The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1523593
24 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY JOHN BORTON M any moments of truth presented themselves for Sherrone Moore, amid Michigan's 15-0, national championship-securing, dream season of 2023. Perhaps none loomed larger than a crisp morning in State College, Pa., when Moore drew the weightiest coaching challenge of his career. Michigan's team buses rolled up to Bea- ver Stadium at 9:26 a.m., roughly 2.5 hours before the showdown between the 10-0 Wolverines and Penn State's 8-1 Nittany Lions, the latter backed by 110,856 riotous fans. When Moore exited his bus, he didn't know his role that day. Sure, he'd be calling the offensive shots and coaching the of- fensive line, like he'd done all year. But this time, there was more. Michigan awaited a restraining order from an Ann Arbor judge, hoping it blocked the Big Ten's suspension of head coach Jim Harbaugh for the final three regular-season games. The order never arrived. Harbaugh figuratively tossed the keys to Michigan's undefeated tractor-trailer rig to Moore, along with the big whistle. Sixty minutes of football later, the Wol- verines remained undefeated. Moore added immeasurable weight to Harbaugh's long ago insistence that the former Oklahoma offensive lineman was ready to be a head coach. Moore also put the hammer down in Hapless Valley, running 32 straight times without a throw against the home team in the second half. Michigan's 227-yard, 3-touchdown rushing onslaught against the nation's No. 1 rush defense said it all, opening the door for the run to the national championship. Moore unleashed the dogs of football warfare against Penn State, then delivered an emotion-charged commentary after- wards. He hailed Harbaugh and Michigan's players with an outburst that had the FCC, his mother and grandmother cringing like they were Penn State defensive linemen. He'd certainly felt the import of the mo- ment, one of his former coaches shared. "I sent him a message after that ball game, and told him how proud I was," noted Chris Jirgens, Moore's offensive line coach at Butler County (Kansas) Commu- nity College. "He said, 'Coach, I'm not go- ing to lie. I was nervous, but I had a whole team looking at me.' "Obviously, Harbaugh wouldn't have put him in that position unless he thought he was prepared." The Penn State game demonstrated not only Moore's preparation and readiness for the moment, but also the loyalty, fe- rocity and intense effort he inspires, Jir- gens assured. "I thought it was absolutely fantastic," Jirgens said. "I know he got chastised, in some circles, for the language he used in the interview, but those kids in that offen- sive line room at the University of Michi- gan, will fight for him. "Offensive linemen are a different breed of cat. You can chew on them as hard as you possibly want, but if you love on them just as hard, come Saturday, they'll fight for you. "And now, his team sees that. I have not been to a practice since he's been there, and I would love to come up some- time. But I know it's going to be the same thing. He's contagious with them. What you see is what you get. He bleeds what- ever school he's at, and he will bleed blue for a long, long time." Jirgens also pulled back the curtain on Moore's quick-change coaching ability. Apparently, the Penn State game wasn't READY TO SMASH SMASH Sherrone Moore Takes Full Control Moore coached six years at Michigan prior to be- ing named head coach, serving as tight ends coach from 2018 to 2020 before taking over the offensive line coaching duties from 2021 to 2023. He was co-offensive coordinator in 2021 and '22 before becoming solely responsible for play calling last season. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN