The Jim Harbaugh era at Michigan got underway Saturday as Team Blue defeated Team Maize 7-0 in the Wolverines' spring game.
The hard-hitting action provided the first look at the new culture surrounding the program. This year, Harbaugh replaced warm-ups and drills with an actual game after he used a draft process to select the teams a week earlier.
Suffice it to say that the change worked, as more than 35,000 fans came to Michigan Stadium to watch as potential starting quarterback Shane Morris played well. Bleacher Report's Ben Axelrod painted the scene:
The team's Twitter account captured the result and the day's notable stat line:
Harbaugh, of course, was the focal point of the game's beginning. He took the field in his usual attire, as Axelrod pointed out:
Defense dominated the first half, which was easy to see coming. Not only was Saturday a spring game with new faces in big roles, but the draft also split an offense full of players accustomed to playing with one another on every down, whereas defenders routinely swap in and out.
Still, the first half didn't bode well for the day's main storyline—the quarterback competition. Mike Sullivan of 97.1 The Ticket put it best:
Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples pointed out the blame could go both ways, though:
Things took a turn near the end of the half, though, when Amara Darboh stepped up with a pair of big receptions. The sophomore caught just 36 passes last year, but most expect him to assume the role of No. 1 receiver with Devin Funchess out of the picture.
Morris capitalized on the sudden outburst to hit wide receiver Jaron Dukes for a score to put Team Blue up 7-0 in the waning moments of the first half. Steve Lorenz of 247Sports offered thoughts on Morris' bid for the starting job:
Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press reported that Harbaugh said Morris was the leader at quarterback after the spring game:
Defense once again took center stage, as the third quarter provided no points for either side.
Of note was Jabrill Peppers, who played in three games last season before missing the team's last eight with a leg injury. There were questions about how the staff would use him Saturday, but he stayed in the defensive secondary for most of the day.
He also provided the biggest play of the third frame, perfectly reading Morris' eyes and moving into position for an interception—he just didn't finish, as Scout.com's Kyle Bogenschutz explained:
Morris wound up playing the full four 10-minute frames, making tight throws to move the chains in the fourth quarter and otherwise riding the ground game to kill the clock. Team Maize did have the ball last, but a quick-hitting pass attack didn't gain enough vertically to make it interesting.
Harbaugh didn't set Morris' name in stone as the team's 2015 starting quarterback, per Axelrod:
In the end, Saturday was a success for Michigan in many ways, including the original intent behind the draft and game. Defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, coach of Team Maize on Saturday, explained the goal of the contest best beforehand.
"More than anything it’s just come prepared the right way,” Durkin said, per ESPN.com's Dan Murphy. “It’s a chance to go play and see what we can do. That’s it. I just want to see them prepare that way.”
Keep in mind, though, two quarterbacks, including Iowa transfer Jake Rudock, are still set to join the roster. Many battles remain undecided as the program heads toward its fall practices.
Michigan made headway on both sides of the football, and moving forward, the players have more live game action under their belts than the many Wolverines teams before them at this point of the preseason.
Info courtesy of MGoBlue.com unless otherwise specified.
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