9/28/2021 football Edit

Mike Hart On Rutgers Close Call: 'It Was Great It Happened'

Chris Balas • Maize&BlueReview

Senior Editor

Michigan sleepwalked through the second half of its game with Rutgers — at least on offense — and nearly paid for it. The offensive line, quarterback Cade McNamara, the running backs and receivers … none of them were in sync in the second half, and running backs coach Mike Hart acknowledged it Monday.

He also said it might be exactly what this team needed heading into a game with Wisconsin Saturday.

“It’s one of those things where it was great it happened,” Hart said on the Inside Michigan Radio Show with Jon Jansen Monday. “When you rush for 350, 360 a game, that’s just the expectation every time you carry the ball, touch the ball … 10 yards a carry. I think we’re in the Big Ten season now and there’s going to be four, three, two-yard gains. They’re good too, on scholarship too, have some really good players and were coached well.”

Michigan Wolverines football coach Mike Hart said the close call against Rutgers might be just what this team needed (AP Images)

At the same time, Hart wasn’t making excuses for the poor play. Michigan managed only 42 yards in the second half, 35 on the ground, and simply couldn’t move the ball.

“They brought some different blitzes but nothing we didn’t practice; nothing we weren’t expecting,” Hart said. “Just going down to the details of everything … footwork, execution. Those type of things as a team, whether we reacted too fast, whether we stepped the wrong way. Being an ex-lineman, you know those six inches matter when you’re moving and stunting, and we were just getting beat a little bit.

“It just kind of slowed us down, got us out of rhythm. We got behind the sticks, threw the ball a little more in the second half, (but) running the ball, you have to get four yards a carry. You have to, or you’re behind the sticks. I don’t think it’s anything we did in practice. We just have to execute, and think it was good for our guys to see.”

They saw it all on film, and it was easily correctable, Hart added. There was nothing that was outrageous or really bad … one person here, one person there that missed a block or stepped the wrong way, or a back making a wrong read.

“When those things pile up play after play, that’s what happens,” Hart said. “You can’t have mistakes in those kinds of games. It’s just something we need to practice and improve on.

The backs had their share of issues, too, but Hart seems confident it was an anomaly.

“It’s just fun being able to find out how we’ll use them, where we’ll put them in on this play,” he said. “Certain guys have certain plays, and as a coach our job is to use them the right way on the field. We coach them all the same, all hard, though some guys might have more leeway to run east-west than other guys (for example).

“You let them be who they are, but they still have to function within the rules of the play. They can’t just go totally outside those rules. There are certain rules to every play, certain things you have to do no matter what type of back you are. You have to get vertical, no matter how fast and quick you are. You have to be patient.

“Coaching all those guys, that’s what makes the room so special. We have different types of backs that present different challenges to the defense.”

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