Redshirt junior defensive end Chase Winovich had the best game of his career in a Michigan uniform on Saturday against Purdue.
Winovich racked up six tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks against the Boilermakers.
As a result, he now leads the Big Ten in both tackles for loss and sacks, with eight and 6.5, respectively.
Winovich explained that he perhaps had a little extra incentive to have an outstanding performance.
“Unfortunately, my dad’s best friend passed away,” he said. “I dedicated this game to him on Instagram — I talked it over with my dad, and it was all part of the game plan.
“This was the first game he couldn’t make since I was a baby, just because he had to go to my brother’s football games.
“I knew there was more to accomplish every time I went out there. I also knew I had to get one clean for him and his friend, Milan Klippa, who is a great friend of the family.”
Although Winovich — along with the rest of the Michigan defense — absolutely dominated Purdue in the second half (held it to just 10 yards), the redshirt junior said it didn’t come as a surprise to the players.
“I found out that … actually, we didn’t find out anything,” he said. “No revelations were made because we already knew all this stuff. We learned more in the spring when we were proving it to other people. We knew we had a tough, fast, physical team, and the guys out there have been proving it to themselves. I wasn’t surprised by anything.”
Purdue’s offense actually had quite a bit of success moving the ball on Michigan in the first half, racking up 179 yards.
However, Winovich explained that football is about adjustments, and that the Wolverines did very well in that area.
“Purdue changed their strategy,” he revealed. “They weren’t really able to run the ball, and that resulted in them doing those trick plays [on their lone touchdown drive]. We knew coming in they had six or seven pass plays in a row going into that series, so that was the position they were in.
“Sometimes football adapts to you, or you have to adapt to other people. I feel like they had to change their game.”
Winovich clearly knows how to handle adversity and adapt to it on the football field — and in life.
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @BSB_Wolverine, @JB_ Wolverine, @AustinFox42,@AndrewVcourt and @Balas_Wolverine
• Like us on Facebook
