Jim Harbaugh points out two Michigan players who 'were everywhere' against Colorado State

The Michigan Wolverines football offense was productive, hanging 44 points on Colorado State, and the defense helped out with 7 points of its own in the 51-7 win, on a scoop and score from senior cornerback DJ Turner. Head coach Jim Harbaugh‘s favorite part of the defensive performance was winged helmets flying to the football.

There were plenty of standouts, with 9 players combining to make 11 tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble. But Harbaugh pointed to 1 defender who stood out above the rest — senior defensive back Mike Sainristil. A converted wide receiver, a lot of eyes were watching the nickelback. He impressed early on, most notably with a sack on the first 3rd down of the game.

“Mike Sainristil was everywhere,” Harbaugh said on the Inside Michigan Football radio show Monday night.

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Harbaugh also broke down the other defensive backs who stood out. Sophomore safety Rod Moore had a 1st-quarter interception and added a sack, and junior safety R.J. Moten notched 1 tackle for loss and 3 total stops. Harbaugh was potentially most proud of Michigan junior safety Makari Paige, though, who registered 3 tackles in his increased role after playing sparingly last season.

“The secondary play, the guys we thought were gonna play good, like R.J. Moten and Rod Moore and Mike Sainristil, [graduate cornerback] Gemon Green, DJ Turner all played well, made really big plays,” Harbaugh said.

“Makari Paige — I want to highlight him. Just the transformation. He’s now going into his junior year. He’s a physical presence out there. [Graduate linebacker] Mike Barrett had 6 tackles — he was running really good. 

“When somebody breaks through that offensive line or that front, there are hats coming from everywhere. If you’re running the ball — I know I would — my head would be on a swivel trying to go through that.”

Turner and Green were stellar, too, Harbaugh continued. But there’s a reason why fans didn’t notice them as much.

“The guys like DJ Turner and Gemon Green, they had really great games, too,” Harbaugh said. “Gemon didn’t show up in the stat line as much — because he was covering guys and helping to create some of those sacks.

“The safeties, like I said, Makari Paige and Rod Moore, who had 4 tackles and an interception and got in on a sack, and R.J. Moten, we expected them to play good, and they went out there and did.”

Ronnie Bell ‘was everywhere’ for Michigan offense

On the Michigan offense, it was graduate wide receiver Ronnie Bell who received 1 of the biggest cheers of the day outside of scoring plays, and it came after his 9-yard reception. It was his 1st catch in 364 days, after tearing his ACL in last season’s opening game against Western Michigan.

“The offensive version of Mike Sainristil would’ve been Ronnie Bell on offense, because he was everywhere — blocking, catching balls,” Harbaugh explained. “But the blocking was outstanding. [Sophomore wideout] Andrel Anthony had a tremendous block. [Senior wide receiver] Cornelius Johnson was blocking. They really took the challenge, and guys were just back there — 15 guys catching balls. They were blocking, too.”

The Michigan coach was also pleased with his special teams. Graduate kicker Jake Moody made 3 field goals after the Wolverines’ offense stalled in the red zone, and grad punter Brad Robbins had a pin inside the 20-yard line and a 51-yard boot as well.

“Special teams — Jake Moody extended his streak of 12 field goals made in a row, in this game,” Harbaugh explained of the Michigan unit. “Brad Robbins had a 47 net punt [average]. Great to see [junior wide receiver] Eamonn Dennis, he was our special teams player of the week. He’s got so many tools, Eamonn Dennis. He’s so fast and athletic, and to see him put that into practice was great to see.

“A lot of good things, a lot of good things.”