Wilson: Recent Offensive Success Due To 'Focus' And 'Trusting Each Other'

Senior running back Tru Wilson talked with reporters Tuesday night. He spoke on U-M's big 45-14 win over Notre Dame, the improvement in the run game and what the team needs to do going forward.

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U-M rushed for 303 rushing yards against the Fighting Irish. Wilson added six carries for 45 yards, including a 27-yard TD run. He says the ground game's success is a huge boost going into the next week, especially in the running backs room, led by position coach Jay Harbaugh.

"Going into the meeting room Monday and watching the film with Coach, everybody's just happier," Wilson said. "It's a good feeling knowing that everybody ate that game. It's awesome."

Senior quarterback Shea Patterson has been more involved in the run game as of late, and Wilson says that adds another element to the rushing attack that U-M throws at its opponent.

"I think it just puts more pressure on the defense and we all have confidence in him to run the ball," Wilson said. "We all have seen him in games do it before, so it’s not a surprise to us but it definitely helps out everybody when the opposing defense has to be scared of Shea running the ball using his legs."

The run game has certainly emerged in the past few weeks. U-M ran for 285 yards against Illinois and 141 against PSU the two weeks prior to the ND game. Wilson insists it's not anything different schematically that is creating the success.

"I don’t if there was a big difference," he said. "Coach Gattis was talking to us today and he made an emphasis saying we haven’t been doing anything different, it’s just everybody’s focusing that much more into the scheme, they’re learning the offense more, everybody’s trusting each other more, they’re trusting in themselves more, just believing in themselves, trusting their ability to do and be great.

"I wouldn’t say there was a big change, it’s just everybody is playing better."

Something else that has improved, especially in the past six quarters of play, is limiting turnovers. U-M has lost nine fumbles this season and has 14 total turnovers. Since the second half of the PSU game, the Wolverines have not had a turnover. In fact, the ND game was the first game without U-M turnover since the Rutgers game last season (Nov. 10, 2018). The clean play as of late adds another confidence boost for the Wolverines.

"We [keep track of] M.O.E (margin of error), and it's gone down a lot since [the second half at PSU] and we definitely take pride in a lower M.O.E. every week," Wilson said.

"A lower M.O.E leads to more explosive plays, which we also keep track of."

With the rainy and wet conditions against ND, not giving the ball away is impressive. Wilson said they were ready to play in the downpour that it was.

"I think we learned like Wednesday that it was going to rain, so we were squirting water bottles onto the balls and doing everything we can to prepare, wearing the different gloves, the leather gloves in practice," Wilson said. "So, we were prepared for it. We didn’t let it be any negative to us on the field."

U-M embraced the conditions and Wilson said it was a night to remember.

"It's just one of those games you'll remember for the rest of your life," he said. "Just really bad conditions, rainy, cold, against a rival at home in front of 110,000 fans.

"For those conditions and that many fans coming out, that was awesome."

Moving ahead after a big rivalry win to play a lesser opponent in Maryland is the team's next challenge.

"[Gattis] made it clear, 'Don't be complacent,'" Wilson said. "We had a really good game, a really good win against a good team, a rival.

"Just really focus in the last stretch of the season. Every team we play is going to be a good team and we're just going to go to Maryland and show up."

As for the rest of the season beyond Maryland, Wilson is optimistic about that, as well.

"I feel like we can keep going," he said. "There's people making a difference every game — Mike Sainristil having that kind of impact as a wide receiver in that type of rain like that, it's impressive.

"Hassan [Haskins], Zach [Charbonnet], we're all coming together. More people are going to keep eating, more people can keep showing out.

"We got so much talent on the team that it can be a different guy every game."

Notes

Patterson even got out and was lead blocking for Wilson on his touchdown run.

“I feel like that’s happened in practice a couple times where one of us or I’ve cut it back or cut it outside and he’s noticed it and sprinted up,” Wilson explained. “Yeah, Coach Jay said that’s really like Russell Wilson-esque of him. He sees Russell Wilson do that like ten times per game. That’s a really good comparison, that’s my fantasy quarterback, too.

I feel like he’s the best there is. He’s the man. Physically, mentally his confidence it at a high. He’s throwing the ball as good as it can be. I thought he threw the ball really well for it being as rainy as it was. That’s really bad conditions. I think he’s the man and he can do it all."

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