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Michigan football: Depth on D-line might be a concern for the Wolverines

Adam Biggers

By Adam Biggers

Published:

Michigan’s defense is in a state of overhaul this season, transitioning from the teachings of Don Brown to those of new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. There will be mistakes. There will be issues. There will be learning curves.

That’s how things go when “change” becomes the buzz word among defensive players.

On Saturday, Michigan allowed a season-high 352 yards, with 196 coming via Rutgers’ ground presence, during a 20-13 victory in Ann Arbor. A win was a win, ugly or not, but this one did highlight a possible issue within the defense: depth up front.

Clearly tired from the Scarlet Knights’ nearly-perfect third quarter, the Wolverines’ D-linemen weren’t as forceful as they had been in the previous three games. With 20 carries on the day, RU RB Isaih Pacheco gashed UM for 107 yards — by far the most allowed this season. NIU QB Rocky Lombardi had 72 rushing yards in Week 3 — the closest anyone has gotten to touching 100 vs. UM previously.

Other than Kris Jenkins and Donovan Jeter, who rotate at D-tackle, the Wolverines haven’t seen a whole lot from their second-stringers. Jenkins and Jeter are both starter-quality and have been productive, so maybe they shouldn’t even be mentioned.

Aidan Hutchinson, a soon-to-be All-America DE, leads the Wolverines with 4.5 of a team’s 6 sacks.

Jeter batted down a ball at the line of scrimmage, Jenkins has had some tackles and good penetrations into the backfield. Christopher Hinton, another DT, has made his way into the backfield a few times this year — but again, there just hasn’t been much coming from the 2s in regard to defensive line performance.

Especially statistically, because if we’re judging on numbers alone, it looks like the Wolverines will be in trouble.

Out of the 13 team QBH (hurries/hits), the D-line has only accounted for 4 of them — Hutchinson and DT Mazi Smith each have a pair.

Stats don’t always tell the whole story, but they can help paint a picture of a situation. And yeah, UM is only 4 games into the season, so players may still need more time to get in full-on Saturday mode. Once the Big Ten season starts, it’s all or nothing — and the B1G campaign begins Saturday for the Wolverines, who’ll play their first game on the road this season at Wisconsin.

A true test for everyone involved, this weekend’s matchup could determine the course of the year for both the Wolverines and the Badgers. The Badgers haven’t wowed anyone so far and need QB Graham Mertz to get on an even track before they even think about competing in the Big Ten. Saturday, the Badgers were pounded from every direction by Notre Dame, which won 41-13 at Solider Field in Chicago.

Mertz threw a pair of costly pick-6s in the fourth quarter, all but giving away the game to the Irish.

Notre Dame was able to cover receivers and apply pressure up front, making the contest a bit easier to manage en route to a blowout win in the Windy City.

Michigan needs more from its D-line if it hopes to beat Wisconsin.

Despite not having a full-on star RB likes in years past, Wisconsin can still run the ball. Entering this past Saturday, the Badgers had the No. 10-ranked rushing offense in college football — so don’t think that one bad game against ND means that they’re incapable of getting back to their old ways.

Pressure will force mistakes and it’ll make Mertz miss his receivers. Pressure won’t allow the Badgers to rack up 266 yards on the ground, their average entering Week 4’s bout with the Irish.

The Wolverines need to find those up front who will apply pressure and open up lanes for LB Josh Ross, who has a team-high 5 QBH. And obviously, if the D-line weren’t doing something right, Ross wouldn’t be getting into the backfield as much as has through 4 games.

Saturday’s near-miss vs. Rutgers wasn’t a sign that Michigan is overrated, or that coach Jim Harbaugh needs to be fired, or that major personnel changes need to be made. It was simply a sign that UM needs to further develop its depth, particularly along the D-line.

Adam Biggers

Adam Biggers brings his expertise on the Michigan beat to Saturday Tradition. Follow him on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.