Jim Harbaugh Says No. 14 Michigan Wasn't 'Going to Be Denied' in Win over Wisconsin

No. 14 Michigan earned a big 38-17 win over Big Ten foe Wisconsin, and Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh was pleased with his team's effort Saturday.

Harbaugh said his team was confident and fired up before the game, and that carried over to a dominant victory.

"They had that kind of vibe about them from when they first stepped into the locker room, when we first got here early this morning," Harbaugh said. "The vibe was they were not going to be denied. They weren't going to flinch when punches were thrown and that's the way it played out."

The Wolverines came out firing against the Badgers. Harbaugh said he was hoping to have a balanced attack this week after coming into the game averaging 290.8 yards on the ground compared to 164.0 passing yards per game.

Cade McNamara threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman quarterback J.J. McCarthy also tossed a 56-yard touchdown and added a rushing score. Michigan totaled 112 rushing yards with eight ball-carriers.

"That's what we've been striving to be—balanced, throwing the ball and running the ball," Harbaugh said. "... Yeah, it was well mixed. We really believe in our quarterbacks, we believe in our receivers and our tight ends. We believe we can throw the ball well, we believe we can run it well."

The Michigan defense also shined Saturday, forcing three turnovers by Wisconsin and totaling six sacks. Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz exited the game in the third quarter after a sack by Daxton Hill.

After improving to 5-0, Harbaugh wants his players to keep their confidence moving forward. The Wolverines will face Nebraska next week, and they hope to build on Saturday's victory.

"Just onward now," Harbaugh said. "I knew our guys were ready to have at it today, felt like they weren't going to be denied. Now onward to the next one."