Michigan showed why it’s the No. 5 team in the country with a 41-10 win over Northwestern.
NU coach Randy Walker described the Wolverines as “great” on Monday, but he said at his weekly press conference that the Wildcats gave their opponents too much credit before Saturday’s game.
“This is going to sound wrong — we had maybe too much respect for Michigan,” Walker said. “You need a lot of respect for that team because they are real good, but you can’t go out there and be scared of your shadow.”
Walker blamed himself for the team’s attitude heading into last week’s game. Before the game, Walker praised Michigan for its incredible balance and depth on both sides of the ball.
“I said afterwards to the staff I’m not sure we did the right things as a staff,” Walker said. “They’re a great team and they’re as talented of a football team as I’ve seen in a long time, but at some point you can talk about that too much.”
After Saturday’s loss, several of the Cats said Michigan was the best team they played this season. NU linebacker Pat Durr said the Wolverines have the edge, “by far,” this week when they face Ohio State for the Big Ten title.
“Overall they are a great team,” Durr said after the game Saturday. “Offensively they’re balanced. They have so many weapons. Defensively they fly around.”
Walker had nothing but compliments for Michigan after the game Saturday, but he thought all of the talk before the game hurt the Cats.
“We talked about how gifted, how talented and how this and how that Michigan is and at some point you almost develop a mindset that we have to play perfect,” Walker said. “You add that increased pressure and when you have your first miscue maybe you don’t get to the right place.”
But since the game the Cats’ have found the right place, Walker said Monday. The coach was impressed with his team’s attitude after the loss.
“I think our kids have really put that behind them, there was some melancholy in this room last night but I didn’t think it was all bad,” Walker said. “It’s not bad to have a little sting in you after a game like that and if you don’t feel bad then you really do have a problem.
“But I don’t think it was overwhelming and I think we are ready to go on with our business.”
Walker said the Cats were focused on Illinois and he did not want his team to worry about a bowl game. Walker was more worried about his team being distracted by the bowl hype than being down from the loss to Michigan.
“I don’t think there are a lot of pieces after the Michigan game,” Walker said. “I don’t think it’s something we are dragging along like an anvil. There were times this year I thought we did that.”
After struggling to bounce back from a last-minute loss to Air Force, the Cats have rebounded from their last two conference losses to Purdue and Minnesota with victories over Penn State and Indiana.
And Walker said he saw the right things from the team Sunday.
“I really thought I saw the right type of demeanor, the right kind of approach,” Walker said. “We weren’t in here laughing and giggling, but we weren’t full of melancholy. There was just some real intensity in their eyes and I think we have put it behind us.”
