ANN ARBOR, Michigan — The Michigan Wolverines have an opportunity to secure their 1,000th win as a football program if they defeat Maryland on the road this Saturday. However, there’s uncertainty about head coach Jim Harbaugh’s presence on the sidelines for that milestone game.
Harbaugh is currently awaiting a court hearing on Friday, which will determine if he and the university are granted a temporary restraining order to reverse his three-game suspension from the Big Ten and commissioner Tony Petitti.
Defensive line coach Mike Elston expressed his disappointment at the prospect of Harbaugh being suspended on Saturday, stating, “For him not to be a part of that would be an absolute shame.”
As Harbaugh serves his suspension, offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore acts as the interim head coach on game days. Moore could potentially be the acting head coach if the Wolverines secure their historic 1,000th win against Maryland. However, Moore emphasizes that he wants Harbaugh to receive credit for the victory.
“I definitely want Coach [Harbaugh] to be the coach when that happens,” Moore said. “I would say to me, and to everybody else, that would be his win. It wouldn’t count as mine. He’s the head coach of this football team, and I’m just standing in there to make sure we don’t mess it up.”
Moore previously served as the acting head coach during the Wolverines’ victory over Penn State last week. Despite the emotional nature of the situation, he expressed the strong bond within the team.
Reflecting on the postgame interview where he used profanity, Moore stated, “Just understanding, like, the care and love that I have for the players and this program and this university, so I think they saw that, and it’s real.”
Moore credits the culture at Michigan for allowing the players to maintain focus amid distractions during their 10-0 start. He emphasized the team’s one-track mind in approaching each game, expressing confidence in the Wolverines’ ability to achieve their goals this season.
“Nobody’s worried about anything else,” Moore said. “I think when you’re at the top, everybody’s always trying to knock you down. And we feel like we’ve always got a target on our back, which is great. We love it. So we’re going to continue to do what we do, stay together, and just keep rolling.”