Harbaugh Freaks Out Over Controversial Call, Says It Offended Him [VIDEO]
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
Jim Harbaugh didn't care that his team was up by 21. He didn't care that they were about to go up by 28. He didn't care that another Michigan win was all but in the bag.
He felt Chris Evans had been unjustly ruled out of bounds, so he expressed his displeasure. Or, should we say, he unleashed his rage.
The play in question, a 56-yard catch and run by the freshman Evans, took Michigan to Maryland's 1-yard line. After Harbaugh called for a review, feeling that Evans reached the pylon with possession of the football, the call on the field was confirmed.
That the Wolverines scored on the very next play -- en route to yet another blowout win at the Big House -- didn't flush the frustration out of Harbaugh's system.
Some two hours later, in his post-game press conference, the call was still gnawing at him.
"It offends my football sensibility in all ways that that wasn't a touchdown," Harbaugh said.
"I just don't understand it. I don't know what they're leaning back on to say that wasn't a touchdown. He seemed to be clearly inside the pylon. What does it take?" Harbaugh asked. "You have to kick the pylon? You have to touch the pylon with the ball now to score a touchdown?
"The explanation is, well he didn't get a foot inbounds into the end zone. To me, it's breaking the plane. It's what I've always been taught."
On the Michigan sideline, fellow running back De'Veon Smith thought Evans was in.
"I mean, I still think it's a touchdown in my eyes, but it happens," Smith said. "I was kind of mad for him but Chris is a great guy. He didn't care that much."
Harbaugh, like Smith, felt Evans deserved the touchdown.
"Chris made such a valiant effort on the play. A tremendous catch and run. A circus catch and then a tremendous run in the open field through traffic and into the end zone for the apparent score. That he didn't get rewarded for that, I think that would offend the football gods," Harbaugh said.
That wasn't the only call Harbaugh disagreed with on Saturday. On the play before it, in fact, wide receiver Drake Harris was flagged for offensive pass interference, nullifying a long gain.
"I didn't think it was a good call because I've watched all the games that I've watched this year and something like that's never been called. I didn't think he changed the direction of the defender, I didn't think he pushed off the defender," Harbaugh said.
Tight end Jake Butt agreed, disputing the call on Evans' play as well.
"That was not a PI on Drake Harris," Butt said, unprompted. "So those were back to back plays right there. Hey, it doesn't matter though, this team's just going to find a way to get it done."
Harbaugh has no problem calling out the officials, as he's demonstrated throughout the season. It seems that attitude may be rubbing off on his players. Along with Butt's playful gripe, quarterback Wilton Speight -- Heisman candidate Wilton Speight (!!) -- voiced some frustration regarding an incomplete pass to Amara Darboh.
"That first play of the game, I think I missed a little bit, but it probably should have been pass interference. I don't know, I don't know if I'm allowed to say that," Speight said.
None of the calls mattered, of course. Michigan went on to beat Maryland 59-3.
