Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh defends South Florida player for part in pregame scuffle

Michigan and Michigan State’s football rivalry is equipped with name-calling — the Wolverines call the Spartans their little brother — and now pregame scuffles.

Saturday’s incident involved South Florida native Devin Bush Jr., who used his cleats to dig divots into the Spartans’ logo at midfield, after Michigan State did its traditional full-length field walk while Michigan players were warming up on the field, according to multiple reports and shown with video evidence.

This week, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh reiterated his “bush league” comments toward MSU for the timing of its walk and MSU coach Mark Dantonio referring to Harbaugh’s comment as “BS,” according to multiple reports.

“You know all my feelings,” Harbaugh told reporters in a conference call, according to MLive.com. “You know what I think. That was putting it mildly.”

The incident saw allegations from both sides with the pregame schedule mix up.

“Bush said after the game that he was acting on ‘pure emotion’ and that he can’t take his actions back, so ‘it is what it is,’” according to ESPN.

But Harbaugh isn’t questioning Bush’s role. Rather, he’s defending the former Pembroke Pines Flanagan High star.

“Really, to have Devin Bush Jr. portrayed that he did something wrong — we don’t have that feeling at all,” Harbaugh said on the conference call, according to MLive.com. “We thought our players handled it as well as they possibly could have in that situation they were in.”

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