Michigan’s defense treated Florida’s Gators worse than a 30-year dry spell in the Everglades would their namesakes. The 33-17 smackdown proved far from perfect, but Florida head coach Jim McElwain is once again a reluctant believer.
McElwain spoke bravely in the days leading up to the showdown in Arlington, Texas, talking about expectations of “beating the heck” out of the Wolverines. In the end, his quarterbacks took a beating, and he didn't experience a heck of a good time.
“First and foremost, they physically took it to us — give them their due,” McElwain offered, regarding a Michigan defense that sacked his quarterbacks six times and surrendered all of 11 yards on the ground.
“They beat us every which way they could up front, and we never had an answer … plain and simple, take your whooping.”
If not for a pair of pick-sixes tossed by U-M redshirt junior quarterback Wilton Speight, the Gators would have come away with three points in the showdown. Florida fans might point (sheepishly, one would hope) to their team’s massive personnel defection, given 10 players were suspended for the game.
The Wolverines, with 10 of 11 new defensive starters (and the lone returning starter, fifth-year linebacker Mike McCray, technically didn't even start), don’t care. They came out to show there’s more fraud in Florida than the alleged variety.
“Regardless, if they had those players on that field or without, we still were going to do what we wanted to do,” insisted sophomore linebacker Devin Bush Jr.
He moved like he meant it, a blue-and-orange-seeking missile that flew to the ball and blew up everything in his path. Bush wasn’t alone, by any means.
McCray, fifth-year senior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr., sophomore defensive end Rashan Gary and redshirt junior defensive end Chase Winovich, along with a host of others, just kept coming. They battered and chased down Gators during the game, and raged about it afterward.
Gary delivered the highest-decibel rant of all on the way to the locker room, leaving no doubt that some pregame smack talk from the Gators and SEC country inspired the Wolverines. Michigan got wind of some tired SEC speed versus Big Ten plodding talk, then raced to shut it down.
Specifically, Gary was motivated by the words of suspended Florida running back Jordan Scarlett, who noted the U-M defensive line is strong but doesn't move well, sideline to sideline.
“That was crazy, for them to come out and say that to us,” said Hurst, who nearly broke Florida backup quarterback Malik Zaire in half on one hit. “It added a lot of fuel to our fire. We’re a team that already runs to the ball, but on screens we were getting out as fast as we can. We just wanted to make a statement, and we did a good job of doing that.
“It was everything. That’s our defense. We run to the ball every time, and we’re going to give great effort. To say something like that, it’s very insulting to a D-line. For them to call us out, it hit home to us.”
Winovich put the capper on the onslaught, taking down Zaire in his own end zone, the ball tumbling away into the hands of opportunistic touchdown-maker Noah Furbush, a redshirt junior linebacker.
Afterward, Winovich wasn’t talking about Michigan’s youth, or concerns thereof. Neither was anyone else who watched closely.
“I think Rashan Gary and I are the best defensive end duo in the country,” he offered. “We learned from Taco Charlton and Chris Wormley, and we have the best defensive line coach with Coach [Greg] Mattison. We’ve got Coach [Don] Brown as our defensive coordinator.
“It’s the perfect storm. It’s just what we do. If you overset us, we’ll counter you. If you set straight back, we’re going to bull you into the quarterback. We’re just having fun. It’s just a grand old blast getting to the quarterback.”
Head coach Jim Harbaugh wanted his team blasting away, not fretting about talk of youth. So he read a letter the night before the game from Marine Anthony Riddle of Jackson, who talked about, as a 20-year-old, leading into battle in Iraq troops his age and younger.
“And the message — it’s irrelevant what the age is,” Harbaugh stressed.
The Gators weren’t carding Wolverines as Harbaugh’s troops stormed the quarterback. They didn’t have time. Winovich watched them begin to crack and smiled over the development.
“You could look into their eyes, and I just don’t know if they believed they could win that game at that point,” he said. “With our defense, we’re pedal to the metal. Whether you’re ready or not, we’re comin' and we’re bringing the pressure.”
The Wolverines absolutely have work to do. Harbaugh and Michigan’s coaches come away with tons of video to gear up for other battles.
But for starters, with new starters? Let’s just say McElwain and his Gators want no more of Harbaugh & Co., for the foreseeable future. Others are soon to follow.
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