Michigan’s defense was lights out in the second half and it looked more like a Jesse Minter defense in scheme and execution.
It’s been tough sledding at times for the Michigan Wolverines defense, including the first half against Indiana in a 20-15 loss in Bloomington. Michigan allowed 17 first half points and 228 total yards in the first half. However, what happened after halftime was highly impressive against an Indiana team that ranked No. 2 in scoring offense heading into the game.
“I thought they did an unbelievable job in the second half,” Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said after the game. “The fight, the effort.”
The fight, effort, and adjustments were there — Michigan allowed just three points in the second half and Indiana had only 18 total yards. This was the first time Indiana was held to under 30 points in a game.
“That offense is averaging 40-something points a game. To hold them to 20, it was huge,” Moore said.
Part of what Michigan did in the second half was make adjustments rarely seen this season by defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. Michigan blitzed less and actually had more success getting to the quarterback sending four.
“It wasn’t really blitzes, it was four-man rushes,” Moore explained. “We felt like we had some matchups and those guys did a really good job of getting pressure on those four-man rushes because I think they were four-man rushes when they got pressure.”
Michigan also played more man coverage and press coverage down the stretch and the secondary had arguably their best game of the season. Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke had only 16 yards passing in the second half and threw an interception to Zeke Berry.
“The second half, they buckled down,” Moore said. “They really played tight coverage, a mix of zone and man and different things and just did a really good job.”
Michigan ranked No. 1 in total defense last season and No. 2 in passing yards allowed under former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Michigan’s defensive performance against Indiana resembled Minter’s units in scheme and execution alike. Minter didn’t feel the need to constantly use simulated pressures or blitz consistently in passing situations. Minter’s defense was of the bend, don’t break variety compared to how Martindale’s units have been boom or bust. That changed on Saturday night, albeit in a loss.
There are no moral victories in football, a loss is a loss, but it doesn’t change the fact that the type of game plan Martindale had in the second half is the closest we’ve seen to something Minter would have drawn up. Consistent pressure just rushing four, more man defense than zone, fundamentally sound tackling and angles and good physicality are all things that Michigan had against Indiana as the game wore on. This is the blueprint Michigan should have used much earlier in the year defensively, but better late than never for the 5-5 Wolverines.