Recapping Jim Harbaugh’s Week 3 appearance on ‘Inside Michigan Football’

On Monday night, Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh made his appearance on the “Inside Michigan Football’ radio show with Jon Jansen. He discussed how his team improved from Week 1 to Week 2, and some of what he expects to see from Bowling Green.

• When asked about is team’s improvements, Harbaugh had plenty of praise for the passing game, specifically quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s accuracy being, “Off the charts.” He further praised McCarthy’s precision by speaking about how he has been able to help deliver catchable balls to his receivers and hit them in stride, citing his 47-yard touchdown to Roman Wilson against UNLV.
• Also regarding McCarthy, Harbaugh mentioned he had some nice runs in the game, but the coaches would like to see him make more of an effort to protect himself: “We need him to get out of bounds and not take some of those shots.”
• When asked about the struggles of the rushing attack, Harbaugh pointed to one early season error: “We gotta block better on the perimeter.” Further, he said, “We’re capable of having the run game really hum.” He also mentioned the current state of the run game is comparable to where the passing game was at this time last year, meaning that although the results might not be showing, the team is still confident in its ability to run the ball.
• One of the most notable improvements we saw in Week 2 was on defense, as the team recorded five sacks after failing to get any the week before. “Everyone in the front seven played really good.” He specifically praised Kenneth Grant, Mason Graham, Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell as being standout performers.
• Speaking of defense, Harbaugh also had some praise for the secondary in the game. “The coverage was really tight,” Harbaugh said. He specifically credited defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale for his contribution in this area, saying “Things have really changed around here defensively since Steve Clinkscale came here — you just see the development taking place.”
• Bowling Green comes to Ann Arbor this Saturday. When asked about what he sees from Bowling Green, Harbaugh praised their offense under head coach (and former Michigan quarterback) Scot Loeffler, saying, “They’re outstanding to watch on offense.” Additionally, he said, “We need to be taking some of their ideas with their pass concepts. They’re outstanding.”