Husker Dan looks at the quarterback history of the opposing coaches
Two former quarterbacks will meet Saturday when Nebraska travels to play the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Former Husker HC Scott Frost and Harbaugh also met in '18 and '21.)
One coach (Harbaugh) has an extensive resume as a head coach while the other will be coaching only his seventh game as an interim head coach.
Jim Harbaugh (Michigan's head coach) was a three year starting QB with the Wolverines, graduating in 1986. He went on to play QB in the NFL with the Bears, Colts, Ravens, Chargers, Lions and Panthers.
He also spent several years coaching in the NFL with the Raiders (QBs) and San Diego Chargers (HC). He was also the HC for the San Francisco '49ers. Squeezed in between the Chargers and '49ers, was a stop at Stanford University also as the HC.
In 2015, Harbaugh took the HC job at Michigan where he has since led the Wolverines to a 70-24 record including this year's 9-0 record.
Mickey Joseph also was the starting QB during part of his 4 career at Nebraska ('88-'91). Later while he was an AHC/WR coach at LSU, he helped lead the Tigers to a national championship in 2019. MJ came to Nebraska in the off-season last year as an AHC/WR coach. After Frost was fired on September 11th, A.D. Trev Alberts picked Joseph to coach the remaining 9 games.
Michigan and Nebraska have met on the football playing field only 10 times since 1905, with the Wolverines winning 6 of them. Because of the reputation of both football programs, it's hard to believe they have met so few times.
This week, the Huskers are a 28.5 dog to the Wolverines. That score might be about right, especially if Husker QB, Casey Thompson, can't play.
Thompson is clearly a cut above the rest in the QB room. If he can't play, the Huskers' best chance of making the game close might ride on 3rd string QB Logan Smothers. Chubba Purdy (the better passer) has shown he's not quite ready. So why not give Smothers a chance? After all, what the heck do the Huskers have to lose?
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