Michigan Wolverines Football: Don Brown Goes Into Detail For The Critics

Michigan held Army’s offense to some of its lowest numbers in years — 66 plays for 243 yards (3.68 avg.), its lowest total yards since 2017 vs. Navy, and its lowest yards per play since 2015 vs. Air Force. The Black Knights’ managed their lowest yards per rush since 2015 vs. Navy and turned it over three times, the most since 2017.

Though the defense helped keep U-M in the game with timely plays when the offense sputtered, defensive coordinator Don Brown’s crew still took some heat for the 21 points allowed (14 in regulation).

He was happy to talk about it Monday.

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Karsch: From The Sidelines

“Let’s talk about that, because this is an important deal,” he said. “First off, this triple option stuff … it’s a tough deal, okay? ‘Why didn’t you play them in a four-man front?’ my son calls me last night [and asks]. I go, ‘when they get big, we get big.’ When they’re in their 30 bases, which is the three backs, two wide receivers, you’ve got to divide your work between the three phases; the dive, the quarterback and the pitch.

“… What does that mean? Well, there’s the triple option … they don’t run much triple option. They’re about four percent triple option. But they run the midline, the belly ‘G’ schemed the power scheme with the tight end, bring in the extra tackle. There’s a lot of stuff going on, so you’ve got to divide your attention between those three phases.”

This is the second time Brown’s played a service academy at Michigan, and the second time they held that team to its lowest offensive totals in four or five years. He initially said he ‘couldn’t care less’ before changing his tune.

“I do care, because I think we have an understanding how to go about this,” he said.

But it takes some luck, too, along with the effort. Army was primed to go up two scores, second and goal from the one after a great hustle play and group effort to keep them out of the end zone.

“What do you think our shot is to stop second and one? Pretty hard, right?” he said. “So we come out and we’re going to move the defense. We’re going to show them the three-man front and then go ahead and step into a front two, try to stop this fullback. So our call is, ‘Move!’ So when we made the move call, the fullback went [and false started], and they moved it back five yards. Whew.

“Then they ran speed option to the right again for no gain, then rolled out on third down. [Linebacker] Khaleke Hudson [chases him]. He throws it … interception, Lavert Hill. That was probably the key moment …. key of the game, because if we don’t make that stop there, who knows? You can’t predict it. But that whole deal [would have made it tougher].”

Though the entire defense had to be on its toes all game, one man in particular earned much of Brown’s praise — senior nose tackle Carlo Kemp.

“I actually get a little emotional thinking about it,” Brown said. “If you’re a football purist, this triple option … it’s tough, especially when you’re the nose … I’m blocking, knocking the heck out of this center, and then here comes the guard and he’s hitting me in the back of the ankle, and he does it 22 times during the course of the game. To keep going and knocking that guy back knowing that’s going to happen … it’s a tough deal.

… “Those are the kinds of things that intimidate players, make them less than what you want them to be. Not this guy. Not this guy. Not one time … pretty special effort on his part.”

Another who stepped up — redshirt freshman linebacker Jordan Anthony. He was thrust into action in the second half when junior Josh Ross went out with a stinger.

"He’s played this much time here since he’s been here,” Brown said, holding his hands close together. “Now he’s going to take over for us … I’ll share this because I probably won’t be around the next time we’ve got to defend the triple option. We go in and call a blitz every snap of the game, so It’s going to get impacted by formation where the blitz is actually going to get run about 18 or 20 snaps of the game. If you let them, they’ll get into different formations.

“You’re sitting there in option defense and you can’t get to the quarterback and they just pick you apart. So any opportunity to blitz them, we want it. So when they gave us blitz opportunity, we checked it and we just played the blitz … He’s got to get 11 guys lined up plus himself, then play again the triple or execute all the blitzes, and he’s played that much football for Michigan.”

He noted again how Army failed ot score with Anthony in the game in the second half.

“… It’s amazing. So anyway, I had to get that out,” he said. “I really thought our guys played with great emotion, represented Michigan, laid it on the line, and all I know is we’re 2-0 and I’m glad to be here.”

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