The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Thursday, September 7, 2017 — 7

In new role, Jay Harbaugh doesn’t run to form

Tyrone Wheatley may have 

left Michigan’s coaching staff 
for the Jacksonville Jaguars, 
but very little has changed. 

Now under the tutelage of 

Jay 
Harbaugh, 
Michigan’s 

running backs have been quick 
to point out how interactive 
their new position coach is. 
Stereotypes may suggest an 
authoritarian 
relationship 

between a coach and a player. 
Harbaugh 
doesn’t 
fit 
that 

stereotype.

“Because Coach Jay has 

never 
played 
the 
position, 

sometimes 
we 
see 
things 

that he may not see,” said 
sophomore 
Karan 
Higdon. 

“And sometimes it’s vice versa, 
which is really good because 
we’re able to converse about 
it and try and get each other 
to see and get to a mutual 

understanding. And it’s been 
great because it’s enabled us to 
reach our full potential.”

Added Harbaugh: “For me, 

they’re an extension of me on 
the field. So it’s invaluable 
to hear what they’re seeing 
and what they feel, and then 
try to use that to either make 
corrections 
or 
adjustments 

over the course of a practice 
(or) game. Good information 
from veteran guys that you can 
trust is really really crucial.”

The one thing that hasn’t 

changed, though, is that the 
Wolverines are sharing the 
responsibilities of the backfield 
once again. Granted, Chris 
Evans 
was 
the 
undisputed 

starter against then-No. 17 
Florida, 
as 
the 
sophomore 

notched 22 carries to fifth-
year senior Ty Isaac’s 11.

But 
when 
Harbaugh 

addressed 
the 
media 

Wednesday 
afternoon, 
he 

made it clear that the group 
will continue sharing carries, 
while also adding that he 
wants the trio — Evans, Isaac 
and Higdon — to virtually 
become interchangeable as the 
season progresses.

“I think it’s a great thing,” 

Harbaugh said. “They’re all 
different. They have unique 
skillsets. I think that makes it 
a little bit hard on the defense, 
when you’re getting different 
guys thrown at you and they 
have 
different 
styles 
and 

different types of moves and 
ways of hitting certain runs.

“It is what it is. They’re not 

the same so you can’t treat 
them all the same. Ideally, if 
they all have the same amount 
of competency then they are 
interchangeable, and they’re 
just gonna hit certain runs in 
their own way.”

Against the Gators, each 

back’s strengths were certainly 
on display. Isaac turned 11 
carries into 114 yards and 
functioned 
as 
an 
effective 

— if unconventional — third-
and-long weapon. Evans took 
the bulk of the carries for 78 
yards and came just shy of a 
touchdown after tripping near 
the end zone on the opening 
drive.

And finally Higdon, though 

limited to just seven carries, 
managed to punch in the 
Wolverines’ 
lone 
rushing 

touchdown on two consecutive 
carries from Florida’s 10-yard 
line. 
Between 
the 
three, 

Michigan managed to rack up 
221 yards on the ground.

Though it may only be one 

game, 
Michigan’s 
running 

game is shaping up to look 
eerily similar to last year’s 
combination 
of 
Evans, 

Higdon and De’Veon Smith. 
Realistically, 
it’s 
not 
very 

surprising.

The denomination as the 

starting back still undoubtedly 
matters, but each has been 

quick to give the company line: 
that the number of carries 
they 
receive 
is 
irrelevant. 

But — after all — there is still 
a majority of carries to be 
earned, and the trio is well 
aware of that.

“They’re 
certainly 

competitive,” Harbaugh said. 
“Every running back is gonna 
want the ball. They’ve done 
a great job being unselfish 
as a group — rooting for 
each other’s success and still 
taking advantage of their own 
opportunities. I expect them to 
want the ball more.

“As a coach, you’re just gonna 

assume that everyone’s gonna 
have a healthy discontent with 
their role, because they think 
that they’re ‘the guy’. And if 
you’re recruiting the right 
guys that’s gonna be the case. 
They’re done a really good job 
balancing that — that kind of 
natural selfish instinct as a 
back — with. ‘Hey I’m a team 
guy, this is a team within a 
team.’ ”

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Running backs coach Jay Harbaugh has drawn praise for communicating well with the members of his backfield. 

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Sophomore running back Karan Higdon scored Michigan’s lone rushing touchdown in its season opener. 

Big Ten Breakdown: Week One

WEST
Illinois
Previous result: W, 24-21 vs. 

Ball State

Top performer: Linebacker 

Tre Watson - 12 tackles, one 
fumble recovery, one interception

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Western Kentucky

Iowa
Previous result: W, 24-3 vs. 

Wyoming

Top performer: Running back 

Akrum Wadley - 116 yards, 24 
carries

Upcoming matchup: at Iowa 

State

Minnesota
Previous result: W, 17-7 vs. 

Buffalo

Top performer: Wide receiver 

Tyler Johnson - six receptions, 
141 yards, one touchdown

Upcoming matchup: at Oregon 

State

Northwestern 
Previous result: W, 31-20 vs. 

Nevada 

Top performer: Quarterback 

Clayton Thorson — 352 passing 
yards, 2 TDs

Upcoming matchup: at Duke
No. 9 Wisconsin
Previous result: W, 59-10 vs. 

Utah State

Top performer: Quarterback 

Alex Hornibrook - 244 passing 
yards, 3 TDs

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Florida Atlantic 

Nebraska 
Previous result: W, 43-36 vs. 

Arkansas State

Top performer: Running back 

Tre Bryant - 192 rushing yards, 1 
TD

Upcoming matchup: at Oregon
Purdue
Previous result: L, 35-28 vs. 

then-No. 16 Louisville

Top performer: Wide receiver 

Jackson Anthrop - 7 receptions, 
82 yards, 2 TDs

Upcoming matchup: vs. Ohio 
EAST
No. 2 Ohio State
Previous result: W, 49-21 vs. 

Indiana

Top performer: Running back 

J.K. Dobbins - 181 rushing yards

Upcoming matchup: vs. No. 5 

Oklahoma

No. 4 Penn State
Previous result: W, 52-0 vs. 

Akron

Top performer: Running back 

Saquon Barkley - 172 rushing 
yards, 2 TDs

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Pittsburgh 

No. 8 Michigan
Previous result: W, 33-17 vs. 

then-No. 17 Florida

Top performer: Linebacker 

Devin Bush Jr. - 7 tackles, 3 
tackles for loss, 2 sacks

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Cincinnati

Michigan State
Previous result: W, 35-10 vs. 

Bowling Green

Top performer: Quarterback 

Brian Lewerke - 250 passing 
yards, 3 TDs

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Western Michigan

Rutgers
Previous result: L, 30-14 vs. 

then-No. 8 Washington

Top performer: Quarterback 

Kyle Bolin - 178 passing yards, 2 
TDs

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Eastern Michigan

Maryland
Previous result: W, vs. then-

No. 23 Texas

Top performer: Quarterback 

Tyrell Pigrome - 239 total yards, 
3 total TDs

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Towson

Indiana
Previous result: L, vs then-No. 

2 Ohio State

Top performer: Wide receiver 

Simmie Cobbs Jr. - 11 receptions, 
149 yards, 1 TD

Upcoming matchup: at Virginia

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will and the Michigan football team are one of three ranked teams competing in the Big Ten East after the first week of the season.

BY THE NUMBERS
Michigan’s ground game against 

Florida
215

Rushing yards against the then-17th 

ranked Gators.

49

Rushing attempts — the most since 

last November. 

119

Yards on just 11 carries for fifth-year 

senior Ty Isaac.

4.4
Yards per carry.

KEVIN SANTO

Managing Sports Editor

The Daily provides a brief overview of what is happening around the Big Ten

ORION SANG

Daily Sports Editor

Want to watch Jim 

Harbaugh throw his 

clipboard in real time?

Then join the 
Daily’s sports 

section!

Contact

 kmsanto@umich.edu and 

ashabete@umich.edu

OR come to a mass 

meeting at 420 Maynard 

St.:

Sunday, September 10

Wednesday, September 13

Monday, September 18

Tuesday, September 19

All are at 7 p.m.

