By MAX COHEN
Managing Sports Editor
In recent weeks, attempting
to score against the Michigan
football team’s defense has been
an exercise in
futility.
The
Wolverines
have
mauled
opposing
offenses
into
submission,
drive
after
drive.
Michigan’s
four
consecutive
victories
have
been
buoyed
by its defense.
The Wolverines
(1-0 Big Ten, 4-1
overall) have posted consecutive
shutouts and allowed just one
touchdown apiece to UNLV and
Oregon State in the two games
before that.
But this weekend, Michigan’s
defense could meet its match.
The Wolverines are currently
the second-ranked team in the
nation in total defense, allowing
184 yards per game — one of just
two teams in the country allowing
fewer than 200.
One
of
the
teams
a
few
spots
behind
the
Wolverines
is
Saturday’s
opponent,
Northwestern
(1-0,
5-0).
The
Wildcats have allowed 247.4 yards
per game, good for fifth in the
country.
Looking at scoring defense
yields
similar
results.
Northwestern is No. 1 in the
country in that statistic, allowing
seven points per game. Michigan
is No. 2 in the nation at 7.6.
The inclination based off these
statistics is that Saturday’s game
will largely be a defensive struggle.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh
is not entirely convinced that a
matchup of two of the nation’s
best defenses is relevant.
“The two defenses won’t go
against each other,” Harbaugh
said Monday. “They won’t face
each other, so look at it the way
you always look at it: It’s three
phases, and you want to win each
of those phases.”
Statistically, the teams are also
similar on the offensive side of the
ball. The Wolverines rank 77th
nationally in total offense, while
the Wildcats are 79th.
But because the calling card of
both teams is defense, that phase
of the game will be most tightly
scrutinized Saturday. Michigan’s
defensive players have not been
afraid to vocalize their high goals
for the unit.
“I think our goal is to be the
best defense in the country,” said
redshirt junior defensive tackle
Ryan Glasgow. “We don’t really
shy away from
talk about that,
but the main key
that is stressed
every week is
you
have
to
remember what
got you here.”
Michigan
defensive
coordinator
D.J. Durkin was not quite that
bold when he met with the
media Wednesday, but he, too,
is satisfied by what he has seen
from his unit.
One of Durkin’s mantras has
been to tell players to “stamp
their personalities” on their role,
meaning he wants them play with
their own style and substance
rather than act like “robots.”
Durkin even applies that same
standard to himself, by frequently
being a hands-on coach and
jumping into drills to demonstrate
instead of standing back and
watching. He is not concerned
about any laziness that could
result from overconfidence after
two straight shutouts.
“It’s about how hard you work
and how you prepare. And our
guys, we’re obviously talking
about that a bunch,” Durkin
said. “I think they’re starting to
understand that. That’s who we
want to be: a blue-collar team.”
Saturday,
Michigan
will
face
another
team that could
consider
itself
blue-collar,
a
foe with similar
strengths to the
Wolverines’.
Michigan
has
had
success
against
spread
offenses
like
the Wildcats’ this year, despite
struggling
against
similar
offenses
in
recent
memory.
The Wolverines did not allow a
score after the game’s opening
moments against Oregon State,
another opponent that ran a
spread offense.
Similar
results
would
bode
well for Michigan this weekend.
As much as Harbaugh wants his
team to focus on all three phases
of the game, all eyes will be on the
defensive side of the ball, no matter
whose offense is on the field.
3
TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com
Northwestern
at Michigan
Matchup:
Northwestern
5-0; Michigan
4-1
When: Saturday
3:30 P.M.
Where:
Michigan
Stadium
TV/Radio:
Big Ten Network
All eyes on defense Saturday
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin (bottom) has led one of the nation’s
best defenses, anchored by a stout defensive front (top).
“That’s who we
want to be: a blue-
collar team.”