message, the first quarter Saturday would have been it. Barnhart has been good for much of the year, but as our analyst Doug Skene says, “nobody touches the quarterback!” … and especially this one. The Wolverines’ national title hopes hinge on keeping him upright.

“The first one, they brought more than we could block,” Harbaugh said. “We were in an empty backfield. We were empty one other time after that. They caught us. They had a better defense called than we had play called. They’re good players too, you know, and they beat us a couple times. One time they beat us, and it ended up being a touchdown pass because J.J. got out of the pocket.

“I’d say it’s probably the price of doing business sometimes. They’re going to make a play. They’re going to have a better play called. To think you can go game after game without a sack, or game after game after game after game without a turnover … it’s comparable to J.J. McCarthy [earlier this year] when he had more touchdowns than he had incompletions. Things like that just don’t continue to happen.”

And he’s right. But just a few weeks ago, he spoke of others getting opportunities like they had on the defensive line to provide a spark. We wouldn’t have minded seeing Trente Jones or someone else get a few snaps to settle a few guys down.

• Michigan junior running back Donovan Edwards scored his first touchdown of the year in the fourth quarter, and you could sense the relief. He’d had an opportunity in the second quarter, too, but ran into the back of his blocker. Harbaugh replaced him, though Edwards was waving to the sideline to keep Blake Corum on the bench. Harbaugh put him in anyway, and the senior scored on the next play.

“He was rolling. He wanted to stay in, and I wanted Blake,” Harbaugh said. “Blake’s a really good goal line runner, short yardage runner. Blake’s the guy I wanted in that situation. I understand the competitive nature of The Don, and he helps us in so many ways. That was his competitive fighter nature. He wanted to finish it off.”

But it was the right call. It was still a one-touchdown game at that point, and the Wolverines needed a score. There’s no comparison right now to what Corum brings in short yardage compared to Edwards. His legs keeps piles moving, and this ain’t intramurals, brother (to borrow from a former Colorado coach). Harbaugh was playing to win.

Still, he was happy to see Edwards find the end zone. He likened it to getting the first olive out of a jar.
“When things are stuck, you haven’t gotten something in a while, sometimes I use that analogy with turnovers on defense [too],” he said. “You’re close, but you just can’t seem to get it. The olive jar analogy is the olives are packed in so tight, they’ve got the big screw in top. It’s wide. You unscrew it and turn the olive jar over, nothing will come out because they’re packed in so tight. But if you can just get one to get shaken loose, then they just all start plopping out.

That’s what I said to Don … ‘hey – you’re in.’”

Hopefully, it’s a sign of things to come.

• Speaking of turnovers — it’s great seeing the added emphasis pay off. Defensive line coach Mike Elston credited safeties and special teams coach Jay Harbaugh for his daily work on it with the players, and Michigan senior edge Jaylen Harrell did after Saturday’s win, as well.

Michigan forced three fumbles and recovered two, and the Wolverines also picked off two passes. They were hounding the ball and trying to knock it loose rather than just making tackles, but also sticking to their technique on the latter. It’s a skill, and it’s being taught well.

“Special teams, we’re so lucky with the job Jay’s done, and he’s a brilliant, brilliant coach,” Harbaugh said. “All the drills that we do on special teams, they translate over to offense. They translate over to defense. We devote a lot of time to it, but so much gets done in those drills, those sessions, those hours we put towards special teams.”

• Finally, a great showing by frosh running back Benjamin Hall. Nine carries for 58 yards in Kalel Mullings absence (wrist injury), and he showed patience and burst. Harbaugh credited Mike Hart.

“Here comes another young back in the game. He’s got him ready to go and he was our leading rusher on like 9 carries or 8 carries, 58 yards,” Harbaugh praised. “Ben Hall. The leg drive, the strength … he just does a great job in all facets.”

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