Four weeks into the 2023 season, and the Michigan Wolverines are finally heading on the road for the first time.
The team’s 31-7 win over Rutgers not only sees the second-ranked team in the nation unbeaten, but also not surrendering more than a touchdown in any of their opening four matchups. But last week, after trailing on the scoreboard for the first time all year, Michigan did what this Harbaugh-led program has become synonymous for – they put down their lunch pail and made things ugly.
“That’s the kind of game I think Bo Schembechler would have been really proud of”, head coach Jim Harbaugh commented, before his father, Jack, clamored from the back of the room, “Grinding meat!”
“If you can use all five, six minutes of clock at the end of the game. Churn out. ‘Grind meat’, as Jack Harbaugh would like to say, does say, is saying right now. And then you end it with the football? That warms the cockles of the heart.”
In Jim’s absence during the first three games, maybe what stood out most profoundly was how much of his identity rubbed off on the collective demeanor of this group. From the dedication to hard work, showing up ready to put in a full performance, supporting each unit, and even the loose exuberance of telling his players to ‘have fun,’ this squad feels apropos to all of that.
Standouts
Another thing that stood out after last week’s game was the coach’s comments on two of his emerging stars on offense: sophomore tight end Colston Loveland and true freshman receiver Semaj Morgan.
“He’s been really ascending since he got here,” Harbaugh said of Morgan, who caught his first touchdown at the collegiate level near the end of the first half to put the team up, 14-7. “He’s serious about being good at football. Dead serious about winning and helping the team. A lot of hard work. Semaj has put in a lot of hard work – all the guys have. But this is time to collect the dividends, and it was great to see him make that withdrawal today.”
One can see why a player like Morgan would take to Harbaugh’s brand of development. In his comments after the game, the freshman spoke about the toughness that he was raised with, and possesses a candor that, like his coach, is quick to inspire laughter in the room.
When asked about how good he believes Loveland could be as a player, Harbaugh offered, “He’s really great. Freak athlete, and a team guy all the way. I think the cat’s out of the bag – and he doesn’t know it. He doesn’t know how good he can be. He doesn’t know how good he is.”
To illustrate the point, Harbaugh went on to reflect on a play from last year’s matchup against Ohio State.
“Just to describe what kind of guy he is. He caught a touchdown pass at Ohio State, and he comes sprinting back from the goal line, over to where we were huddled up as coaches. I’m getting ready to do … something [gesturing a celebratory act]. I don’t know, chest bump or something. He was coming back to get back on the kickoff team, because he knew he was on kickoff team and didn’t want to be late. Just incredible.”
“As Jack Harbaugh would say, he’s a football player. And there’s no greater compliment you can give.”
‘Cool Guy Jim’
When asked about what it was like having Harbaugh back in the locker room, Blake Corum gave away a nugget.
“He was just happy as heck. As he says, ‘Cool Guy Jim’ – it was just great seeing his energy after the win.”
Now, for ‘Cool Guy Jim’ and the rest of the Wolverines, the path to another Big Ten championship leads them away from the comforts of Ann Arbor for the next two weeks. First up, Nebraska.
