Steve Clinkscale pushing Michigan DBs to secure more interceptions

Michigan co-defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale loves interceptions. Clinkscale would also love to see his defensive backs create more of them. While pass breakups and deflections are fine, he knows that the best teams create turnovers.

With some downtime waiting on the Wolverines' primetime kick-off against Hawaii on Saturday, Clinkscale was able to watch other teams across college football.

What he saw was clear: Teams that forced turnovers typically walked away with the win.

"You watch a lot of games on Saturday sitting there getting ready for our game," Clinkscale said. "There were a few games that I thought you see DBs contesting the ball constantly and it forces the offense to continue to try and figure things out. A lot of those games, the teams I was watching, they ended up winning. I was telling our guys before the game, we have to contest more passes.

"Whether we intercept it or not, we have to get our hands on the receiver, we can't let them be comfortable catching the ball in open space and running with the ball, trying to make a tackle in the open field. You put yourself in a more vulnerable position."

The Wolverines found themselves in the right place against the Rainbow Warriors but weren't able to secure turnovers.

Something that Clinkscale accepted but knows the Wolverines can improve in that regard.

"Do I like PBUs and contesting the ball? Yes. Do I love them? No," Clinkscale said. "I love interceptions, of course. We told them it was a good job but we want to continue to push harder and go finish on the ball. The one thing in practice that I've seen more this year than we have in the past is that we are collecting more interceptions during practice. We keep planting that seed, it'll prosper. We'll reap what we sow and we'll get more interceptions. They're coming."