Michigan Wolverines Football: Don Brown Pleased With His Top 10 Defense
Michigan’s defense lost plenty of talent to the NFL last year, but coordinator Don Brown has overcome some bumps to bring his group back into the top 10 nationally. The Wolverines are now No. 8 nationally in allowing only 270.4 yards per game, fifth in the country in allowing only 4.17 yards per play.
Replacing a pair of NFL ends, an NFL defensive tackle and a linebacker in Devin Bush Jr. (Pittsburgh Steelers) who is the frontrunner for AFC Defensive Rookie of the year took some time, but the defense has made huge strides since getting gashed for 35 points and over 350 yards rushing at Wisconsin.
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"Sometimes your worst days help you get things straight, and we couldn’t have been much worse against Wisconsin," Brown told 97.1 The Ticket this week. "There were reasons for that, and I’ve talked about it a little bit, but we’ve been really laser-focused when it comes to the run game. Somebody gave me a crazy stat … we’re something like 160 runs for like 260 total yards … 1-point-whatever since the Wisconsin game.”
It’s 1.7 (158 carries for 271 yards) since that game, one in which run fits were non-existent, confidence lost early. They got their swagger back and have plastered some solid running teams, including Iowa and Notre Dame.
"Guys have really paid attention to the run game; they’ve really paid attention to the fits,” Brown said. “I think the ability to run to the ball just got completely magnified (against Notre Dame), because their whole run game was edge, was to get on the perimeter, and it's pretty frustrating when your two linebackers are as fast as those tailbacks.
"We played really well. I just had a good feeling with this group. We’ve done a good job during the practice week of focusing on the things that are important and executing at a high level. We’ve had two, I think, really special defensive performances this year: Iowa and obviously Notre Dame the other night. I’m really happy with how the guys prepared. Obviously, nothing got in their way. Their focus was laser perfect.”
They held Notre Dame to 180 yards, but the Irish had only 93 midway through the fourth quarter. They put together a three-play touchdown drive against the Wolverines’ third stringers late in the game to make the score more respectable at 45-14, but the bludgeoning had already taken place.
Linebacker play has been a big reason for the improvement. Redshirt freshman Cam McGrone notched 12 tackles to lead the way in the blowout Saturday.
"He showed traits early. Now, I’ll be honest — he wasn’t using his hands great and all those things that you need to do as a Big Ten linebacker. But he's always had that ability to run. Now he’s using his hands, he’s being physical and he’s getting to the point of the attack," Brown said.
Fifth-year senior Jordan Glasgow, too, has surprised.
“We took him from hybrid and moved him to Will linebacker, and it’s tough to get him out of there now because he can run,” Brown said. “He’s got safety-type ability. We’ve transformed him. [Strength coach] Ben Herbert got him to 225. He’s strong, fast, and nobody works harder. He really chases the ball well sideline to sideline.
“He made a play on fourth down where they motioned the tailback out of the backfield to one side. Well, he tracked him. Then they brought him across the three receivers on the other side. He tracked them there and he batted it down like nothing g, like a safety would. That’s why we moved him there. Boy, I’ll tell you, I’m really happy with way that young man has played.”
Sophomore end Aidan Hutchinson is proving to be elite, Brown added, while junior Kwity Paye, “you know my love affair with him,” he quipped.
Finally, Daxton Hill continues to improve. The freshman safety will see more and more time and has started to get up to speed with the rest of his teammates. Brown singled out a third down play in which Hill learned from a week earlier, stayed home and hit a receiver on contact to break up a pass.
“That’s what happens in college football. Guys leave, they graduate, they go onto the NFL, and you have to be prepared with the next flock of guys,” Brown said. “I think we’ve exhibited that; we’ve done that.
“In '16 we were really strong, physical, big up front. Jabrill [Peppers] made us faster, Ben [Gedeon] and Mike [McCray] were tough guys. We had a great secondary led by Jourdan Lewis, Delano Hill, Dymonte Thomas, but we were stout. This group here, we’re probably not as stout, but boy, can we run. All 11 positions now."
And they’re still getting better, he added.
“It’s an unbelievable group to work with, a group football is important to. They have a chance to be good," he said. "There are a lot of good things in front of us.”
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