Jim Harbaugh gushes about how J.J. McCarthy, Michigan players handled pressure vs. Alabama

There was no shortage of pressure, leverage moments or high stakes on Monday night in the Rose Bowl as Michigan triumphed in overtime, 27-20, over Alabama. And speaking on a conference call ahead of the national championship game, head coach Jim Harbaugh raved about how quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the rest of the Wolverines responded to pressure-packed moments.

From shaking off an early near-interception to piloting a game-tying drive with fewer than five minutes left, McCarthy delivered when the Wolverines needed it most. And that placid mindset amid all the chaos wasn’t exclusive to the quarterback, Harbaugh said.

“Like I said, the pressure moments, I thought our team handled extremely well. Well as they can be handled. J.J., tremendous in the way he handled the pressure moments in the ball game. I’m really proud of — there’s a few guys who had a bad play in the game. J.J., on the first play of the game, he was clearly throwing the ball away and I can tell you, having made a bad play in a football game, it’s like a train going through your head. You just almost see red. It’s like a deafening siren and there’s a lot of guys that will hang their head and go into the tank, get that deer in the headlights look,” Harbaugh said. “But every guy that had that happen to them in our game came back and made a phenomenal play after.”

Harbaugh then reeled off numerous examples of players responding and shining when the lights got brightest.

“Kris Jenkins had a bad play early in the game, came back, dominated in his block destruction. J.J. had the ball he should’ve thrown away that looked like it was a pick and then it was reversed. That was the first play of the game. Dropped punt, comes back and makes catches. We had a bad snap then that snap and hold has to be perfect, and kick made or else we don’t go into overtime. So many plays I could point to. I’m just really proud of those guys,” Harbaugh said.

He continued: “Roman Wilson had a block in the back that really could’ve cost us in that big drive at the end. He comes back and makes a phenomenal catch and scored a touchdown. The mental toughness that takes for an individual to be able to do that, plus the other thing is the support that they get and have gotten from the families, but also a teammate or teammates, leaders on the team. I saw that taking place. That’s unanimous support. That’s unanimous support from every guy on the team. And you know the guy has your back. That’s special to be a part of. I’m really, really proud and happy to be a part of that. And J.J., how about the catch he made? How about the one-handed catch he made on the trick play, the throwback, and then he turns, wheels and throws the ball. There was just a ton of great plays made in pressure moments. Rod Moore, open field tackle on Jalen Milroe. He had three in the game like that: Open field, game-saving tackles. That final play of the game, Josaiah Stewart, what he was able to do to a man 110 pounds heavier than him. Derrick Moore on that same play. And then it was Rod Moore with contain on the edge and Mike Sainristil contain on the perimeter.”

Ultimately, Harbaugh praised everyone on the team — players, coaches and staff — for not getting caught up in “uncontrollables” and using all of their ability to strain for a victory.

“Boy, pressure moments, our guys both stepped up in executing their assignments and executing the fundamentals and executing and making a play that was really the difference in the game. I thought our guys passed with flying colors when it came to handling the pressure,” Harbaugh said.