Don Brown has had his share of elite games as Michigan defensive coordinator, and there are some he’d like to have back. Ohio State, for one, has taken it to the Wolverines the last few seasons, but Brown and his staff have been working to flip the script in 2020.

Brown opted not to talk about the Buckeyes when asked about OSU head coach Ryan Day’s reported comments that they would “lay 100” on the Wolverines this year. Instead, he’s put his focus on game planning and preparing a defense with several new starters.

“You start with your own guys and say, ‘OK, what are we good at?’ And the things that you’re good at, you want to make sure that you emphasize and play to your players’ strengths,” Brown told Jon Jansen on the Inside Michigan radio show. “Like a year ago, we were probably more three-down than we’ve been at any point since I’ve been here, but we had several defensive ends, we were a little thin inside and we had Josh Uche, so you’ve got to find ways to get those guys on the field.

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"The Mike Dannas of the world, along with Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson — how do we get him going? How do we get Uche involved? That’s where you start, looking at your own personnel.”

The analytics also come into play, he noted. Stats and software have come a long way since he started coaching 43 years ago, and he’s using it to his advantage.

“What are you playing well? What aren’t you playing well? How’s the coverage support system? How’s that playing?” he noted. “You kind of put all that together, and a) you plan the course for the year and then b) when the season’s over, what are you going to look like next year?

“For example … we’re much deeper in the front four. I think we’ve got several guys that have matured there, and we’ve got guys that are coming along. So now you’ve got to reopen the playbook and say, ‘okay — what plays to these guys’ strengths?’ And I think we’re doing that and couldn’t be more happy with the way the players have approached the learning curve and the things we need to do to be ready for this season, especially after it looked like we were out of it for a short period of time.”

They’ve had a few advantages in preparation despite the pandemic. For one, they’ve been able to get the young players up to speed on the defense so “we at least have a chance on the field,” Brown noted. From a learning standpoint, there hasn’t been a lot of gross error since they have an idea of what they’re supposed to do. That’s allowed them a more time on important aspects like techniques and fundamental.

In addition, there are two more coaches on staff with coordinator experience in Bob Shoop and Brian Jean-Mary, so both are great teachers.

"Their football background is obviously solid, and probably the thing that helped us, as well, is we’ve been able to spend a lot of time as a defensive staff preparing for this experience,” Brown said. “So, the extra time that we’ve had, really from the spring on, was certainly beneficial to get everybody up to speed and on the same page and get all the ideas out there so we have a good idea about where we’re going to go.”

They’re getting better every day, Brown insisted. And after a long period of uncertainty about the season, he’s just happy to be getting up, going to work and doing what he’s supposed to be doing in the fall.

“This is my 43rd year, and I’ve never gone through anything like this as a coach, ever,” he said. “After 9/11 we paused for a week, but outside of that, that’s the only time that I’ve ever been associated with a pause.

“It’s kind of weird going through it, but at the same time, the thing that links you is working with the young men. Through it all, you just try to instill focus on being the best football team you can be.”

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