Rudock's early Michigan numbers reminiscent of Harbaugh's

Published Sep. 23, 2015 5:53 p.m. ET

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If Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh needs to reassure Jake Rudock about his future as the starting quarterback for the Wolverines, perhaps he could just go down his own memory lane.

MGoBlue.com notes Rudock's statistics from his first three starts in Maize and Blue this season compare favorably to those of Harbaugh's from 1984.

Harbaugh was 39 for 79 (49.4 percent) for 482 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions as a first-year Michigan starter while Rudock is 59 for 91 (64.8 percent) for 582 yards with three touchdowns and five interceptions.

Of course a lot has changed regarding the passing game and football in general in 30 years, but the lesson is still applicable: Things can get better.

Rudock said so himself.

"There's a lot of room for improvement for sure, and there has been improvement," he said. "That's one of the biggest things. But the biggest thing is that it doesn't come overnight. Still, there is improvement that you can see. And that's one of the biggest things Coach Harbaugh and (passing game coordinator Jedd Fisch) stress. They just want to keep seeing that improvement and not making the same mistake again."

(H/T MGoBlue.com)