Wolverine TV: Jim Harbaugh press conference ahead of Michigan's game against Michigan State
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football head coach Jim Harbaugh met with the media Monday afternoon ahead of his team’s game against Michigan State. Watch video of Harbaugh in the video player at the top of the screen or on YouTube.
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Harbaugh said Monday that Michigan junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be the one that others are compared to at U-M going forward.
“I feel like I stand corrected from what I’ve been saying the last several months, which is I think J.J. is a once in a generation quarterback. J.J. has shown to be on path to be the best quarterback in Michigan history,” Harbaugh said at his Monday press conference. “The statistics I’m sure speak to that, and the statistic that speaks to it the most is amount of [successful drives. He’s had 213 drives. We’ve scored on 130 of those drives, and 96 have been touchdowns, 34 field goals, 61 percent. So, it’s really remarkable. There’s no stat that demonstrates the quality of quarterback play more than that statistic, in my mind.
“I think going forward, J.J. will be the quarterback that all future quarterbacks are compared to.”
Harbaugh also touched on the state of the Michigan program, agreeing that it’s the best it’s been since he’s been with the Wolverines (he was hired Dec. 30, 2014). He called this season a “happy mission,” a phrase he used last season, and said “the time is now” with November essentially here. The Wolverines will take on Michigan State in East Lansing this weekend, have a bye and then play Purdue in November.
Last season, a slew of Michigan State players, unprovoked, attacked U-M players in the tunnel after the Wolverines beat down the Spartans 29-7 at The Big House. Harbaugh said enough time has passed where he doesn’t think much of it.
Harbaugh discussed what he’s seen from the Spartans on film. Though they’re 2-4 this season and haven’t won since last month, he believes that they’re “super tough” to play. MSU nearly beat Rutgers in Piscataway last weekend before blowing a big lead in the fourth quarter. Their new starting quarterback, redshirt freshman Kaitin Hauser, was impressive, according to Harbaugh, and will be a challenge to face.
