After a poor performance at Penn State Oct. 21 in which the defense allowed 506 yards, the Wolverines bounced back in a big way against Rutgers this past Saturday.
Sophomore viper Khaleke Hudson explained the defense knew they couldn’t dwell on the Nittany Lion game, and had to just put it behind them.
“We came in Monday hungry and ready to practice,” Hudson said. “We were just focused on Rutgers and it showed in a big way. We wanted to show what kind of defense we actually are.
“You never want to keep the previous game on your mind — it happened and we can’t take it back. We knew we had to move forward and practice hard and get the win the next week.”
Fifth-year senior defensive tackle Mo Hurst started the game with a bang, promptly sacking redshirt junior quarterback Giovanni Rescigno in emphatic fashion.
Hudson revealed that plays like Hurst's go a long way in terms of firing up the defense.
“It was crucial,” the sophomore said. “I was actually in man coverage and turned around and was like ‘this is going to be a great day for us.’ The defensive line is very important because we send a lot of pressure and expect them to get home since we’re playing man-to-man. It’s better on you as a defensive back because you don’t have to cover as long.”
Hudson explained the offense’s ability to consistently put points on the board is another aspect that helped the defense.
That hasn’t been the case for the majority of this season, but it occurred on Saturday when Michigan strung together three straight scoring drives — two to end the second quarter, and then one to begin the third.
“It’s good because points on the board obviously give us a better chance to win,” he explained. “If we see the offense scoring, it makes it easier for us to play our game — not to let the opponent get any points or yards.”
Finally, he touched on the improvement of two younger players on the team — freshman viper/kick returner Brad Hawkins and redshirt freshman quarterback Brandon Peters. He started with Hawkins.
“Brad is a great player,” Hudson observed. “He’s smart and knows what he’s doing out there — we can count on him at all times. If something ever happens to me, we all feel confident he can come in and produce.”
In similar fashion, Peters came in for struggling fifth-year senior quarterback John O’Korn against the Scarlet Knights, and produced.
“He’s gotten a little bit more vocal — he’s been talking more,” Hudson said. “He’s doing what he has to do in practice, and he’s looked pretty good in the games. He’s working on his craft.”
Peters will likely have a chance to “work on his craft” even more this Saturday against Minnesota, as Jim Harbaugh said there’s a 51 percent chance he’ll get the start.
---
• 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
