Mike Sainristil knows the numbers from the Rose Bowl say Michigan’s secondary had a strong outing against Alabama. However, he also knows those numbers are a result of the elite defensive line.

When the Wolverines secured their win with a goal-line stand in overtime, Alabama finished with less than 300 yards of offense in the College Football Playoff showdown. Jalen Milroe was also limited and held to just 116 passing yards without a touchdown.

After the game, Sainristil said a lot of the success in the passing game boiled down the defensive line. He also said the unit was looking lights out in practice all month long.

“Did you see that D-line tonight? That’s what they did all December in practice, getting home, making sure that the rush lanes were going to be where they needed to be,” praised Sainristil.

“We knew (Milroe) was going to find ways to make plays with his feet, that’s what he does, but I think to hold them to barely get over 100 passing yards wasn’t necessarily because of the DBs. Yes, we did good in coverage, but the coverage started with the pressure that the guys up front were able to create.”

Michigan’s defense finished with 6 sacks, including 5 in a record-setting first half, and 10 TFL in the win. Jesse Minter’s unit was certainly at the top of its game, especially in the trenches while getting after Milroe.