Jim Harbaugh praises effort, leadership of JJ McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy is a titan of effort, according to Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. The never-say-die stick of dynamite that led the Wolverines to a 13-0 start, a Big Ten Championship and a College Football Playoff berth did his share and then some on their way to the summit of college football.
Michigan fell two wins short of their ultimate goal, but Harbaugh had nothing but great things to say about his first-year starting quarterback.
“I am so proud of him just like he was my own son. What a competitor he is. The J.J. McCarthy that I know on a day-in, day-out basis, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, he’s a great player, great talented player, great athlete, great leader,” Harbaugh said after Michigan’s 51-45 Fiesta Bowl loss to TCU. “The best thing about him is he always puts the team above himself. Tremendous competitor. Just phenomenal.”
Even though Michigan came up just short of defeating TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, McCarthy still did his part. He threw for 343 yards and two touchdowns (and two interceptions), while adding 52 more yards on the ground and two more scores.
The CFP semifinal performance capped what was an incredible first season under center at Michigan. Despite not being the day-one starter, McCarthy still threw for 2,719 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions alongside 206 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
“His first season as a starter, I don’t think there’s anybody that’s ever done anything quite like what he did this year. And that was true in this game,” Harbaugh said. “The throws that he was making, and the throws that Ronnie Bell and Roman Wilson and Colston Loveland and the guys were catching.
“I mean, it was at a very, very high level. No question about that. So it’s a tremendous testament to what they were able to do today and it wasn’t easy. It was tough to make underneath throws, so they were making the deep ones.”
Entering his junior year, McCarthy will be expected to lead Michigan back to the College Football Playoff and then some. With two-straight CFP semifinal losses in as many years, the Wolverines are itching to get become college football’s number one – and they believe J.J. McCarthy is the man to take them there.