Michigan Wolverines football didn't have a game last week, but coaches and players kept busy.
In addition to holding mid-week practices, game planning for future opponents and scouting recruits, several staff members blitzed the country to evaluate prospects and show support in person. The student-athletes, meanwhile, caught up on school work, watched extra film and got some much-needed rest, both physically and mentally.
Needless to say, it was a productive week. The Wolverines didn't practice Friday or Saturday, then reconvened on the fields behind Schembechler Hall Sunday night, with no rust to shake off or time needed to get back in the flow.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh said his team was more focused than any team he has seen coming off a couple day break. Speaking with reporters Monday morning, sophomore defensive tackle Christopher Hinton agreed that it was an extremely productive evening under the lights.
"The team returned to practice really fresh — looking fresh, feeling fresh, feeling good," Hinton said. "I thought we were flying around on both sides of the ball yesterday at practice. So that’s a good sign, always, after having a little break.
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"I felt like the morale was high and everybody was just excited to be back."
Hinton was one of multiple players to say that the squad isn't overlooking Northwestern, its next opponent, before playing No. 9 Michigan State next week. The dialed in nature of Sunday's practice was proof.
"We can’t look to next week, because we’ve got a really good opponent coming in on Saturday with Northwestern," Hinton said. "We’ve got to take every game, every week one game at a time, because if we don’t handle our business this week, then next week and the week after aren’t as significant. We want to go 1-0 every week so that, by the end of the year, we’re 12-0."
The Wolverines are 6-0 and ranked No. 6 in the country. For the most part, Michigan's defense has played at a high level through six games under the tutelage of first-year coordinator Mike Macdonald. Nationally, the unit ranks ninth in points per game (15.0), 21st in total yards (310.0), 34th in rushing yards (119.3) and 22nd in passing yards (190.7). The Wolverines' front-seven has the second-highest grade in the nation (87.3) behind only Georgia (91.3), according to PFF.
Still, Hinton said, there are areas that can be cleaned up, starting with consistency in all facets.
"One thing that we really focused on with the bye week and how it was set up — six games and six games, the first half of the season — we looked at where do we think that we were short in some areas," Hinton said. "You’d see games where we’d play great for 80 percent of the game, and like 20 percent of the game, we’d have some flaws here and there.
"So one of our biggest things is staying consistent for the whole game, because we feel like if we stay consistent for the whole game, nobody in the country can compete with us and we’ll handle everybody we need to handle. And with that, we’ve got to look at ourselves in the mirror to see where we’re short. Maybe communication needs to improve, knowing your assignment better needs to improve and things like that.
"So we took that upon ourselves over the break, just to get better within our scheme, get better within our skills. I’m just ready to showcase that for the second half of the season."
Hinton and linemate Mazi Smith, a redshirt freshman, were pegged by Harbaugh as players who have 'leveled up' this season. Hinton credits the new scheme and the way the two trained in the offseason for the success they've been having on the field.
"Just maturing within the system. Coach Mac, I think Mazi and I fit his defense really well," Hinton explained. "Mazi and I both took the offseason really seriously, like we always do, and were just hungry to be better. Hone in on our craft, on and off the field — technique, nutrition and all those aspects. I think it’s paying dividends for this season, for sure.
"I think the way that [Macdonald has] been emphasizing how we play up front fits into what we do best, being able to show our athleticism, to show our strength and all those sorts of things within that defensive scheme."
On the season, Hinton has registered 19 tackles, one stop for loss and one sack, with a forced fumble and one fumble recovery, two pass breakups and one quarterback hurry.
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