Jim Harbaugh: Michigan Offense Is Hitting Its Stride, Praises Defense After Win

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh had nothing but praise for his 19th-ranked Wolverines after a hard-fought 10-3 victory over the 14th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday.

After being humiliated by then-No. 13 Wisconsin 35-14 on Sept. 21, Michigan has responded with a 52-0 win over Rutgers and now a gritty victory against Iowa the last two weeks. As a result, Harbaugh believes his squad has turned the corner.

"I really think we are hitting our stride," Harbaugh said of his team's offense, according to Eric Rutter of the Huron Daily Tribune.

Harbaugh's squad got off to a strong start as the defense forced a fumble on Iowa's first play of the game, resulting in the Wolverines offense taking over at the Hawkeyes' 18-yard line. Michigan had to settle for a field goal, though, as the offense could only muster up eight yards.

A 51-yard pass from Shea Patterson to Nico Collins helped power the Wolverines to a 10-0 advantage before the opening quarter had even reached its midway point:

After that, though, the Michigan offense had a hard time generating much momentum.

Following that 51-yard completion, Patterson completed 12 of 20 pass attempts for just 94 yards over the course of the final 55 minutes. The Wolverines failed to score a single point over the final three-and-a-half quarters, though they did have a pair of field-goal attempts during that span.

The offense was responsible for just 267 total yards and seven points, not including the three points handed to it by the defense. Credit goes to the Iowa defense—which had allowed only 8.5 points per game—for holding Patterson and Co. in check, but questions remain about the Michigan offense. 

On the flip side, the defense made life difficult for Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley, who entered Saturday having thrown eight touchdowns and zero interceptions through four games.

Michigan pressured Stanley all game, piling up eight sacks in the process:

While holding Stanley and the Hawkeyes out of the end zone, the Wolverines also nabbed a trio of interceptions:

After the game, Harbaugh gave defensive coordinator Don Brown and the defense a shoutout for what he deemed a "defensive masterpiece," according to Aaron McMann of MLive.

This represented a must-win game for Harbaugh and the Wolverines as they look to stay alive in the Big Ten East race. A win improved their conference record to 2-1, with showdowns against Penn State, Michigan State and Ohio State still looming.