Harbaugh to slumping Nordin: 'Start making 'em'

College Park, Md. — Michigan kicker Quinn Nordin missed a 31-yard field goal wide right late in the first half against Maryland, and he and coach Jim Harbaugh were caught on television having what appeared to be a brief but heated discussion on the sideline.

Nordin, a redshirt freshman, has missed field goals in each of the last three games after making 10 straight.

Harbaugh was asked to elaborate on the discussion, and he smiled broadly before answering.

“Start making ’em. Make ’em,” Harbaugh said he told Nordin. “I think anger is a powerful motivator. I’ve got an article in the Wall Street Journal (on that). They’ve actually done a study.”

Each of Nordin’s last three missed attempts have gone wide right. Earlier in the week, Harbaugh said he thought Nordin had been rushing his kicks.

“I didn’t see exactly what happened on this one,” Harbaugh said. “Something flashed, it might have been a protection, somebody might have flashed to him. Get that squared away.”

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Nordin was seen responding to his coach on the sideline, and Harbaugh was asked how he responds to a player in that situation.

“He’s missed a few now in a row and he’s got to make them,” Harbaugh said. “I said to him ‘I’m giving you one more shot. You’ve got to make the next one.’ And he said, ‘I got this. I will make the next one.’

“You call that a heated exchange, then so be it, but it wasn’t. ‘I’m going to stick with you, but you’ve got one more chance.’ He said, ‘I will make it coach, I will make it.’ Hardly a heated exchange. I know you love your heated exchanges.”

Nordin did not get another chance to attempt a field goal. He was 5-for-5 on extra points.

achengelis@detroitnews.com

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