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Coach Jim Harbaugh was aware of the criticism his offense had received after the first four games of the season for a lack of creativity in the game and too much confidence in the race.
Michigan’s offense was averaging 290.8 rushing yards versus 164 passing yards per game, and Harbaugh said it was a goal to change that heading into Saturday’s game against Wisconsin.
“Yes, we threw the ball in the first game of the match. That’s what we strive to be – balanced, throwing the ball and executing the ball. We had a very similar approach this week and a team that really has a good running defense, ”said Harbaugh.“ Yes that was a mixed bag. We really believe in our quarterbacks, we believe in our receivers and our tight ends. We think we can throw the ball well, we think we can direct it well.
“But, yeah, we’re gonna do both. There are two ways to travel, right?”
He was referring to his analogy that General George Patton was able to do his job on the ground and Astronaut Neil Armstrong in the air when he defended his attack earlier in the season.
He didn’t have to defend much this game, as Michigan’s offense racked up 365 total yards in the 38-17 win over Wisconsin in the Wolverines’ first win at Madison since 2001. Quarterbacks Cade McNamara and JJ McCarthy were responsible for 253 passing yards. and three touchdowns in the air, against 112 rushing yards and one touchdown from running backs.
Part of the offensive strategy for this game included using McCarthy on designed running plays, which ultimately helped open up the passing game that led to a 56-yard touchdown achievement for wide receiver Daylen Baldwin.
“He’s really athletic and we thought he would have to be able to shoot the ball and try to get it around the perimeter,” Harbaugh said. “Had one where he had a good gain, had a 9-yard gain. And he can throw the ball just as well. We just tried to get him in as much as possible. That’s thinking.”
Michigan is starting to answer some of the questions on offense as the defense continues to advance as well. Now with the Wolverines at 5-0, Harbaugh said he believes there is a certain confidence that helps push this team that they haven’t had in quite some time.
That confidence was visible on the sidelines when House of Pain’s “Jump Around” was played at Camp Randall Stadium before the fourth quarter and the Michigan team could be seen partaking in the tradition of jumping to the music. It was a marked difference from when the Wolverines were on the road against Wisconsin in 2019 in a 35-14 rout.
“They had that kind of a vibe about them when they first walked into the locker room, when we got here early this morning,” Harbaugh said. “The mood was that they weren’t going to be turned down. They weren’t going to flinch when punches were thrown and that’s how it went.”
This trust has led to trust between the players and is reflected in Harbaugh and the coaching staff in the game on the field. The team aren’t quite where they want to be yet, but Harbaugh said they get closer and closer with each game.
“There is a lot of creativity in there. I have a lot of games, damn almost every game known to man, offensively, ”Harbaugh said. “And the guys learned them and perform them. Right on ahead now. I knew our guys were ready to do it today, I felt like they weren’t going to be denied. Let’s move on to the next one. “
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