Michigan football taking positive approach to coach suspensions

This weekend, the 2023 Michigan football season will kick off, with the East Carolina Pirates coming to town for a Week 1 matchup against the Wolverines at the Big House in Ann Arbor, MI. Michigan will be without Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore this weekend due to self-imposed suspensions from the University of Michigan, yet the team is staying positive as the 2023 season approaches.

Michigan football maintains a positive outlook despite suspensions

Cornelius Johnson could find himself as the top wide receiver for Michigan football this year; on Monday, the media had a chance to speak with him at Schembechler Hall. There, Johnson was asked about how this year’s team is responding to the news of Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore being suspended for Week 1 of the coming season.

“Definitely motivation,” Cornelius Johnson said when asked about how the team is taking the news of Sherrone Moore being suspended. “We need a lot of leaders on this team. Throughout the season, we always talk about that. Obviously, we have the coaches and captains, but it really trickles down to just leading yourself, making sure you’re holding yourself accountable.”

Sherrone Moore, Jim Harbaugh not allowed at Michigan Stadium during Week 1

Since Moore and Harbaugh will not be allowed in the stadium this weekend, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will be taking over as the Wolverines’ interim head coach this weekend. Seeing as Minter is the defensive coordinator, Cornelius Johnson and other offensive players will have some adjusting to do, but that should not be a problem for the Maize and Blue.

“That’s a good question,” Johnson said when asked about the adjustment to Minter as head coach, “because I’m mostly offensive side of the ball. So I’m by the offensive staff, and with the defensive coach when he was appointed as the head coach, that puts it into a different perspective. But I’ve seen how he carries his business throughout the day, and how he conducts his assignments, and I feel like the way he prepares, he’s gonna put us in a great position. So I really feel confident about that trust in him, leading us into battle.”

New faces on the sidelines for the Wolverines

Since Sherrone Moore is missing this weekend’s game, quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell will be calling plays for the Wolverines against East Carolina in Week 1. The Michigan football offense may seem a bit different in Week 1, though that does not mean the players aren’t ready to go out and get a win.

“He (Kirk Campbell) is just one of our guys,” Johnson explained. “Our guys are just our guys. Whether it’s top-down — he’s one of our trusted people we got in this building … Whatever he calls, I’m gonna go out there and try to execute the best I can.”

The Michigan football coaching staff and play style are going to look a bit different this weekend, but it’s clear that the team is maintaining a positive outlook on the home opener despite Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore being suspended.