Jim Harbaugh offers latest on Michigan quarterback competition, offers how he's leaning on rotation

Michigan coach head coach Jim Harbaugh‘s interesting decision to prolong his quarterback competition into the season with Cade McNamara starting in Week 1 and JJ McCarthy in Week 2 has reached its halfway point. McNamara started this weekend against Colorado State, and Harbaugh was asked about how his quarterback rotation will continue to look moving forward.

“It’ll be the same thing, we plowed this ground about as thoroughly as it can possibly be plowed. I mean dating back to the summer when you ask the question I said ‘Yeah, one could start, the other could start or it could be a combination of both in the games.’ Those are the options, happy that we’ve still got another week to look at it. As we said that each would get a start and make it as fair as it can possibly be,” Harbaugh said.

McNamara went 9-18 with 136 yards and a touchdown in his start, and Harbaugh was asked if he believes there’s a reason why McNamara doesn’t seem to think Harbaugh is open to the back and forth nature of using both quarterbacks moving forward.

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“I think I said the same thing to you guys, I’d prefer to have a starting quarterback going into each ball game. Been very transparent with that and also if things are exactly the same as they were coming out of camp, which was pretty close to dead even, then we were going to have to as coaches find a way to maximize both of their talents for the best use of the team. That remains a very viable option,” Harbaugh said.

McCarthy was utilized in week one as well, going 4-4 on his pass attempts and rushing for 50 yards, scoring on a read option touchdown in the red zone for the Wolverines. Harbaugh spoke on the effectiveness of McCarthy’s legs, and how his play garners the attention of defenses.

“I think he definitely pulls defenders, I mean they have to know where he is. I mean our defensive coaches are the same way and there needs to be a plan when a quarterback can run in the 4.5’s, that gets to be faster than linebacker” Harbaugh said. “So you gotta have a plan to contain that, so you can definitely see, even if he’s carrying out a fake, somebody’s paying attention.”

It will definitely be interesting to see how McCarthy performs in his first start this weekend versus Hawaii, as the unprecedented, in-season quarterback battle continues for Harbaugh and the Wolverines.