Michigan DL Coach Shaun Nua Talks MSU OL, Containing Kenneth Walker, More

Michigan State's offensive line ranks 16th nationally in run blocking and 32nd in pass blocking, per PFF. The group uniquely features nine players that have played over 150 blocking snaps, with an ongoing heavy rotation, but it's not because guys aren't performing at a high level, Michigan defensive line coach Shaun Nua, who is tasked with preparing for the Spartans this week, says.

"Good offensive line," Nua said. "They’ve got depth, they’ve got experience. You see them rotating. Usually when you see an offensive line rotating, they’re still trying to find their top guys, find the guys that will mesh together. I think they’re rotating because they have depth, and they trust their depth. And they’re doing a great job with giving them a breather here and there.

"We have to do a good job."

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While the Spartans' offensive line isn't elite, it's still one of the best groups the Wolverines will have played to this point. And what makes stoping a rushing attack that racks up 200.4 yards per game, so challenging is that the nation's second-leading rusher in junior Kenneth Walker III leads the country with 733 yards after contact (4.82 yards after contact per attempt).

Nua didn't reveal any grand plan that the Wolverines will use in an attempt to stop Walker — not that he would even if such a plan existed — saying it's all going to come down to execution.

"Just by doing your job. If all 11 execute their assignment, you have a really good chance of eliminating or at least containing somebody of that caliber," Nua said. "Excited for that challenge."

Executing was a word Nua used a lot during his session with the media Wednesday. So much has been heightened this week, with the Wolverines and Spartans being in-state rivals and meeting as top-10 opponents, but Nua continually stressed the importance of his players doing their jobs.

"We went to Nebraska, Wisconsin, and we emphasized the same message — know your job, know your assignment, do your job," Nua said of road games. "The crowd noise is there, no matter what you do, so you gotta execute.

"They’ve got to control their emotions. We emphasize that, and I think we’re ready. We have a great group of men."

Admittedly, though, there's a bit of extra juice in the building this week, and that began even before the Wolverines left the locker room last Saturday after a 33-7 win over Northwestern.

"Right after we beat Northwestern, the focus went right to these guys," Nua said. "Listen, I’ve been a part of a lot of rivalries — Holy War [BYU-Utah], Army-Navy, here, Arizona State-Arizona. It all comes down to controlling your emotions, getting your assignment done.

"The emotions were high, still are high right now. We’re excited for today’s preparation, today’s practice — and we’re taking it one day at a time. Pretty high."

• Head coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that redshirt freshman defensive end Mike Morris is "peaking at the right time," along with a few other players on the team. Morris has 10 tackles, including one stop for loss, on the season. But his impact has gone beyond the stat sheet. The Maize and Blue have lined him up on the edge 78 times, over the tackle on 36 occasions and over the B-gap on 47 plays, getting a lot out of his versatility.

"Anytime you have somebody that size, you have the ability to move them around," Nua explained of the 6-6, 278-pounder. "But also, Mike Morris’ mindset … he’s a very unselfish player. We ask him to do a lot of things, from rushing the edge, holding up inside, dropping. Mike Mo’, along with a lot of our other players, is playing really unselfishly, and he’s doing a really great job with it.

"He got a hard hat award this past week. He did a great job, so I’m very proud of him."

• Junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson has been fantastic, earning midseason All-American honors and having posted six sacks and 34 pressures on the year. While he's always had the desire to be great, Nua said, his game has risen to another level this season.

"It’s just him being hungry. I’ve been with him for three years now, and he’s always been hungry, but he’s at a different level now," Nua said. "He’s just hungry. Either you have it or you don’t, and he has all of it.

"What he went through the last year, the last two years, was tough. And for someone that’s highly competitive like that, a high competitor like that, it gets into you, it eats you alive.

"Now, we’re in a very good place, and he’s taking full advantage of that, and that’s just more fuel to the flame — and he’s burning. Very proud of him. Still not satisfied; he’s going to keep going."

• Hutchinson has been held quite a few times this season, and most of the time the officials haven't made the proper call. While it can be frustrating, Nua has encouraged Hutchinson and others to keep doing their job.

"No time to complain," Nua said. "We let Coach Harbaugh handle that after the game, with him sending the video, but we’ve got no time to complain — maybe a few seconds right after. But there’s no time to cry about it. We just have to keep trying to get to the quarterback and get to the ball-carrier."

• Sophomore defensive tackle Christopher Hinton was a full-time starter last season, but he's shown improvement this year, even from week to week. He's twice shared U-M's defensive player of the week honor (Northern Illinois, Nebraska), and has 19 tackles and one stop for loss through seven games, compared to 13 stops and two TFLs in six contests last season.

"It’s amazing when you have a lot of … there’s nothing like game reps, and the more you get reps, the better you get, especially for someone that takes their job seriously, and that’s what Chris is," Nua explained. "All of those guys are doing a good job of focusing and getting better.

"He critiques himself hard. His footwork, just from his stance, his get-off, his eyes, his eye discipline, his base, his hands and then the extension on blocks. He’s a very disciplined player."

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