How Jim Harbaugh changed Michigan football

Jim Harbaugh came back to Michigan ahead of the 2015 season, just after the end of what many Wolverine fans call ‘the dark ages.’ This tragic time in Michigan history spans from 2008-2014 and yielded a combined record of 46-42 with just one postseason victory.

Ouch.

Of course, during the same time period, archrival Ohio State put up a 77-16 record with a national title. It was miserable to watch the Wolverines trip over themselves while Ohio State cruised to national glory.

Harbaugh was brought in to right the ship. And he did just that — his way.

At his previous stop in San Francisco, Jim was taking the helm of a team that hadn’t had a winning season in almost a decade. He turned that situation into a perennial contender that made three straight NFC Championship Game appearances by instilling a tough culture of discipline and accountability.

The process was similar at Michigan. In 2014, the Wolverines ran an average of 64 plays per game for 333 yards, 22 points, and two turnovers. However just one year later with Harbaugh in charge, Michigan averaged 71 plays per game for 396 yards, 32 points, and one turnover. That’s about a 68% increase in points-per-game and a 50% decrease in turnovers.

Jim accomplished this by bringing in his famous chain-grinding offense. A style that focused on smaller, consistent gains through the run game and high-percentage passes. Harbaugh was also more eager to lean into the starting running back at the time, De’Veon Smith, and gave him 72 additional carries from the year prior.

Many of these tendencies were reflected in the 2023 national title squad but with objectively more talented players. Blake Corum was the workhorse in the backfield while J.J. McCarthy was under center doing exactly what the staff asked of him — controlling the game. There are a lot of negative stigmas…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/jim-harbaugh-changed-michigan-football-235831278.html

Author : Wolverines Wire

Publish date : 2024-01-26 23:58:31

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