Michigan offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton walked in to Wednesday’s midweek press conference with a makeshift sticker on his chest.
“Vote Don Brown for assistant coach of the year (Broyles Award)” it read on athletic tape, and it grabbed everyone’s attention.
“It’s overdue, no doubt about it,” Hamilton said.
And he’s right. Brown should have won it the year before he arrived at Michigan when his Boston College defense led the nation on an otherwise poor team. His U-M defenses, of course, have been outstanding, and this year’s leads the nation.
“The numbers speak fro themselves. I think the big reason our team is in this position is the consistency our defense has had over the years, and in particular the past two years,” Hamilton said. “Just looking at Don Brown’s defense and the opportunities they continue to give us on offense, the field position and more importantly the possessions …”
Has allowed Michigan to control games and possess the ball for over 34 minutes per contest, tops in the Big Ten.
Part of that is due to a passing game that continues to improve dramatically since week one. U-M is first in the Big Ten in third down conversions (50 percent), and junior quarterback Shea Patterson is a big reason for it.
“I’ve seen him grown and develop more continuity with his teammates,” Hamilton said. “Shea has played a lot of good football over his college career, even prior to being here at Michigan. Seeing him go out and make the plays he’s made recently with Zach Gentry, Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones and the rest of our guys, that’s just a continual improvement over the course of the season just based on time on task together.
Continuity and trust have come a long way since week one, he added.
“With all our players, we look to put them in the position to do the things they do best,” Hamilton said. “Shea can make throws in the pocket, can make off schedule plays.
“There are times he ‘ll make a play that is a wow play, and I can’t say we rehearse some of the things that come about in a game, especially times we see him scramble and throw across his body and across the field. I pretty much cringe. But we usually see him come out on the right end.”
That and 10-1 are the bottom line, and they hope it results in an outright Big Ten East Championship Saturday in Columbus.
NOTES
• Peoples-Jones has made the sophomore leap and enters the OSU game with 477 yards receiving.
“You expect guys are going to make their biggest improvement from their freshman to sophomore year. For Donovan, it’s more so he’s been healthier this year,” Hamilon said. “I'm not surprised at all he’s making the plays he’s making. He is an exceptional athetle. He has a great combination of explosion, speed, just the will to go out and make plays.”
• Hamilton said he’d encourage his players on offense to treat Thanksgiving as another day … to an extent.
“It feels different because it’s a holiday week,” he said. “My philalsphy over the years with the players, I tell them always start with no. Extra serving of pumpkin pie? No thanks. Family friends who might want to chat late by the fireside … say no, I’ve got to say in my routine to get ready to play in the game on Saturday.”
They’ve still got some things to finalize offensively over the next few days, he said.
“But they’ll be ready to play,” he added.
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