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Jim Harbaugh praises Shea Patterson for accuracy, toughness in first game
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Shea Patterson’s first game under center for Michigan didn’t go according to plan.
The highly touted transfer struggled against a solid Notre Dame defense in the season opener, completing 20-of-30 passes for 227 yards with no touchdown throws and an interception. The Wolverines fell to the Irish 24-17.
Despite playing in just his first game in the maize and blue, Patterson took plenty of heat for not performing well in the rivalry game. But head coach Jim Harbaugh though the new quarterback played pretty well, considering the circumstance and environment.
In an interview with 97.1 The Ticket on Wednesday, Harbaugh talked about why he liked from Patterson in his first start for the Wolverines.
Harbaugh on @JamieandStoney on Shea Patterson accuracy: "His toughness and he played through the cramp, even rolled out and completed a pass while the calf was cramping mid-play."
— angelique (@chengelis) September 5, 2018
Harbaugh on @JamieandStoney praises Patterson's "execution" "The 3 things that stood out, his toughness, his accuracy and the way he handled the loud noise and the system in his very first ball game"
— angelique (@chengelis) September 5, 2018
“The three things that stood out, his toughness, his accuracy and the way he handled the loud noise and the system in his very first ball game,” Harbaugh said.
He also said that Patterson fought through camps throughout the game.
Patterson’s first game wasn’t easy, going up against a Notre Dame team that won 10 games a season ago. Over the next two weeks, he’ll have time to get a little more familiar with the system and get more comfortable under center.
Michigan heads back to Ann Arbor this Saturday for a head-to-head matchup with in-state foe Western Michigan.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB