8 — Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan’s defensive goal? Turnovers and more turnovers
By MAX COHEN
Managing Sports Editor
Three games into the season,
the Michigan football team does
not yet have a definitive identity.
The offense has mixed and
matched pieces, and the team’s
defenders have given their own
unit varying reviews.
But spending just a few minutes
with senior linebacker James
Ross
and
junior
cornerback
Jourdan Lewis makes it clear
what the Wolverines’ defense
wants its identity to be.
They arrived to their media
availability Monday wearing the
same logo — Lewis wore it on a
fleece sweatshirt, and Ross wore
it on his baseball cap. The logo
had the wings of a carnivorous
bird with a skull head between.
It read “Ballhawks.” Defensive
coordinator DJ Durkin has given
out the gear since the spring, as a
reward for creating turnovers in
practice.
The
gear
is
a
way
to
emphasize what has been an
area of weakness for Michigan
in recent years. Last season, the
Wolverines recorded just five
interceptions
and
recovered
five fumbles, which was tied for
108th among all Football Bowl
Subdivision schools.
The need to create takeaways
has been a constant teaching
point in practice ever since the
new coaching staff took over.
They have drilled it into the
players’ heads to the point that
it is a mantra the players often
repeat.
“When we get on that field, we
want to get that ball back for our
offense,” Ross said.
The new strategy manifests
itself in multiple ways. When
tacklers hit ball carriers, they are
encouraged to do so with force
and to make an effort to punch
out the ball.
“We probably coach turnovers
more than any defense I’ve ever
been around, and in the camp
and throughout practices we’ve
had more turnovers than I can
ever remember,” said Michigan
defensive
line
coach
Greg
Mattison last week.
Mattison has held defensive
coaching positions with eight
different colleges and one NFL
organization since 1977.
So far, the new mentality
most evidently paid off when
Michigan played Oregon State
in the second game of the season
and junior defensive end Taco
Charlton knocked the ball out
of the grasp of Beavers’ running
back Victor Bolden. Michigan
senior linebacker Joe Bolden
snatched the ball out of the air in
what became a game-changing
play.
“We just learn to be way
more aggressive than we’ve ever
been,” Ross said. “That’s ripping
the ball out, that’s making it
very uncomfortable for the ball
carriers no matter what. I’m
not saying I punch the ball out
rather than make the tackle. It’s
not that. It’s just I’m reaching for
that ball every time I’m taking
you down.”
The secondary takes a similar
approach with balls in the air.
With the way they speak about
their desire for interceptions, it’s
as though they believe they have
the same opportunity to catch a
ball as the intended receiver.
Lewis had four pass breakups
in
Michigan’s
win
against
UNLV. For some cornerbacks,
the absence of pass breakups is
viewed as a positive. It merely
means the offense is scared to
attack them. Lewis is different.
He hopes the passes keep coming
his way.
“Honestly, I wanted a pick,”
Lewis said. “Pass breakups are
great, but the ultimate goal is the
interception.”
Lewis
will
have
another
chance
to
prove
his
point
Saturday against No. 22 Brigham
Young. The Cougars are a team
unafraid to air out the football,
illustrated
by
quarterback
Tanner
Mangum’s
47
pass
attempts in his team’s loss to
UCLA last weekend.
Mangum, a freshman, took
over the starting job when
Taysom Hill was injured in
BYU’s season opener. He has
had bright moments and game-
winning drives early on, but the
Wolverines will attempt to lure
him into mistakes.
Lewis asserted Monday that
Michigan’s secondary can be
the best in the country. The
unit recorded two interceptions
Saturday to bring its total to
three this season. Ross went a
step further than Lewis, saying
that he believes the entire
defense can be the best in the
country. He thought back to
four-hour spring practices and
the Wolverines’ taxing fall camp
in stating his opinion.
“It would be criminal to not
think we could be the best,” Ross
said. “When you put in so much
work, that’s the only belief you
have.”
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