By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
BigPaulSportsBigPaulSports
Notification Show More
Latest News
Cam Ward has a message for NFL teams: 'If you don't draft me, that's your fault'
Cam Ward has a message for NFL teams: ‘If you don’t draft me, that’s your fault’
Game Analysis NFL
Lil Wayne defends Jordan Love, talks Lakers' championship on 'First Things First'
Lil Wayne defends Jordan Love, talks Lakers’ championship on ‘First Things First’
Game Analysis
5 ways to fix NBA All-Star Weekend after widely panned 2025 event
5 ways to fix NBA All-Star Weekend after widely panned 2025 event
Game Analysis
Can Lakers make a title run as sixth-best odds to win NBA Finals? | First Things First
Can Lakers make a title run as sixth-best odds to win NBA Finals? | First Things First
Game Analysis
Bucky Brooks’ Top 5 Super Bowl contenders sparks debate | First Things First
Bucky Brooks’ Top 5 Super Bowl contenders sparks debate | First Things First
Game Analysis NFL
Aa
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Reading: Michigan’s 24 hours of chaos: From Jim Harbaugh’s suspension to Sherrone Moore’s emotion
Share
Aa
BigPaulSportsBigPaulSports
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Search
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
BigPaulSports > Blog > NCAA > Michigan’s 24 hours of chaos: From Jim Harbaugh’s suspension to Sherrone Moore’s emotion
NCAASports News

Michigan’s 24 hours of chaos: From Jim Harbaugh’s suspension to Sherrone Moore’s emotion

BigP
Last updated: 2023/11/12 at 6:50 AM
BigP Published November 12, 2023
Share
Michigan's 24 hours of chaos: From Jim Harbaugh's suspension to Sherrone Moore's emotion
SHARE
  • Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterNov 11, 2023, 11:45 PM ET

    Close

    • College football reporter.
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
    • Graduate of Northwestern University.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — At 3:18 p.m. Saturday, almost exactly 24 hours after news dropped that the Big Ten had suspended Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, the final seconds ticked off the third-ranked Wolverines’ biggest win of the season.

That’s when the hugs and tears began for Sherrone Moore.

Michigan’s 37-year-old offensive coordinator, who served as acting head coach for Saturday’s 24-15 win at No. 10 Penn State, had mostly kept his composure during the game. He confronted offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson during a timeout between quarters. He pumped his fist after a Donovan Edwards touchdown run. He turned toward Michigan fans behind the bench after Blake Corum‘s win-clinching touchdown with 4:15 left and screamed, “Let’s go!”

Moore admitted he mostly held it together until the game was over, and then let it all out. After an emotional and explicit interview with Fox immediately after the game, Moore hugged Corum and then cornerback Mike Sainristil. Up next: a long embrace with Albert Karschnia, Michigan’s director of recruiting operations, who goes back with Moore to their time at Central Michigan.

Then, it was time for the offensive linemen, Moore’s guys, the group he helped win back-to-back Joe Moore Awards as the best unit in the country. Moore squeezed senior guard Zak Zinter, before walking toward the Michigan crowd with senior guard Trevor Keegan.

“It was built up,” Moore said. “Just thinking about our players and how hard they’ve worked, through all this craziness and all the situations that’s going on. … For us to come to this environment and win was huge. I just think about [Harbaugh], man. Love that man with all my heart. Just such a great person, great human, great coach. Just wanted to do it for him.”

Moore and the Wolverines knew the week would be bumpy, as the Big Ten mulled discipline for the program. More details had emerged about the signal-stealing operation allegedly led by former staff member Connor Stalions, which had prompted an NCAA investigation. Harbaugh had told Moore that if the Big Ten opted for a suspension, Moore would step in.

Sherrone Moore, Michigan’s acting head coach following the suspension of Jim Harbaugh, celebrates following the Wolverines’ 24-15 win at Penn State. Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images

Still, nothing could prepare Michigan for Friday, when the Big Ten’s decision loomed, even after the Wolverines had boarded buses and a plane bound for central Pennsylvania. The team only heard from the Big Ten after ESPN broke the suspension news. Keegan, who found out when his phone blew up upon landing, sarcastically called the timing “terrific.”

As Harbaugh and Michigan’s legal team prepared their response in an attempt to stop the suspension, the team went through its normal Friday night routine. Sometime around dinner, defensive lineman Kris Jenkins pulled out his phone and posted a one-word message on social media: Bet. It soon caught on with university president Santa Ono and former quarterback Tom Brady joining in.

“Obviously the news and everything that happened, it pissed off a lot of guys,” Keegan said. “We didn’t want to dwell on it, so it was kind of like joking around at dinner, like, ‘Should we tweet it? Yeah, sure.’ It was like nothing out of the ordinary. It was just to get our minds off of it.”

Harbaugh addressed the players in a team meeting Friday, telling them to feed into their anger and bring an edge to the field. The spotlight on the program since the NCAA investigation broke last month had amplified during the past week, providing plenty of fuel. After the game, Corum, who had blood running down his face, referenced a video Penn State posted on social media that included defensive coordinator Manny Diaz using hand signals and asking the fans to show up early — “They left some bait out there this week, we know what that was” — as another motivator.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

When Michigan’s buses pulled up to Beaver Stadium at 9:26 a.m., Moore was among the first to disembark. At that moment, he said he didn’t know if Harbaugh would be cleared to coach. Michigan had transportation ready for Harbaugh at the team hotel about 20 minutes from Beaver Stadium, if a judge in Ann Arbor granted a temporary restraining order.

“We were ready at any point that it could happen, it couldn’t happen,” Moore said. “We were just prepared to adjust however we needed to.”

About 90 minutes before kickoff, Michigan got word that Harbaugh’s suspension would hold, at least for one game. The team then had to perform.

“This was a tournament game for us, a playoff game for us, so we knew we had to do whatever we needed to do to win,” Moore said. “It’s been a crazy 24 hours, but at the same time, our team is built for this, our staff is built for this. We’re all built for it.”

Although Harbaugh wasn’t on the sideline, Michigan used his blueprint to bully Penn State. The Wolverines didn’t finish with 418 rushing yards like last season, but they did tally 227 and three touchdowns against the nation’s No. 1 rushing defense. They ran the ball on their final 32 plays of the game — their only pass attempt nullified because of a Penn State penalty. It marked Michigan’s longest streak of consecutive rushing attempts in any game over the past 20 seasons.

Michigan’s last completed pass went for no gain to tight end Colston Loveland with about 6:30 left in the first half. But the run-heavy offense didn’t take away the excitement for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who pumped his arms as he ran through the tunnel after the game.

“We’re driven, not motivated,” McCarthy said.

Get your favorite live sports, stories and originals with ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu. Upgrade to a Disney Bundle plan and start streaming something for everyone today!

McCarthy praised Moore’s passion and work ethic, and described Moore’s postgame emotion as “a proud dad moment.” Moore was a mostly unknown Central Michigan assistant when Harbaugh brought him to the staff in 2018 to coach tight ends. He shifted to offensive line two years later and is now one of the nation’s top young coordinators.

“I’m a pretty calm guy, but there’s a lot of emotions,” Moore said. “This place is like home to me, home to my family, so it’s very deep. I wear my heart on my sleeve, I work extremely hard as we all do. So it meant a lot for us to get this win in this situation.”

Moore is in line to become a permanent head coach soon. He likely would be a strong candidate to replace Harbaugh at Michigan, whenever Harbaugh decides to move on. Asked how he would remember this win, and the 24 hours that led up to it, Moore calmly talked about the need to live in the moment.

But his face after the clock ran out told a different story. Keegan called Moore “a natural leader.”

“He’s just got that special energy about him that we feed off of,” Keegan said. “It was awesome. His first time in a head coaching role, and he did a terrific job.”

Sponsored Content

Bet the World Cup in Wager.dm

You Might Also Like

Top moments from Brady, Manning, Jordan and other athletes hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’

Rounding up athletes in Super Bowl LIX commercials: Beckham, Mahomes and the Mannings

FCS title game preview: Can North Dakota State knock off undefeated Montana State?

Doc to show tense Gastineau-Favre rift from ’23

BigP November 12, 2023
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print

Follow US

Find US on Social Medias
Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Youtube Subscribe
Telegram Follow
newsletter featurednewsletter featured

Weekly Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

    Popular News
    Running backs? Better. Wide receivers? Worse. Here's how the Ravens' offense looks ahead of the 2024 season
    NFLSports News

    Running backs? Better. Wide receivers? Worse. Here’s how the Ravens’ offense looks ahead of the 2024 season

    BigP BigP July 19, 2024
    Sources: Bears deal No. 1 overall pick to Panthers
    Giants laud Jones, ‘an elite quarterback,’ after win
    Sources: Hopkins is expected to sign with Titans
    Best team fits for top transfers: 10 players, 10 potential new landing spots
    - Advertisement -
    Ad imageAd image

    Categories

    • Sports

    About US

    We offer information and tips on US Sports and evernts all over the world.
    Top Categories
    • Game Analysis
    • Free Picks
    • Services
    • Premium Content

    Subscribe US

    Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

      © Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.

      Removed from reading list

      Undo
      Welcome Back!

      Sign in to your account

      Lost your password?